Social Practice Theory Research Articles

Convention, Protest, or Violence? Estimating the Influence of Repertoires of Contention over Tactical Choice

Why do people opt for different forms of collective action, like lobbying, marching, or rioting, to voice contentious claims? The patterns of these collective action forms, or “tactics” exhibit variations among groups, regions, and nations, evolving over time. Current explanations for such tactical patterns are unsatisfactory due to limited theoretical and empirical exploration of the concept of repertoires of contention. This paper presents a comprehensive theoretical model drawing on social practice and learning theories, centered around the notion of tactical familiarity. The central idea posits that people in diverse societies have learned distinct ways of doing politics, gaining varying familiarity and proficiency with different tactics, developed through three mechanisms: feedback, diffusion, and memory. These mechanisms contribute to the formation of notably distinct repertoires of contention. Based on this theoretical model, this study develops an empirical measure of tactical familiarity. The novel measure allows comparing the impact of tactical familiarity with other factors, like political regime characteristics. Previous research has not conducted such comparisons, as it often focuses on particular tactics, like protests or violence, without delving into the full array of potential tactical choices, including conventional-institutional ones. Using quantitative event analysis and a dataset of 10 Million International Dyadic Events, the paper examines 17,575 global political events from 2000 to 2004. Multilevel multinomial logistic regression highlights repertoires of contention’s significant influence on tactical choices, potentially outweighing political regime characteristics.

The brand-building process of B2B high-tech startups in an omni-digital environment

Purpose Through the theoretical lens of social practice theory, the aim of this research is to investigate how business-to-business (B2B) high-tech startups build their brands in an omni-digital environment, particularly by focusing on the most important digital touchpoints implemented to interact with stakeholders. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative analysis was performed by conducting 36 semi-structured interviews with key informants operating in B2B high-tech startups, including founders, CEOs, managing directors, marketing managers and other actors from this sector. Findings The results reveal the enablers, inhibitors and specific objectives of startups in their brand-building processes across digital touchpoints in an omni-digital environment. Originality/value This study offers new theoretical insights into new ventures’ brand management strategies through the development of a theoretical framework in which the enablers, inhibitors and specific objectives of the brand-building process of startups are identified. Although the recent literature has addressed the topic of startup brand building, this is the first study, to the authors’ knowledge, focused on the brand-building process of B2B high-tech startups in an omni-digital environment.

The (un)sustainability of rural tourism travel in the Global South: A social practice theory perspective

AbstractRural tourism transport provision makes sustainable travel challenging as evidenced by studies in the Global North. However, the nature of socio‐environmental challenges is different in the Global South, necessitating attention on resolving these different problems. Social practice theory (SPT) allows greater understanding of travel by considering the interplay between transport form and availability, the tourists' competences to make use of the provision, and the meanings associated with using it. Drawing from 31 semi‐structured interviews with tourists and destination stakeholders, this paper aims to explore and understand tourists' rural travel practices in Bali through a SPT lens to identify sustainable travel opportunities. Destination transport provision has evolved to meet residents' needs for travel and income generation, shaping the options for tourists. Motorbike and car‐rental allow tourists to achieve holiday needs and overcome travel limitations. Regional authorities need to address rural tourism provision deficiencies to tackle socio‐environmental sustainability in rural travel.

Political Communication and Capital Toward Swing Voter Cause in Regional Head Elections 2020 in Karangasem Regency, Bali

