A meta-synthesis of the use of activity theory in design for sustainable behaviour

Chu, Wanjun; Glad, Wiktoria; Wever, Renee

doi:10.1017/dsj.2021.17

Cited by 6 publications

(5 citation statements)

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“…Although the TPB and PT have provided valuable insights into the field of consumer behaviours and perceptions in packagingfree systems, it should consider the potential contribution of activity theory (AT) as an alternative and complementary theoretical framework. AT introduces a lens that considers the interactions between human activities, social contexts and the role of artefacts as it is explored in the research by Wanjun et al [74]. AT can focus on mediating the effects of artefacts aligned with the material aspects of packaging-free systems, such as reusable containers and bulk dispensers, which play a crucial role in shaping consumer behaviours.…”

Section: Theoretical Perspectivesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A broader application of the theoretical framework employed in the literature: Although the literature has predominantly used the TPB and PT to study consumer behaviours and perceptions in grocery habits and packaging-free systems, there is a clear possibility for adopting AT to broaden these perspectives. AT is another lens in the area of environmentally sustainable interventions that can be used to analyse consumer doings, enabling to finding of tensions and contradictions between the artefact and the user in a set context [74]. By incorporating AT, this research area can gain a broader perspective that extends beyond individual attitudes and social practices, looking into the complexity of how consumers engage in environmentally sustainable behaviours within complex systems [74].…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…AT is another lens in the area of environmentally sustainable interventions that can be used to analyse consumer doings, enabling to finding of tensions and contradictions between the artefact and the user in a set context [74]. By incorporating AT, this research area can gain a broader perspective that extends beyond individual attitudes and social practices, looking into the complexity of how consumers engage in environmentally sustainable behaviours within complex systems [74]. Broadening the theoretical framework can lead to exploring the field in a more comprehensive examination of the dynamics in packaging-free systems contributing to a more solid understanding of sustainable grocery habits and creating effective intervention strategies.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Unpacking Behaviours: A Literature Study and Research Agenda on Consumer Behaviour in Packaging‐Free Systems

Jiménez Romanillos,

Williams,

Wever

2024

Packag Technol Sci

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In an era where food packaging plays a dual role in both reducing food waste and contributing to global packaging waste, this study presents an analysis of packaging‐free systems. As governments and organizations attempt to address the environmental impact of single‐use packaging, packaging‐free alternatives have emerged as a promising solution. However, there is a need for a comprehensive assessment of environmental sustainability and its alignment with consumer behaviours and preferences in this growing type of grocery system. Considering this need, this study employs an integrative literature review process, selecting 51 research articles. This selection was classified into three principal areas: the characteristics of packaging‐free services, the dynamics of consumer behaviour and patterns from a household perspective. This review evaluates the effectiveness of packaging‐free systems, exploring the factors that drive consumer adoption, the obstacles to transitioning and the relevance of theoretical frameworks like the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) and practice theory (PT) in understanding and assessing the sustainability of these alternatives. The result of this study is the identification of significant research gaps and opportunities, leading to a comprehensive research agenda. This agenda emphasizes the need for a more refined understanding of consumer classifications that extend beyond standard demographic metrics, delving into aspects like household structures, dietary preferences and regional variations. The study highlights the limited scope of existing literature by advocating for a holistic grocery analysis that blends packaging‐free and conventional shopping practices to understand more realistic grocery scenarios, as not all products are available in packaging‐free alternatives. It also underscores the importance of integrating environmental assessments with consumer behaviour studies to see the sustainability of the systems beyond reusable containers. Additionally, this research sheds light on the relatively unexplored area of online packaging‐free services, questioning the sustainable implication of incorporating online alternatives in grocery practices, and suggests a broader application of theoretical frameworks, including activity theory (AT) as a new perspective to achieve a new understanding of these systems. Lastly, contributing to the overall understanding of packaging‐free systems, the study concludes with a SWOT analysis that briefly identifies strengths in environmental sustainability and consumer awareness, balanced against weaknesses like data gaps and complex consumer decision‐making processes.

