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Reassembling the Social: An Introduction to Actor-Network-Theory

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Abstract

Reassembling the Social is a fundamental challenge from one of the world’s leading social theorists to how we understand society and the ‘social ‘. Bruno Latour’s contention is that the word ‘social’, as used by Social Scientists, has become laden with assumptions to the point where it has become misnomer. When the adjective is applied to a phenomenon, it is used to indicate a stablilized state of affairs, a bundle of ties that in due course may be used to account for another phenomenon. But Latour also finds the word used as if it described a type of material, in a comparable way to an adjective such as ‘wooden’ or ‘steely ‘. Rather than simply indicating what is already assembled together, it is now used in a way that makes assumptions about the nature of what is assembled. It has become a word that designates two distinct things: a process of assembling; and a type of material, distinct from others. Latour shows why ‘the social’ cannot be thought of as a kind of material or domain, and disputes attempts to provide a ‘social explanations’ of other states of affairs. While these attempts have been productive (and probably necessary) in the past, the very success of the social sciences mean that they are largely no longer so. At the present stage it is no longer possible to inspect the precise constituents entering the social domain. Latour returns to the original meaning of ‘the social’ to redefine the notion, and allow it to trace connections again. It will then be possible to resume the traditional goal of the social sciences, but using more refined tools. Drawing on his extensive work examining the ‘assemblages’ of nature, Latour finds it necessary to scrutinize thoroughly the exact content of what is assembled under the umbrella of Society. This approach, a ‘sociology of associations’, has become known as Actor-Network-Theory, and this book is an essential introduction both for those seeking to understand Actor-Network Theory, or the ideas of one of its most influential proponents.
... Here, ANT is proposed as an approach with the capacity to take into account the intrinsic and nuanced interactions that happen within the field of social enterprise development. As a theoretical methodology, ANT can be best understood as an approach used to understand and analyse the world as a collection of relative networks (Latour, 2005). These networks are heterogeneous in nature and are understood to be continually produced and reproduced as an effect of the relations between the actors of a network (Law, 2008). ...
... The theory was first introduced by Bruno Latour and Michael Callon, science and technology scholars who were attempting to understand the social construction of laboratory practices, in particular how laboratory practices and the production of scientific knowledge were attributed as being objective (Michael, 2016). Their approach was to stress the work and the movement that occurred, revealing how the objective accreditation was produced as a result of the work and movement of actors within the laboratory (Latour, 2005). From this, ANT was developed as an approach through the consideration that networks could be understood as functional, living laboratories from which the social is produced as an effect of relations in a network, rather than a cause for the state of a network (Latour, 2005). ...
... Their approach was to stress the work and the movement that occurred, revealing how the objective accreditation was produced as a result of the work and movement of actors within the laboratory (Latour, 2005). From this, ANT was developed as an approach through the consideration that networks could be understood as functional, living laboratories from which the social is produced as an effect of relations in a network, rather than a cause for the state of a network (Latour, 2005). ...
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Purpose-The development of social enterprises in Ireland holds much promise with regards to the potential to create innovation and growth within local economies. However, fulfilling this promise requires the ability to recognise the complexities of this multifaceted sector. In response, this article proposes Actor-Network-Theory (ANT) as having the theoretical capability to develop and create further progress in social enterprise development in Ireland. Design/methodology/approach-ANT upholds that reality consists of series of heterogeneous networks composed of relations between entities. This relational lens foregrounds the interactions among the varied actors involved in social enterprise. To investigate the capabilities of ANT, this paper aligns ANT with three core areas of concern for social enterprise research: structure, power and shared meaning. Findings-ANT works to address these identified key concerns by bridging the conceptual divide between theory and practice within the social enterprise sector. This brings to light the state of affairs as empirically practiced and not as recognised under traditional dualisms. As a result, the influences which shape the collective reality of social enterprise networks can be empirically investigated. Originality/value-As an alternative sensibility, the core capabilities of ANT lie in the ability of the theory to reclaim an empirical grasp of a local environment. In this instance, it is demonstrated as to how this theoretical approach can be used to understand how growth and development manifests within social enterprise networks. From this, there is a great potential to use these insights to direct change in the place of random, and often contested, growth.