A striking swing of voters marked the 2020 Regional Elections in Karangasem Bali. The incumbent pair, Mas Sumatri and Suari, who were predicted by a survey of 53.9% to win against Dana-Dipa by 37.2% during the campaign, actually showed a crushing defeat of 43.4% and a Dana-Dipa victory of 56.6%, according to the official results from the Karangasem General Election Commission (KPU). This study examines the phenomenon of swing voters in the 2020 Regional Elections in Karangasem by raising the problem of capital factors as the cause of swing voters in the 2020 Regional Elections in Karangasem and the political communication of candidates in minimising voter swing in the 2020 Regional Elections in Karangasem. This research uses a qualitative approach through observation techniques, interviews, document studies, and literature studies in its data collection. The data were analysed using capital theory in social practice. The results of this study show that the determinant factor, namely capital, occurs in the dynamics of swing voters and political communication in the 2020 Regional Elections in Karangasem by candidates delivering their vision and mission as their political communication messages. This research contributes as a reference related to the phenomenon of swing voters and the political communication strategies of candidates who contest to minimise swing voters. Keywords: Capital, swing voter, political communication, 2020 Regional Head Election, Karangasem Regency Bali.

Determinasi Sosial dalam Memilih Pasangan Hidup Melalui Perkawinan Nyentana pada Masyarakat Hindu di Bali

Nyentana marriage has both positive and negative impacts on sentana rajeg. Although nyentana marriage in Bali supports gender equality, sentana rajeg faces significant challenges in implementing a matrilineal kinship pattern amidst patrilineal dominance, leading to difficulties in choosing a life partner. The aim of this study is to describe the current condition of nyentana marriage, analyze the forms of social determination experienced by sentana rajeg, and explore the social practices undertaken by sentana rajeg in seeking a life partner. This research employs a qualitative method with a descriptive-explanatory and descriptive-exploratory approach. Data collection techniques include in-depth interviews, observation, and document studies. Data analysis is conducted based on social practice theory. The study finds that the acceptance of nyentana marriage among the Balinese Hindu community is relatively slow due to the social stigma of "paid bangkung," issues of caste differences, conflicts of rights and obligations, and the loss of inheritance rights for men post-nyentana marriage. Sentana rajeg experiences social determination in choosing a life partner due to the need to fulfill various aspects such as religious norms, adjustment to the matrilineal kinship system, the necessity to find a partner from the same caste, demands for stability, and geographical limitations in finding a partner. According to social practice theory, to establish the habitus of nyentana marriage, sentana rajeg must distribute various capitals within a limited arena.

New perspectives on multiple fuel use: Energy flexibility in household cooking solutions in Tanzania

There is a tendency to approach multiple fuel use mainly as a problem. This has limited how it is understood and addressed. This article uses a mixed-methods approach to advance understandings of multiple fuel use. We apply social practice theory to analyse multiple fuel use through a survey (n = 354) and 32 qualitative interviews in peri-urban Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. We find multiple fuel use with charcoal to be common, mostly in combination with LPG. Cooking solutions are combined in a complementary manner for their material qualities, but also by social factors. Multiple fuel use enables effective use of different energy types, saving money, coping with low and fluctuating incomes, and securing household energy supply. Flexibility also helps women navigate time constraints and multiple responsibilities, cook for larger families, maintain food culture, and make nutritious food affordable. Characteristics such as income level and variability, housing type, family size and children's age, are analysed as social differences influencing cooking patterns. We find multiple fuel use to be more than simply “stacking” of new fuels: it is an expression of competence and innovation. Efforts for change must build on holistic understandings of people's lived realities and should acknowledge their competent ways of manoeuvring difficult life conditions to a greater extent. Continued use of polluting cooking solutions through multiple fuel use is a barrier to clean energy transition, but solutions are more likely to succeed if recognising the multiple reasons and benefits from practicing multiple fuel use, rather than focusing on its negative impacts.

Saudi Higher Education Accreditation: From Policy to Practice: Cultural Inquiry into Saudi Academics' Practices During the Implementation of Accreditation Standards

This paper investigates the relationships between Saudi cultural factors and the practices associated with the implementation of accreditation standards in Saudi higher education institutions (HEIs). Through a qualitative study involving document analysis, interviews, and observations, data was collected from a sample of 33 academic leaders and faculty members at three Saudi universities. The findings reveal a strong correlation between cultural elements and the practices of Saudi academics during the accreditation process. Using a social practice theory (SPT) approach, the study demonstrates how cultural issues influence common practices and actions, highlighting the integration of Saudi identity, traditions, and contemporary values in the implementation methods. The research underscores the importance of cultural awareness in addressing the gap between policy and practice, suggesting that modifications to accreditation guidelines should consider these cultural factors. The study also discusses the positive impact of recent educational reforms and the empowerment of women in supporting the accreditation process. These insights aim to enhance the effectiveness of accreditation efforts in Saudi Arabia, ensuring they meet international standards while respecting the local cultural context.

