The Constitution of Social Practices

Kevin McMillan (University of Ottawa, Canada)

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Hardback

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English

Routledge
16 October 2017

Research methods: general; Philosophy; Social theory

Series: Philosophy and Method in the Social Sciences

"Practices – specific, recurrent types of human action and activity – are perhaps the most fundamental ""building blocks"" of social reality. This book argues that the detailed empirical study of practices is essential to effective social-scientific inquiry. It develops a philosophical infrastructure for understanding human practices, and argues that practice theory should be the analytical centrepiece of social theory and the philosophy of the social sciences.

What would social scientists’ research look like if they took these insights seriously? To answer this question, the book offers an analytical framework to guide empirical research on practices in different times and places. The author explores how practices can be identified, characterised and explained, how they function in concrete contexts and how they might change over time and space.

The Constitution of Social Practices lies at the intersection of philosophy, social theory, cultural theory and the social sciences. It is essential reading for scholars in social theory and the philosophy of social science, as well as the broad range of researchers and students across the social sciences and humanities whose work stands to benefit from serious consideration of practices."

By: Kevin McMillan (University of Ottawa Canada)
Imprint: Routledge
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 234mm, Width: 156mm,
Weight: 453g
ISBN: 9781138894617
ISBN 10: 1138894613
Series: Philosophy and Method in the Social Sciences
Pages: 198
Publication Date: 16 October 2017
Audience: College/higher education , Primary , A / AS level
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

"List of Figures Introduction 1 A ""Cultural"" Approach to Social Science 2 Practice Theory Today 3 Core Ontological Commitments 4 Sketch of the Argument 5 Of Philosophy and Social Science Chapter 1: What Are Practices? 1 Actions under a Description 2 Looping Effects 3 Historical Constitution Chapter 2: Knowledge 1 Knowledgeable Practices 2 Conceptualising Knowledge Chapter 3: Retroactive Redescription 1 The Validity of Retroactive Redescription 2 The Effects of Retroactive Redescription 3 Functional Concepts and Typological Classification; 4 What Is at Stake? Chapter 4: Identification and Context 1 Identifying Practices ""in All Their Specificity"" 2 Relations and Relational Properties 3 Criteria of Identification Chapter 5: Specificity and Generalisation 1 Functions 2 Implications for Generalisation, Explanation and Description 3 Patchwork Holism Chapter 6: Possibility and Capacities 1 Possibility 2 Capacities Chapter 7: Constitutive Relations and Constitutive Theory 1 Constitutive Theory 2 Constitutive Relations 3 Stability and Change Conclusion 1 Culture and Action in the Social Sciences 2 Some Benefits of Studying Practices Works Cited"

Kevin McMillan

Reviews for The Constitution of Social Practices

What constitutes practice theory is often bewildering. McMillan not only does an excellent job of sorting this out but presents a distinctive original argument for a cultural approach, based on a theory of human action and the philosophy of social science, which is applicable as an approach to empirical studies. - John G. Gunnell, Distinguished Professor, Emeritus, State University of New York, Albany, USA. A welcome antidote to the confusion that surrounds the use of the concept of practice in the social sciences today, The Constitution of Social Practices offers a fresh philosophical analysis of this concept and explores its implications across a broad range of empirical fields, thereby adding new clarity and rigor to the study of practices. - Jens Bartelson, Lund University, Sweden.