... This paper contends that one of sociology's fundamental frameworks-the distinction between social interaction and broader social structures-struggles to capture the complexities of contemporary digital phenomena (Latour 2005;Marres 2017). Digital platforms, algorithmic systems and networked communications have transformed how social processes operate, creating patterns of connection and influence that transcend traditional analytical boundaries (van Dijck, Poell, and de Waal 2018). ...
... This recognition necessitates not just an application of these theories to new contexts, but a fundamental reorientation towards understanding society as composed of distinct but interconnected communication systems (Lupton 2015). What appears as the rapid scaling of micro-interactions to macrophenomena in digital contexts is better understood as the autopoietic operation of communication systems, each reproducing itself according to its own internal logic while remaining structurally coupled to other systems (Castells 2010;Latour 2005). What network theory describes as network effects-where the value and impact of interactions depend on network size and structure-can be more comprehensively understood as the selfreinforcing operations of communication systems, where each communication creates the conditions for subsequent communications (Barabási 2002). ...
... What Garfinkel's human-centred approach saw as people's methods for constructing social reality is revealed in digital contexts as the autonomous operations of communication systems that generate what humans then attempt to make sense of. The presence of algorithms, bots and AI (Latour 2005) does not simply complicate human sensemaking-it makes visible how social reality has always been produced by systems of communication rather than by human interpretive practices. These technological actors do not just shape interactions in ways hidden from human participants (Gillespie 2014); they demonstrate how communication systems have always operated independently of human consciousness, generating the social phenomena that ethnomethodology interpreted as products of human sense-making methods. ...
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This paper argues that digital technologies have not merely transformed social life but have made visible society's fundamental nature as operating through distinct but interconnected systems of communication. The long-standing interaction/society dichotomy in sociological theory has constrained our understanding of social phenomena, as revealed by digital platforms, al-gorithmic systems and networked communications. Building on Luhmann's systems theory while engaging with contemporary digital sociology, we develop a theoretical synthesis that reconceptualizes how society operates through autonomous but structurally coupled systems of communication. This framework explains phenomena that resist traditional sociological analysis, from content moderation controversies to algorithmic bias, by showing how different systems process the same events according to distinct operational criteria while remaining interconnected. By moving beyond attempts to bridge micro/macro divisions or reconcile structure/agency dualities, we offer a more fundamental understanding of how society operates in both digital and non-digital contexts, positioning sociology as part of the scientific system developing productive resonances with other social systems.
... The analysis looks at the policy documents of the Centres for Resources and Educational Support regarding the use of digital technology in school counselling, as they were enacted at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic. For this task, I employed a framework provided by socio-material theories (Cooren, 2010;Latour, 2005). Policy documents are designed to be obligatory points of passage (Callon, 1986) for human and non-human actors to bind them together for common goals. ...
... Analiza ia în considerare documente de politici ale Centrelor de Resurse şi Asistenţă Educaţională privitoare la utilizarea tehnologiei digitale în consilierea şcolară, care erau în vigoare la începutul pandemiei de Covid-19. În acest scop am folosit un cadru oferit de teorii socio-materiale (Cooren, 2010;Latour, 2005). Documentele de politici sunt menite să fie punct obligatoriu de trecere (Callon, 1986) pentru actorii umani şi non-umani, pentru a-i aduce împreună în urmărirea unor scopuri comune. ...
... The theoretical framework I have relied upon is based on actor-network theory (ANT) (Latour, 2005), developed by a group of sociologists of science gathered around Bruno Latour, Michel Callon, and John Law in the early '80s. ANT is part of the larger family of socio-material theories, which challenge the assumption of a privileged position of humans when attempting to present and explain phenomena by recognising the agency of non-human actors. ...
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Journal of Pedagogy (Revista de Pedagogie) is an open access biannual peer reviewed international publication issued by the ” National Center for Policy and Evaluation in Education” (Centrul Național de Politici și Evaluare în Educație). Journal articles and book reviews are dedicated to topics from the field of education sciences: educational policy, philosophy of education, educational theory, curriculum, assessment in education, school management, continuing education, career counselling and guidance, cross-cutting issues.
