Disturbance, dialogue and metaphor: The study of practices and perspectives through design enquiry

McLaughlin, S

Disturbance, dialogue and metaphor: The study of practices and perspectives through design enquiry

McLaughlin, S

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Publication Type:: Conference Proceeding
Citation:: EKSIG 2009: Experiential Knowledge, Method and Methodology - International Conference 2009 of the DRS Special Interest Group on Experiential Knowledge, Conference Proceedings, 2009
Issue Date:: 2009-12-01

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	McLaughlin, S https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8642-7539	en_US
dc.date.issued	2009-12-01	en_US
dc.identifier.citation	EKSIG 2009: Experiential Knowledge, Method and Methodology - International Conference 2009 of the DRS Special Interest Group on Experiential Knowledge, Conference Proceedings, 2009	en_US
dc.identifier.isbn	9780956278937	en_US
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/12037
dc.description.abstract	Practice theory (Reckwitz, 2002) provides an alternative to three approaches that currently dominate the study of culture: culturalist mentalism, textualism, intersubjectivism. Practice theory looks to background practices as the basis of our shared understanding of the world. Practices are routine forms of behaviour consisting of interconnected forms of bodily activities, mental activities, 'things' in use, and background understanding in the form of know-how, moods, feelings and motivations. There is significant potential within practice theory to account for phenomena that design practitioners and researchers have long recognised as being central to understanding of design activity. These phenomena include tacit knowledge, insight and the emergence of new artefacts and practices. Practice theory embraces diverse range of theorists including Heidegger (1962), Wittgenstein (1968) and Schatzki (1996). Much of the published work in this area is oriented toward the articulation of the ontological position of the researcher or the applied investigations of social phenomena. The research practices appropriate to modes of qualitative enquiry consistent with this ontology are yet to be adequately recognised and articulated. The discussion in this paper is guided by the following questions: What are the research practices appropriate to praxeological enquiry? How do these apply to research by design? I do not propose to offer a comprehensive response to these questions - practice theory is as yet an emerging paradigm. I will, however, discuss three constructs that I consider to be helpful in sensitising the researcher to the structure of practices and perspectives - disturbance, dialog and metaphor. I discuss the relevance of these constructs to design enquiry, with particular reference to issues confronted by the design practitioner-researcher.	en_US
dc.relation.ispartof	EKSIG 2009: Experiential Knowledge, Method and Methodology - International Conference 2009 of the DRS Special Interest Group on Experiential Knowledge, Conference Proceedings	en_US
dc.title	Disturbance, dialogue and metaphor: The study of practices and perspectives through design enquiry	en_US
dc.type	Conference Proceeding
utslib.for	1203 Design Practice and Management	en_US
dc.location.activity	London Metropoitan University, UK	en_US
pubs.embargo.period	Not known	en_US
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Design, Architecture and Building
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Design, Architecture and Building/School of Design
utslib.copyright.status	open_access
pubs.publication-status	Published	en_US

Abstract:

Practice theory (Reckwitz, 2002) provides an alternative to three approaches that currently dominate the study of culture: culturalist mentalism, textualism, intersubjectivism. Practice theory looks to background practices as the basis of our shared understanding of the world. Practices are routine forms of behaviour consisting of interconnected forms of bodily activities, mental activities, 'things' in use, and background understanding in the form of know-how, moods, feelings and motivations. There is significant potential within practice theory to account for phenomena that design practitioners and researchers have long recognised as being central to understanding of design activity. These phenomena include tacit knowledge, insight and the emergence of new artefacts and practices. Practice theory embraces diverse range of theorists including Heidegger (1962), Wittgenstein (1968) and Schatzki (1996). Much of the published work in this area is oriented toward the articulation of the ontological position of the researcher or the applied investigations of social phenomena. The research practices appropriate to modes of qualitative enquiry consistent with this ontology are yet to be adequately recognised and articulated. The discussion in this paper is guided by the following questions: What are the research practices appropriate to praxeological enquiry? How do these apply to research by design? I do not propose to offer a comprehensive response to these questions - practice theory is as yet an emerging paradigm. I will, however, discuss three constructs that I consider to be helpful in sensitising the researcher to the structure of practices and perspectives - disturbance, dialog and metaphor. I discuss the relevance of these constructs to design enquiry, with particular reference to issues confronted by the design practitioner-researcher.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/12037