Barriers and facilitators to the utilization of facility births during a national health system strengthening initiative: A mixed-methods assessment from rural Guinea-Bissau

BackgroundThere is growing focus on improving maternal-perinatal survival through health system strengthening (HSS). Despite such efforts, facility birth coverage often remains low in low-income settings. We explored factors influencing facility birth utilization during a national HSS initiative in rural Guinea-Bissau. MethodsUsing an explanatory sequential mixed-methods approach nested in the Bandim Health Project’s rural Health and Demographic Surveillance System (HDSS), we conducted 258 structured and 12 in-depth interviews with women who had recently given birth. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and thematic network analysis guided by theories of social practice. FindingsIn the structured interviews, most women reported that they had planned a facility birth (171/258, 66 %), and 28 % reported access barriers (73/258). However, only half of the interviewed women actually gave birth at a health facility (128/258, 50 %), suggesting that facility births frequently remained unattainable. In the in-depth interviews, women described multiple “prerequisites” that needed to be met to access facility births such as financial means for out-of-pocket payments (OOPs). Despite official user fee waivers, OOPs were reported by 71 % of the structured-interview participants with facility births (91/128) but only three of these women referred to OOPs as barriers. ConclusionsOur findings suggest that the women do not feel entitled to free-of-charge facility births, which may explain underreporting of financial barriers. Ubiquitous OOPs are further suggestive of ‘commodification’ of facility births, such that individual ability to pay remains key to utilization. Our findings raise equity concerns and call for closer monitoring of the implementation of HSS initiatives.

Applying Social Practice Theory to Foster Mindful Consumption: A Case of Waste Banks in Indonesia

Mindful consumption is an emerging research topic. The literature about mindful consumption is currently more focused on the individual. However, the more significant behavioral impact is collective behavior. So, the purpose of this research is to analyze how mindfulness instills changes in mindful consumption behavior at a collective level. This study applies social practice theory to explain how waste management as a social practice increases collective mindfulness and collective mindful consumption. This study applied a qualitative research design using a case study technique. A series of in-depth interviews were conducted with two waste banks and several households around them. The result of this study is waste management practice will evoke collective mindfulness and collective mindful consumption with the following processes: (1) Agents may reconfigure the elements of material, rules, and skills of waste management practices; (2) When agents perform the waste management practice frequently and consistently, the residents will participate in the practice which means that the new practice recruits new carriers; (3) For practice in the community to evolve, the recruitment of carriers depends on frequent exposure to the practice; and (4) When the residents are mindful, they will transform their product choices into solutions that benefit themselves and the environment. This study confirms that social practice may foster mindful consumption behavior at a collective leve

Exploring PV adoption by Non-Residential Property Owners: Applying Social Practice Theory

This article investigates the adoption of Photovoltaics (PV) systems by non-residential property owners in Sweden using a social practice theory approach. 25 semi-structured interviews were conducted with private and public non-residential property owners in the south of Sweden. The results show that about half of the property owners had had PV systems installed for a long period and had developed a PV adoption practice. These property owners had established routines within the company, aggregated relevant knowledge, and had established trusted relationships with PV installers which supported the PV adoption process. On the contrary, first-time installers and non-adopters were missing these elements and had not yet established a PV adoption practice. This study is the first step towards understanding PV adoption as a practice for non-residential property owners and contributes to an analysis of the elements that are required for a PV adoption practice to emerge. The practical relevance of the study is that it can facilitate and support non-residential property owners to adopt PV systems and contribute to a renewable electricity transition.

