Det sociale som performativitet – et praksisteoretisk perspektiv på analyse og metode

Abstract

Artiklen introducerer de nyeste internationale forsøg på at syntetisere teoretiske elementer fra blandt andre Bourdieu, Butler og Giddens til praksisteori. Praksisteori er en særlig form for kulturteori, hvor det sociale placeres i performative processer. Forfatternes position fremhæver, at praksisteori bør ses som en særlig analytisk optik, kaldet et praksisteoretisk perspektiv. Derfor kan perspektivet tilpasses analytisk til specifikke empiriske forskningsfelter med hver deres viden, begreber og diskussioner. Et sådant praksisteoretisk perspektiv ser derfor også sociale praksisser som multirelationelle konfigurationer. Artiklen fremhæver tre områder, hvor et praksisteoretisk perspektiv i særlig grad bidrager til sociologiske epistemologiske diskussioner, nemlig i relation til krop, agency og normativitet. Ud fra forfatternes to forskellige sociologiske forskningsfelter (mad-sociologi og interkulturel kommunikation) viser og diskuterer artiklen de konkrete analytiske og metodiske fordele ved at anvende et praksisteoretisk perspektiv. Af disse kan nævnes, at man kan lave hverdagslivsanalyse uden at privilegere fænomenologi; man kan arbejde socialkonstruktivistisk uden at privilegere diskurs; man kan nytænke agency begrebet som empirisk kategori; og man kan tænke magt som konventionalitet.
 
 ENGELSK ABSTRACT:
 Bente Halkier & Iben Jensen: The Social as Performativity. 
 A Practice-theoretical Perspective on Analysis and Method
 
 The article introduces recent international attempts to synthesize theoretical elements from among others Bourdieu, Butler and Giddens into a practice theory. Practice theory is a particular type of cultural theory in which the social is placed in performative processes. The authors argue that practice theory should be seen as a particular analytical approach, called a practice theoretical perspective. This perspective can be adapted analytically to specific empirical research fields, each representing its own assemblages of knowledge, concepts and discussions. Hence, such a practice theoretical perspective sees social practices as multi-relational configurations. The article emphasizes three areas, in which a practice theoretical perspective contributes to epistemological sociological discussions; the areas of the body, agency and normativity. The article demonstrates and discusses the concrete analytical and methodological advantages of using a practice theoretical perspective in relation to two different sociological research fields: sociology of food and intercultural communication. Some of these advantages are that it is possible to do everyday life analysis without privileging phenomenology; it is possible to work social constructivist without privileging discourse; it is possible to rethink the concept of agency; and power can be thought of as conventionality.
 
 Key words: Practice theory, cultural theory, performativity, epistemology, qualitative methods.

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“…In opposition to the dominant technologically and psychologically oriented governance approaches, social practice theories do not reduce EV adoption to a matter of individual attitudes, behaviours, or choices but to people's performance of mobility practices (Halkier and Jensen, 2008). To achieve adequate socio-technical change, this theory highlights the importance of recognising how social (driving) practices are carried out and performed by practitioners across time and space.…”

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“…The analysis takes as its starting point a practice-theoretical understanding of family and parenthood informed by David Morgan's notion of family practices and Judith Butler's concept of gender performativity. Privileging neither intention nor discourses, a practice-theoretical approach provides a distinct analytical view of everyday life by focusing on social action and practices as performativity (Halkier and Jensen 2008). In his work, Morgan argues for an understanding of families in which family members are constituted through their everyday practices in relation to each other rather than as solid and static units (Morgan 2011).…”

Forebyggelse - Paragraf og Praksis: En neksusanalytisk undersøgelse af servicelovens SEL 11, stk. 3 om forebyggende indsatser for børn, unge og familier i udsatte positioner

“…Reckwitz (2002) samt Halkier og Jensen (2008) beskriver praksisteori som et begrebsmaessigt alternativ til i saerdeleshed kulturalistisk mentalisme, tekstualisme og intersubjektivisme. Trods rødder i forskellige videnskabelige traditioner traekkes saerligt Bourdieu, Giddens og Foucault frem som en art intellektuelt faellesskab i denne sammenhaeng som gentaenkere af praksis (Reckwitz 2002;Halkier & Jensen 2008;Nicolini 2012).…”

“…Det synes at vaere en generel opfattelse, at praksisteori daekker over et helt felt af praksisteoretiske tilgange, og at der således ikke er én samlet tilgang til praksis (Halkier 2011;Halkier & Jensen 2008;Nicolini 2012, Nicolini & Monterio 2016Reckwitz 2002;Schatzki 2001). Således findes der heller ikke én samlet definition af praksis.…”