AN APROACH TO SOCIO-TECHNICAL SYSTEMS EVOLUTION BASED ON CULTURAL HISTORICAL

ACTIVITY THEORY (CHAT)

Peter Bond

Activity System is a goal directed system

Activity theory is a theoretical framework for studying different forms of human praxis.

Activity is not merely an external behavior; it is also inextricably linked with internal mental activity and consciousness of abstractions from a concrete situation that allow an individual to anticipate the sequences of other situations and provides insight into mental processes that guide conscious and volitional behavior (Rubinshtein, 1957).

Cultural Historical Activity Theory

Life process is a material and practical process

The CHAT Development Trajectory

Lev VygotskyRussian

Psychologist(1896-1934)

Alexei Leont’ev Russian Psychologist

(1903-1979)

instruments

subject object outcome

division of labourcommunityrules

Collective Activity System

Yryo EngestromFinnish Psychologist

Russia

1970s

West

Humans use tools, including symbols

and language, that develop from a

culture, to mediate their material and

social environments.

Individual Activity System

mediating artefact

subject objectactivity

instruments(tools cultural

artefacts)

object/problem situation outcome

division of labourcommunit

yrules

Engestrom’s Collective Activity System Model or Framework of Analysis

Arrowed lines represent tension.

Intervention is based on reducing it.

subject/agent

All instruments aresocial in nature

activity

Instruments mediate the relation between subject and object

Rules (and division of labour) mediate the relation between subject and community

Community also mediates between subject and object

Engestrom’s Collective Activity System Model or Framework of Analysis

Activity: Examining a Patient

(social) instrumentsstethoscope,

questions

object/problem situationpatient

outcomediagnosis, strategy

division of labourhierarchy, nurse assists

communityother doctors,

nurses

ruleshippocratic oath,

professional etiquette, ethics,

communication guidelines

subject/agentphysician/doctor

activity

Question: Can this system be improved?

Adapting Engestrom’s system model to describe and analyse the evolution of a material culture

Priority was to understand the process of material engagement—crafting, toolusing.Needed to introduce something that drew attention to materials—the STUFF of technical systems (stone, metal, wood, composites).

activity

tools mediumtools medium

human mediumhuman

medium

Werner RammertA relational mediational

view of technology

Andrew FeenbergMetatheory of

technology

deworlded captured deworlded captured property of a (natural) property of a (natural)

objectobject

MIND or SELFMIND or SELF Object-of-actionObject-of-action result-of-actionresult-of-action

Process whereby tools became symbolic, took on additional (social) meaning (jadeite axes).

role emerged from role emerged from activity/practiceactivity/practice

tools becoming symbolictools becoming symbolic(secondary (secondary

instrumentalisation)instrumentalisation) (secondary instrumentalisation in (secondary instrumentalisation in relation to the tool user)relation to the tool user)

OTHERSOTHERS(human and nonhuman)(human and nonhuman)

Andrew Pickeringmangle of practice

creative tension in the sociotechnical system

Language???Language???

human mediumhuman

medium

MIND or SELFMIND or SELF Object-of-action........Object-of-

action........ result-of-actionresult-of-actionactivity

orprocess

habitushabitus(Pierre Bourdieu)(Pierre Bourdieu)

Reference Framework emerging from Reference Framework emerging from conversations about practices and the conversations about practices and the

result of practicesresult of practices(`Maturana and Varela)(`Maturana and Varela)

result-of-actionresult-of-action

tools mediumtools medium

human mediumhuman

medium

deworlded captured deworlded captured functional property of a functional property of a

(natural) object(natural) object

MIND or SELFMIND or SELF Object-of-actionObject-of-action

role/identity role/identity of the selfof the self

OTHERSOTHERS(human and (human and nonhuman)nonhuman)

activity or

process

tools mediumtools medium

human mediumhuman

medium

deworlded property of a deworlded property of a (natural) object(natural) object

MIND or SELFMIND or SELF

CUTTINGCUTTING

SHARPNESSSHARPNESS

OPPOSABLE THUMB

OPPOSABLE THUMB

result-of-action is a result-of-action is a motivation for the activitymotivation for the activityultimate objective is eating ultimate objective is eating

fleshflesh

FLINT, OBSIDIAN,

COPPER

FLINT, OBSIDIAN,

COPPER

CUT FLESHCUT FLESH

A Cutting ToolA Cutting Tool

A Cutting Tool and A Cutting Tool and Emerging SymbolEmerging Symbol

tools mediumtools medium

human mediumhuman

medium

deworlded property of a deworlded property of a (natural) object(natural) object

MIND or SELFMIND or SELF Object-of-actionObject-of-action

role/identity role/identity of the selfof the self

human human OTHERSOTHERS

activity or

process

weight, sharpness, lengthweight, sharpness, length

expert, competent, expert, competent, knowing, axe wielderknowing, axe wielder

stone, root, woodstone, root, wood

habitushabitus

strong, strong, coordinatedcoordinated

LEADER, an ELDERLEADER, an ELDER

tools mediumtools medium

human mediumhuman

medium

deworlded property of a deworlded property of a (natural) object(natural) object

MIND or SELFMIND or SELF Object-of-actionObject-of-action

role/identity role/identity of the selfof the self

nonhuman nonhuman OTHERSOTHERS

activity or

process

CONTAINMENT, CONTAINMENT, BUOYANCYBUOYANCY

BENEFICIARY, VICTIM?BENEFICIARY, VICTIM?

RITUALRITUAL

SKIN, GUT, BONESKIN, GUT, BONE

An Inuit Hunting An Inuit Hunting BoatBoat