... By addressing these dimensions, this paper aims to prepare the empirical software engineering research community for a future where generative AI is not only a tool, but also an active actor [9] in software development processes. As adoption accelerates, the time to tackle these challenges is now. ...
... Latour's actor-network theory [9] emphasizes that innovation brings uncertain boundaries and fluctuating entities, making it critical for researchers to "follow the actors" and observe how they redefine collective existence. As generative AI becomes integrated into software engineering, traditional constructs such as "developer", "source code", and "artifact" are becoming more fluid, requiring empirical research to adapt to these transformations. ...
... This interdisciplinary approach also supports the development and refinement of theoretical frameworks. For instance, theories from media studies (such as McLuhan's laws [4]), actor-network theory [9], and the Storey et al. playbook [1] can be applied to examine the dynamic relationships between developers, tools, and artifacts. ...
Preprint
The widespread adoption of generative AI in software engineering marks a paradigm shift, offering new opportunities to design and utilize software engineering tools while influencing both developers and the artifacts they create. Traditional empirical methods in software engineering, including quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-method approaches, are well established. However, this paradigm shift introduces novel data types and redefines many concepts in the software engineering process. The roles of developers, users, agents, and researchers increasingly overlap, blurring the distinctions between these social and technical actors within the field. This paper examines how integrating AI into software engineering challenges traditional research paradigms. It focuses on the research phenomena that we investigate, the methods and theories that we employ, the data we analyze, and the threats to validity that emerge in this new context. Through this exploration, our goal is to understand how AI adoption disrupts established software development practices that creates new opportunities for empirical software engineering research.
... Metodologicamente, Latour (2005) defende que o estudo de qualquer formação grupal deve começar pela escuta de seus porta-vozes. Sempre atento às controvérsias, um pesquisador da TAR precisa também escutar outros porta-vozes que não fazem parte dos grupos, mas expressam pareceres sobre eles. ...
... Por meio de pesquisas in loco, a TAR pode contribuir para a compreensão de que o papel desempenhado por humanos e não humanos no processo de organizar são partes constituintes das organizações de seus processos (Camillis, Bussular e Antonello, 2016), em que o poder é consequência dessas associações e não a causa (Latour, 2005). Descrições densas são pontos centrais na abordagem da TAR. ...
... Como metodologia para a TAR, utiliza-se a Cartografia de Controvérsias (Venturini, 2010(Venturini, , 2012, um conjunto de técnicas de investigação e visualização que preconiza que o pesquisador deve apenas descrever uma controvérsia, seguindo os atores e seus rastros (Latour, 2005). Para Venturini (2010), controvérsias são situações em que atores discordam. ...
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Este artigo apresenta um ensaio teórico acerca da instauração de etnografias problematizadoras para estudos em Educação Matemática. Para essa instauração, adotaram-se as perspectivas da Teoria Ator-Rede e das Práticas Matemáticas Indisciplinares, estruturadas nas seguintes etapas: buscar uma porta de entrada, identificar os porta-vozes, acessar os dispositivos de inscrição, identificar a prática matemática, analisar seus efeitos e afetos e mapear as ligações da rede. A coleta de dados foi realizada por meio do fotovoz, e a Cartografia de Controvérsias foi aplicada na exploração de petróleo na foz do rio Amazonas. Espera-se que essa proposta seja modelo para atividades a serem debatidas em sala de aula, fomentando uma Matemática ética, estética e voltada para a promoção da cidadania.
... • Descriptions of technology as an actor refer to technological systems as more or less independently acting entities that co-constitute social situations. Bruno Latour (2005) has posited that in modern society, human and non-human actors interact symmetrically in various ways and that social figures such as "the soldier" or "the influencer" only emerge through the interplay of humans and technology (e.g., humans and weapons; humans, smartphones and social media platforms). More pragmatic approaches focus on the situational involvement of technology in specific actions and how humans and technological devices interact within hybrid constellations of "distributed action" (Rammert & Schulz-Schaeffer 2023: 40). ...
