Practice (vs. Action)

From Geography

Practice is the in social sciences used as the a term to refer to that what people do (Bourdieu, 1977). Practices are actions or activities that are repeatable, regular, and recognizable in a given cultural context. In the 1970s and 1980s practice (and practices) were seen as the object of theorization in certain branches of critical sociology and cultural anthropology. Practice theories seek to integrate objectivist theories of society (such as structuralism, functionalism, or Marxism) with theories that view social life as the contingent outcome of decisions, actions, and interpretations of social actors.

Practice theory, (or as some name it) action theory,has been associated primarily with four theorists: Michel Foucault (1926–1984), Pierre Bourdieu (1930–2002), Michel de Certeau (1925–1986), and Anthony Giddens (1938–).

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