The theory of practice architectures and its discontents: disturbing received wisdom to make it dangerous again

Abstract

ABSTRACT This paper critically examines the theory of practice architectures in response to a call for its reinvigoration towards more politically charged scholarship. While such goals seem acceptable, necessary even, it raises questions about the consequences of strengthening the moral imperatives that already undergird the theory. Drawing on a Foucauldian analytical ‘toolkit’, we explore why Schatzkian philosophy, which is conspicuous in its ongoing usage, was adopted in the development of the theory and critically consider why it remains valuable to this day. To do this work, we make a genealogical incision into the corpus of the theory of practice architectures beginning with Changing Practices, Changing Education, which is by far the most influential text in the field. By doing so, we bring to light the political imperatives shaping the authorial choices made in the text and think through the consequences for a reflexive criticality in the development of the theory.