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Section: Theoretical Perspectivesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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confidence: 99%

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confidence: 99%

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Unpacking Behaviours: A Literature Study and Research Agenda on Consumer Behaviour in Packaging‐Free Systems

Jiménez Romanillos,

Williams,

Wever

2024

Packag Technol Sci

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“…The theoretical framework for the study consists of the overarching theory of the activity theory (AT) that was discussed in Chapter 1. Chu, Glad andWever (2021, p. 3, cited in Kaptelinin &Nardi 2006) stated that the work carried out by psychologists Lev Vygotsky and Sergei Rubinshtein in the 1920s and 1930s, when they sought an understanding of how the complex relationship between the human mind and society manifests in human activities, indicates the conceptual origin of the AT. , cited in Chu et al 2021) indicated that 'AT has the conceptual and methodological potential to be a pathbreaker in studies that help humans gain control over their artifacts'.…”

Section: The Theoretical and Conceptual Framework For The Chaptermentioning

confidence: 99%

LEGO® – from South Africa to New Zealand: The narrative of the theory, methodology and the ‘noise of fun’

Preston,

van der Merwe

2023

Six Bricks®: A Path to Wellness in the Educational and Health Systems

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Peer-review declarationThe publisher (AOSIS) endorses the South African 'National Scholarly Book Publishers Forum Best Practice for Peer-Review of Scholarly Books'. The book proposal form was evaluated by our Social Sciences, Humanities, Education and Business Management editorial board. The manuscript underwent an evaluation to compare the level of originality with other published works and was subjected to rigorous two-step peer-review before publication by two technical expert reviewers who did not include the volume editor(s) and were independent of the volume editor(s), with the identities of the reviewers not revealed to the editor(s) or author(s). The reviewers were independent of the publisher, editor(s) and author(s). The publisher shared feedback on the similarity report and the reviewers' inputs with the manuscript's editor(s) or author(s) to improve the manuscript. Where the reviewers recommended revisions and improvements, the editor(s) or author(s) responded adequately to such recommendations. The reviewers commented positively on the scholarly merits of the manuscript and recommended that the book be published.v Research justificationThis manuscript will inform the reader about the journey the Six Bricks® initiative took from being 'born' and 'developed' in South Africa to being exported and landing on the shores of various other countries. The Six Bricks® initiative is a teaching and learning method that encourages focused engagement in the classroom by all learners, from the Foundation Phase to adults. By using these six simple, colourful DUPLO® bricks, an element of play is introduced into a situation that inevitably leads to all individuals focusing and interacting. This is one of the major contributions to all teaching and learning (educational and wellness) disciplines and promoting the audience to learn with enjoyment, enthusiasm and concentration is a magical way to continue within the 21st century. Along with this, communication is promoted, sparking unimaginable creativity and creation. This situation enables all participants to concretely create their ideas, while solving problems and having the opportunity to build and rebuild ideas without being reminded of what works, what does not and what is right or wrong. In short, all 21st-century soft skills are vitally required. This new world provides opportunities for everyone to communicate, build self-confidence and ultimately be free to explore.

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“…Given the focus of this paper, we don't intend to present these theoretical lenses in detail. A comparison of the three theoretical lenses from a sustainable design perceptive can be found in [7][8][9][10]. How to make users become more willingly to mitigate the underlying product impacts, thus achieving pre-defined sustainability goals?…”

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confidence: 99%

Behaviours, Practices, Activities, Doings: Making Them Sustainable Through Design

Chu¹,

Wever²

2022

DS 117: Proceedings of the 24th International Conference on Engineering and Product Design Education (E&PDE 2022), London S

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The Design for Sustainable Everyday Life course aims to provide students with three theoretical lenses (behaviours, activities, and practices) to understand and develop design interventions that improve sustainability by impacting people's everyday doings. This paper reports on the result of and our reflections on the course over the past two years with a particular focus on identifying the challenges and benefits that the students faced in learning and employing the three different theoretical lenses in sustainable design. We found that facilitating students to apply theoretical lenses that are typically outside of their previous design education constitutes a challenging task in the course, let alone presenting students with three theoretical lenses on the topic of design for sustainable everyday life. However, results show that the three lenses supported students in choosing an appropriate unit of analysis and systematically developing sustainable design interventions at a target level. Moreover, the course also offered an entry point for students to (re)discover and align their existing understanding of design with new concepts introduced by the lenses. Furthermore, the analytical and design approach that the lenses advocate also enabled students to explore and experiment with different design intervention strategies to influence people's (un)sustainable daily doings.

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A meta-synthesis of the use of activity theory in design for sustainable behaviour

Cited by 6 publications

References 73 publications

Unpacking Behaviours: A Literature Study and Research Agenda on Consumer Behaviour in Packaging‐Free Systems

Unpacking Behaviours: A Literature Study and Research Agenda on Consumer Behaviour in Packaging‐Free Systems

LEGO® – from South Africa to New Zealand: The narrative of the theory, methodology and the ‘noise of fun’

Behaviours, Practices, Activities, Doings: Making Them Sustainable Through Design

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