Consumer Engagement in Fashion Circularity in China: Exploring Consumer Online Fashion Resale through the Lens of Social Practice Theory

Fashion resale has emerged as a notable strategy for the fashion industry to reduce its environmental footprint by promoting fashion circularity. Despite extensive research on consumer awareness of resale and the purchase of pre-owned items, there remains a gap in understanding the factors that influence consumers’ participation in resale markets, encompassing both selling and buying practices. Drawing on social practice theory (SPT), this qualitative study examines the nuanced factors influencing consumers’ online resale practices and investigates how online fashion resale practices (OFRPs) have become integrated into their daily consumption patterns. In-depth interviews were conducted with thirty experienced Chinese consumers engaged in both the selling and buying practices of secondhand fashion. Initially, the study identified eight nuanced motivations and seven challenges influencing consumers’ OFRPs. Subsequently, the research uncovered two types of materials and seven core skills necessary for successful OFRP transactions, along with six associated meanings of OFRPs. Specifically, we found that participants seamlessly integrated OFRP into their daily routines through nurtured sociality, and OFRP only fostered sustainable consumption behaviors in one-third of participants, suggesting significant room for improvement. This study provides empirical insights into the existing literature and offers actionable recommendations to key stakeholders for advancing fashion circularity—a critical objective for the sustainability of the fashion industry.

How New Digital-Based Service Offers Change Consumer Practices: A Theory of Social Practise (TSP) Approach

Abstract This study investigates the transformative impact of digital service offers on consumer practices, utilizing the Theory of Social Practice (TSP) as a theoretical framework. Focusing on the use of public transportation and short-term car rental (“carsharing”) services, it explores how digital innovations reshape consumer behaviors and interactions. Through an empirical analysis of commuter practices, the research identifies how consumers use digital service offers from providers to create and adapt new practices. Key findings include the emergence of distinctive commuting behaviors, such as the use of fully electric rental cars in bus lanes during rush hours, contrasted with the use of non-electric rental cars in regular traffic lanes during off-peak times. These observations underscore a dynamic shift from established consumer practices, revealing a process where consumers actively innovate and redefine their daily routines in response to digital service offerings. The study not only highlights the fluidity of consumer practices but also suggests a research strategy focused on understanding these emerging patterns rather than on studying predefined practice modalities.

Sideways Listening: Doing Space Sideways to the Norm with Superhero Franchise Kamen Rider

This article asserts that the social construction of space and the social construction of childhood are mutually informing. Different social practices within the broader domain of childhood reflect different constructions of childhood through their construction of space. These practices include watching television in the family home, attending an educational institution, or playing in a park. Sound, however, affords the possibility of non-linear development as it imbues a child’s experience of sites with affect carried over from different situations. The authors use social practice theory to reconceptualize the relationship between the social practices of childhood and their sites, space, and the role of sound in facilitating sideways growth. They focus on the Japanese children’s superhero franchise Kamen Rider and its use of sound both onscreen and in the design of its tie-in merchandise. The authors argue that combining affect (through sound) with space in this way allows us to see moments in which the child practices space disobediently and non-lineally. The portable affect created by the media design of the Kamen Rider tie-products, the authors argue, offers an excellent case study of how sound can create non-linear, crosswise movement between the sites at which childhood is practised. We further argue that the retention and pretension of affect associated with Kamen Rider sounds facilitate an experience of space sideways to its dominant construction.

To wear or not to wear, was that the question? Understanding citizen responses to COVID‐19 crisis management in social media across Europe