... At the latest, the work of Bruno Latour (1990Latour ( , 2005 Hajli et al. 2022, Michael 2016. In media studies, a comprehensive discourse on the interplay between algorithmic structures and social dynamics in public communication has developed in the face of further informatization (e.g., Jarke et al. 2024;Esposito 2022;Airoldi 2021;Hepp et al. 2024). ...
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This discussion paper contextualizes contemporary forms of artificial intelligence (AI) within the broader relationship between technology and society, and it compiles essential insights from the sociology of technology for interdisciplinary discourse. The paper begins with a concise overview of the history of artificial intelligence and situates AI within the co-evolution of technology and society. It then presents key perspectives on the interaction and distributed agency between humans and technology, identifying five fundamental levels of agency and relating these levels to the interplay of AI and social action. Throughout these considerations, it becomes evident that the expectations of human technology interaction, as well as the concepts of intelligent technology, are continually evolving and contingent upon social change. Consequently, the development and diffusion of AI should not be viewed as a primarily technology-driven phenomenon but rather as a genuine socio-technological transformation process.
... Is there any test that allows an observer to detect this difference? (Latour 2005) If we can argue that a specific temperature, a particular interaction with local insects, certain atmospheric currents, or tourist excursions are not relevant to understanding the evolution, behaviour, and meaningful environmental interaction of a spider, then perhaps we are implementing a reductionist view of the semiosis of the living. ...
... It is important at this point that those ecological elements, by the very nature of their connections to the actions of living things, quickly move from the status of intermediaries to that of mediators. In Latour's (2005) conceptualization, intermediaries are characterized as socio-technical agents that merely convey information, while mediators possess the capacity not only to convey but also to alter, translate, distort, and thereby shape the meaning of the information they transmit. 5 This perspective allows ecosemiotics to be used as a tool for revealing actions and material performance. ...
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The article explores the intricate relationship between plastic materials, semiotics and ecology, offering a novel perspective on the concept of umwelt in the context of pervasive plastic pollution. Drawing on semiotic, ecosemiotic and neo-materialist theories, it examines how plastic has become a ubiquitous presence in ecosystems, profoundly shaping the subjective worlds of organisms. The paper presents a theoretical analogy between the world of the spider and the production of its web on the one hand, and the human world and the production of plastic on the other hand, to show how the minds of animals extend along the production of their materials. Through the lens of material semiotics, the study elaborates the notion of ‘umwelt diffraction’, highlighting how synthetic materials disrupt the ecological dynamics and perception of organisms, forming the structure of a ‘plasticumwelt’. This reconceptualization underlines the urgent need for interdisciplinary approaches to address the challenges posed by plastic pollution. Ultimately, the article argues that plastic proliferation creates a toxic heritage, underlining the importance of sustainable practices to mitigate the harmful effects of plastic on biodiversity and ecosystem resilience.
... Building on the conceptualisation of agency as the capacity of humans and non-humans to act and influence the outcome of a situation (Latour, 2005), our chapter considers how it is transformed via the deployment of digital traffic surveillance to monitor and police traffic. In addition, we explore how matters where public deliberation would be desirable are turned into problems that can be solved via technological means. ...
... What is of interest to this chapter is the analysis of human entanglements with technology that also considers the role of non-human entities. For this reason, we build on the material-semiotic approach to agency, as exemplified by actor-network theory (ANT) and cognate frameworks (see Jon, 2020;Latour, 1994Latour, , 2005Law, 2004;Law & Lien, 2013;Rose, 2017). These encourage researchers to think of agency in relational terms, but also consider the role of material culture, technological artefacts, and other non-human entities. ...
... When sociomateriality was adopted in education research, it became an umbrella term for various theories. Fenwick (2011) encompassed four theories under this term: ANT (Latour, 2005), spatial theory (Lefebvre, 1991;Tuan, 1977), complexity theory (Byrne, 2002;Davis & Sumara, 2006), and cultural-historical activity theory (CHAT) (Leont'ev, 1978;Roth & Lee, 2007). Although deriving from different roots, these theories share some commonalities: (1) they all take whole systems into account and explore the web of entangled human and nonhuman action in knowledge creation; (2) they all trace interactions among humans and nonhumans while focusing on relations and mediations; and (3) they share a standpoint where learning is viewed as an "effect" of multiple interactions within sociomaterial assemblages incorporating human and nonhuman agents (Fenwick, 2011, pp. ...
