Practice Theory and Research: Exploring the dynamics of social life

Description

There has been an upsurge in scholarship concerned with theories of social practices in various fields including sociology, geography and management studies. This book provides a systematic introduction and overview of recent formulations of practice theory organised around three important themes: the importance of analysing the role of the non-human alongside the human; the reflexive nature of social science research; and the dynamics of social change. Combining a rich variety of detailed empirical research examples with discussion of the relevance of practice theories for policy and social change, this book represents an excellent sourcebook for all academic and professional researchers interested in working with practice theory. Cover Half Title Title Page Copyright Page Table of Contents List of figures List of tables Notes on contributors Preface List of abbreviations Part I Theoretical and methodological contributions to practice theories 1 Introduction: using practice theory to research social life 2 Practice theory as flat ontology 3 The methodological challenges of practising praxeology 4 Emotional agency navigates a world of practices Part II Zooming in on practices as performances 5 Handling things at home: a practice-based approach to divestment 6 Praxeologizing street violence: an attempt to understand the teleological and normative- affective structure of violent situations 7 How to make sense of suffering in complex care practices? 8 Grounding the practice: material elements in the constitution of tennis practices Part III Zooming out on practices as embedded entities 9 Growing urban food as an emerging social practice 10 Connecting practices: conservation tourism partnerships in Kenya 11 Forest governance: connecting global to local practices 12 Conclusion: the relevance of practice theory for researching social change Index