AbstractThis study aims to gain qualitative insights about and compare public responses to COVID‐19 crisis management during the different pandemic phases and across three countries—Norway, Sweden and Italy. To do so, we have carried out a qualitative content analysis of a selection of 2606 tweets containing the term ‘face mask’ in Italian, Norwegian, and Swedish published between March 1, 2020 and June 31, 2022. The article combines risk society theses with social practice theory as a lens through which to examine public responses to crisis management. Analyzing the data from Norway, Sweden, and Italy, this article discusses the extent to which individualism, reflexive modernization, and cosmopolitanism account for citizen responses to authority's crisis management efforts in each of the countries during the different phases of the pandemic. Findings highlight the crucial role of socio‐cultural contexts that shape citizen responses to crisis management over time, showcasing a spectrum of attitudes ranging from scepticism and critique to trust and compliance. This comparative analysis underscores the importance of considering the dynamic interplay between criticism and support, individualism and collectivism, as well as global and local experiences in understanding diverse and situated societal responses to crisis management during a global pandemic. The article also points to social media as a meaningful arena where individuals and groups share information and participate in discussions that shape collective views, thus having a significant role in shaping citizen responses to COVID‐19 crisis management and influencing decision‐making.

Children's descriptions of their involvement within everyday food practices

BackgroundThe way in which children interact with food has a profound impact on their health and wellbeing. However, most research, strategy and policy where food is the focus are derived from adult perspectives. There is limited understanding of children's perspectives of the nature of their everyday food practices, and their level of involvement and influence. This work garnered children's (8–12 years old) descriptions of, and involvement in, their everyday food practices. MethodsForty-two children from 28 families from across Brisbane (Australia) participated in qualitative creative draw-and-tell interviews and 20 of these children (from 15 families) also completed Photovoice data collection. Data were abductively analysed through a social practice theory lens. ResultsChildren reported engaging in food planning, acquisition, preparation, consumption and tidy-up practices, to varying degrees of ‘less involved’, ‘in partnership with adults or other children’ or ‘independently’. This was influenced largely by the willingness of adults to relinquish control and children's desire to participate, as well as other contextual factors. Children were more independent in consumption practices, as well as packing lunchboxes and preparing food spaces (as preparation practices). Partnerships were established more so within food acquisition and preparation practices, with less involvement described within planning and tidy-up practices. ConclusionsThe findings add new knowledge and depth and breadth to that already obtained from parents, teachers and adult researchers, highlighting the importance of privileging children's voices when investigating their food experiences. This work may be used to guide adults to invite and support children to be involved in food practices that they report being less involved in, as well as inform how best to work with and include children in future research and food and nutrition strategies and policies.

What can we say about the longer-term impacts of a living lab experiment to save energy at home?

There is a wide evidence base on various interventions to change energy behaviours in households, but limited evidence on their long-term effects. It is argued that interventions in individual behaviours are subject to attrition over time following the withdrawal of the intervention. Evaluation of these arguments is difficult since the conditions and composition of households change over time, making it hard to isolate the effects of a behavioural intervention several years later. Social practice theory argues for interventions that do not target individual attitudes or behaviours but focus instead on household practices (such as laundering and heating homes), and the underlying notions of cleanliness and comfort that are the causes of energy use in households. In contrast to behaviours, practices are also seen as socially shared, bundled with other practices, and embedded in social structures and processes. Practices are durable entities that persist over time; true practice change would hence entail durable intervention impacts. Our paper qualitatively investigates the long-term effects (2018–2023) of a practice-based living lab intervention that aimed to influence laundry and heating practices in Finnish households. We compare how the new or changed practices of 21 households, learned during the intervention, have persisted through societal changes (i.e., the Covid pandemic and the energy crisis), and whether these new or changed practices helped households to deal better with these crises. In this way, we contribute to, and also reframe, the problem of evaluating long-term effects, and critically consider the persistence of small-scale interventions in practices.

A qualitative meta-synthesis of carers' perceptions of factors influencing preschool children's oral hygiene practices-A social practices perspective.