... In craft sciences, a branch of teaching education developed in Finland, Sweden, and Norway (Kokko et al., 2020), the concept of sociomateriality has been employed in studies of collaborative making to describe learning as an epistemic activity that involves both material and social entities (e.g., Seitamaa-Hakkarainen et al., 2023;Latour, 2005;Lefebvre, 1991). As a field of inquiry looking into knowledge creation through the process of materializing artifacts (Vega, 2018;Vega et al., 2021), scholars of craft sciences drew from such theories as pragmatism (Dewey, 1938) and constructionism (Harel & Papert, 1991). ...
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Since architectural education has been integrated into academic campuses, the design studio has become its most prominent pedagogical approach. However, in the last three decades, advances in computer-aided design (CAD) and online communication led to the development of virtual design studio (VDS) formats, which gained prominence during the COVID-19 pandemic. VDS and physical design studio (PDS) are characterized by different sociomaterial environments, each offering unique learning opportunities. This study examines how these environments influence learning processes, analyzing two desk critique sessions—one conducted in a VDS and the other in a PDS. Our data, comprising video recordings and on-site observations, were analyzed and interpreted through a sociomaterial lens. The findings indicate that PDS facilitates more spontaneous interactions, allowing for the communication of complex ideas and better addressing misunderstandings compared to VDS, which is constrained by the limitations of digital communication platforms. This research provides both theoretical and pedagogical contributions. Theoretically, it demonstrates how architectural concepts emerge through sociomaterial interactions, framing architectural learning as material practice. In addition, it illustrates the role of sociomaterials in communicating complex ideas and shaping collaborative learning processes. Pedagogically, the findings emphasize the importance of creating rich sociomaterial environments that effectively support intended learning processes.
... As we contemplate the evolution of landscape architecture education, it is imperative to critically examine current pedagogical frameworks and their capacity to prepare students for the rapid ecological, societal, and technological shifts projected. A key aspect of this exploration involves recognizing the interconnectedness of all actors, drawing from Latour's notion of Actor Network Theory (LATOUR 2005), centres the designer as one of the actors within the landscape. This premise provides a valuable framework for understanding complex networks, highlighting the reciprocal role of landscape architects among diverse actors, including ecological systems, human and more-than human communities, and emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI). ...
... The workshop sought to embrace multiple positions on the outlined topics and questions presented. The workshop methods followed five principles drawn from Latour (2005) for mapping and tracing different flows of ideas. Thereby, (1) equal weight was given to each idea and both human and more-than-human actors involved in the creation of recommendations for future landscape architecture education. ...
... Our space and mobility theoretical perspective hence also drew attention to the 'morethanhuman' material aspects of space as part of mobility practices (CortésMorales & Christensen, 2014;Kraftl, 2020), for instance, how strollers were not only a mode of transport for children and educators, but were also a part of how they organised and used the space. Theoretically, we viewed also morethanhuman beings or things as 'actors' (Latour, 2005). However, since we were discussing the tactical manoeuvres for claiming space, we chose to analytically focus only on the group, the edu cators and the children here. ...
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This article focuses on how inner-city preschools in Stockholm that do not have their own preschool yards, or only have a small enclosure, organise and perform everyday outdoor activities in a dense urban environment. Based on participant observations and interviews in two preschools with different spatial conditions, we analyse how finding urban space for preschool activities is an ongoing challenge due to the scarcity of spaces suitable for preschool groups. We show how preschool groups engage in tactical manoeuvres to find ways to claim spaces for themselves and how this involves a competition over space between different preschools.
... It becomes an "actor" in the cognitive ecology of immersive humans-with-technology environments that supports but also disrupts and reorganizes human thinking (Borba & Villarreal, 2005). Actor-network theory (Latour, 2005), as well as the instrumental approach (Trouche, 2004), emphasize the reciprocal relationship between the "actor" and technology, where humans are both acting and being acted upon (Thumlert et al., 2014) by the tool/technology. Moreover, in this section, we explain the terms we use in the review. ...