This study comprises a synthesis of published qualitative studies from developed countries on the perspectives of carers regarding the oral hygiene toothbrushing practices of preschool children, through the lens of social practice theory. A search of the following electronic databases was conducted for all available years: MEDLINE, EMBASE and Global Health using the Ovid platform; Dentistry & Oral Sciences Source (DOSS), Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) and Scopus. Included qualitative studies reported primary caregivers' perceptions of oral hygiene practices (focusing on toothbrushing) in preschool children (0-5 years old) in developed countries. A thematic synthesis of the qualitative findings was undertaken for the results of each study. Eleven articles were included in this meta-synthesis. The focus of this paper was toothbrushing practices. A conceptual map of toothbrushing as a social practice was developed. Key findings included practice elements (meanings, competences, and materials), spatial and temporal aspects, and barriers and facilitators to performance. The application of a social practice lens to published qualitative research on the oral hygiene of preschool children provided insights into the meanings and competences related to toothbrushing, as perceived by primary caregivers. However, it also revealed limited information on material, spatial and temporal aspects of toothbrushing practices, indicating the importance of considering social practice theory as a framework in future research to address this gap. Furthermore, exploring toothbrushing in connection with related social practices has the potential to increase understanding of factors influencing oral health in preschool children.

Everyday mobility and citizenship: a living lab approach

ABSTRACT In the context of a living lab that aimed to reduce everyday car use, citizens in a newly established semi-urban residential area in Sweden were asked to travel less by car, try mobility and accessibility services, and to reason about travelling and their own role in a future sustainable transport system. By analysing the participants’ written reports about mobility practices and mobility citizenship, collected through a living lab app, the paper explores links between everyday mobility and mobility citizenship. The analysis, which is based on theories on citizenship and mobility and social practice theory, shows that the participants’ reports provided context-specific knowledge regarding everyday mobility and citizenship. The participants expressed both knowledge about and engagement in their local environment. This opens new ways to understand, explore and make use of mobility citizenship, in research and in practice.

Influential factors of corporate involvement in community resilience governance from the perspective of symbiosis theory

Urban resilience is a new paradigm for urban risk governance, whereas developing community resilience is the foundation for better resilient governance. Corporations serve as both the foundation and pivotal factor in ensuring the resilience of a community. Therefore, it is vital to encourage their active involvement in community resilience governance. This investigated the key influential factors of corporations in community resilience governance as well as the influence paths related to these factors. Firstly, multi-participant symbiotic relationships in the community resilience symbiosis system were analyzed. The hypothesis model of corporations’ involvement in community resilience governance was proposed, combining the Theory of Planned Behavior and the Theory of Social Practice. Finally, the subjective and objective factors and influence paths were explored based on the structural equation model and the linear regression model by questionnaire investigation. The results show that: 1) Corporate involvement behavior is influenced by subjective factors such as behavioral attitude (ATT), subjective norm (SN), perceived behavioral control (PBC), and behavioral intention (BI), and also by objective community institutional factors including Field and Social capital. 2) The five influence paths to behavior (B) are as follows: SN→ATT→BI→B; PBC→ATT→BI→B; PBC→B; Field × BI → B; and Social capital × BI → B. 3) The involvement behavior is the result of a combination of rational and moral reasoning, with rationality preceding morality. Field capital and Social capital positively and negatively moderate the transformation of behavioral intention into behavior, respectively.

What’s in a name

With the growing ubiquity of educational technology, there has been an increased need for specialised practitioners to advise on and support technology enhanced learning within Higher Education. Academic developers, instructional designers and educational technologists are all examples of these skilled individuals typically working in ‘third space’ that crosses complex boundaries - between the pedagogical and technological, and the academic and professional. However, role titles and descriptions of duties are often unclear at best, with a lack of consistent terminology used across institutions and in the literature. This can lead to confusion and tensions when working with multiple institutional stakeholders who are uncertain about the abilities and knowledge of people in these roles; potentially exacerbating ‘the academic/professional divide’ in Higher Education and weakening the collaborative relationship between TEL workers and academics. This paper presents a synthesis of key literature related to contemporary TEL advisor and support roles in Higher Education alongside a preliminary analysis of 37 recent position descriptions of these roles. The application of social practice theory as our conceptual framework enables us to further explore the significance of practices in defining and differentiating these roles. This paper offers a step forward to the ways in which clarity and consistency of these roles might be sought. Future implications of this study are included for further consideration.