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This study presents a scoping survey examining the integration of ChatGPT in mathematics education, highlighting its benefits, challenges, and implications for teaching and learning. The survey identifies key themes, including ChatGPT’s ability to assist in understanding mathematical concepts, lesson planning, assessment design, personalized learning, and fostering collaboration. While the tool demonstrates potential in enhancing self-regulated learning, providing real-time feedback, and supporting critical thinking, challenges such as its occasional inaccuracies, ethical concerns, and the risk of over-reliance on AI are also noted. The review emphasizes the importance of human oversight and ethical considerations in leveraging ChatGPT for inclusive and dynamic mathematics education. It concludes that, with thoughtful integration, ChatGPT can serve as a transformative resource, fostering both individualized and collaborative learning experiences while reshaping the learner–tool relationship in educational contexts.
... Moreover, an actant always operates in a concrete relationship, just as meaning in the momentary umwelt is the result of relations. The relationality of Latour's metaphysics is also clearly visible in his concept of mediators and intermediaries: in Reassembling the Social: An Introduction to Actor-Network Theory (Latour 2005), active connections are attributed to mediators, passive ones to intermediaries; translations created by mediators are uncertain and not predetermined (the mediator negotiates), whereas the bonds between intermediaries are stable -mediation does not result in surprises. The actor-network theory is thus a sociology of connections: what is social are the connections, short interactions, not the world of people and their environment. ...
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The article offers a discussion on the way in which the concept of umwelt can be related to the conceptualization of time and temporality in the humanities – in dialogue with other theoretical frameworks as well as with artistic discourse. The paper examines how Jakob von Uexküll himself wrote about time in the context of his umwelt theory, and goes on to consider how his thought has been creatively developed in the field of biosemiotics. This part of the discussion refers to Kalevi Kull’s recent ideas on ‘momentary umwelt’ and ‘umweb’ and proposes enhancing these concepts by employing classic Saussurean categories of signs relations, namely, syntagmatic and paradigmatic orders. The next section offers further extending of the proposed considerations to another level, i.e. juxtaposing them with the thought of Bruno Latour and his concept of ‘situated time’. This idea is compared to the conceptualization of time within both the momentary umwelt as well as the umweb. Finally, the last part of the paper is dedicated to analysing the previously presented theoretical discussion in the light of a mathematical model of the Möbius strip and artistic discourse: Mieke Bal’s thoughts on time and Osmo Valtonen’s kinetic sculpture Circulograph.
... Health capital should not be seen as an alternative to approaches such as user-centered design (Teixeira et al., 2012) or participatory design (Kanstrup et al., 2017) but rather as an orthogonal framework for more precisely and holistically informing such approaches -about who the users are and what resources they have, and what this means for what they can do and how they can be expected to interact with HISs and other health actors. Health capital does not provide a concrete model but rather represents a theoretical framework for model building in much the same way as actor-network theory (Latour, 2005) or institutional theory (Scott, 2013). ...
... These concepts interplay with politics, imaginaries, and trials of power, linking policing with digital innovations in automation. In this context, we do not merely aim to reassemble (Latour, 2007) definitions of predictive policing but also to explore the relation between policing, society, crime, the state, and the role of private enterprises such as Palantir. Aligned with that, this chapter aims to position POL-INTEL in the universe of concepts and theories that investigate predictive policing in contemporary critical academic literature. ...
... Through the engagement with these jātakas and various other activities, the literacy situation that was assembled (Latour, 2005) in class allowed students to re-examine their own religious and cultural background in ways that one student, coming back from the temple of Phra Awalokitesuan Kuan Im on the third week of the course, described as "eye-opening." More importantly, the literacy situation that emerged from these pedagogical invitations encouraged students to put into question the anthropocentric foundations of their previous education, transforming their view of the world and of themselves, and opening them up to forms of relationality that effectively took into consideration the perspective of nonhuman others. ...
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This chapter discusses an experience in literary education for sustainability in a Thai university using stories of previous births of the Buddha, or jātakas , as a way of encouraging the development in students of an embodied, affective, experienced, relational sense of becoming-together with other co-inhabitants of the Earth. The textual history and cultural background of the jātakas is presented in order to argue for the need to go beyond traditional interpretations and uses of these stories in pedagogies grounded on humanistic ontology, including the moral didactics of Buddhist education. The case study of two jātakas , “The tigress” and “Others sow,” serves to illustrate the potential of situated and dialogical pedagogical invitations that incorporate stories of this kind as part of a posthumanist or post-anthropocentric pedagogy, with the aim of cultivating more-than-human sustain-abilities (vulner-ability, attend-ability, and response-ability) in the classroom.
... Hence, colonial museums have to transcend empirical practices in which they operate as object archives or repositories of dead collections. Furthermore, there is a dialectical re lationship between people's behavior and objects which is generally referred to as Actor Network Theory (ANT) (Alberti 2016;Faulkner 2010;Haber 2016;Latour 2005). ANT, in short, elaborates the ways in which nonhumans (objects) guide or steer humans (subjects) to do something even when the latter is not aware. ...
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In this article, we look at collections of Zulu beadwork at Manchester Museum and Ditsong National Museum of Cultural History tracing their provenances and social biographies. We present these two institutions as colonial museums founded on similar ideals of presenting objects as cultures of the “other” in absence of object and community agency. In rethinking colonial contexts associated with processes of collecting beadwork, we look at how these museums can be decolonized by collaborating with communities. Decolonization is deployed here as both a theory and a method toward the integration of Indigenous ways of knowing and doing in museum practices. Methodologically, the article highlights decolonial strategies in the form of open, democratic, inclusive, and multivocal engagement that we embraced undertaking the research.
... To enact one's creative identity, or any identity for that matter, people rely on routines. Routines are recognizable patterns of action or behavior that are carried out by one or multiple actors within a specific context [21], and are assemblages of sociomaterial configurations people and artifacts (e.g., tools, procedures, technologies) [44,55,64]. People have agency to adapt their routines or to create new ones as need be [55]. ...
Preprint
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Online, visual artists have more places than ever to routinely share their creative work and connect with other artists. These interactions support the routine enactment of creative identity in artists and provide inspirational opportunities for artists. As creative work shifts online, interactions between artists and routines around how these artists get inspired to do creative work are mediated by and through the logics of the online platforms where they take place. In an interview study of 22 artists, this paper explores the interplay between the development of artists' creative identities and the, at times, contradictory practices they have around getting inspired. We find platforms which support the disciplined practice of creative work while supporting spontaneous moments of inspiration, play an increasing role in passive approaches to searching for inspiration, and foster numerous small community spaces for artists to negotiate their creative identities. We discuss how platforms can better support and embed mechanisms for inspiration into their infrastructures into their design and platform policy.
... The sociotechnical relationships under discussion also raise fundamental questions for social theory. From a conversational linguistics perspective, the ANT approach, whereby all participating entities are conceptualized as equally significant actants (Latour 2005) seems unsatisfactory to us. For example, language-processing machines like Alexa are participants in practice, but not participants in social interaction as it is understood by conversation analysis (Habscheid 2023;Hector, in preparation;Habscheid, Hector, and Hrncal, this volume). ...
... In line with the aforementioned praxeological perspectives, it makes sense to work with a praxeological conceptualization of agency, too. Krummheuer (2015) discusses how agency is dynamically constructed and negotiated within the interactional context, referring to concepts from Actor-Network-Theory (Latour 2005) as well as ethnomethodological conversation analysis. Rather than identifying it as an attribute inherent to either humans or technology, agency is viewed as a situationally emerging property of ongoing social interaction (see also Pentzold and Bischof 2019;Natale and Guzman 2022). ...
... Barcelona's Decidim platform, for example, functions as a key mediator by enabling co-creation and fostering transparency through its open-source framework. Citizens can directly influence policy outcomes by submitting proposals, debating issues, and tracking decisions in real time, reflecting ANT's assertion that technology actively shapes social interactions (Latour, 2005). ...
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Smart city systems are reshaping local participation by integrating digital technologies into governance. This chapter examines their role in facilitating citizen engagement through theoretical perspectives such as participatory governance, actor-network theory, and deliberative democracy. Drawing on examples from Barcelona, Singapore, and Bristol, it highlights diverse approaches to digital participation—ranging from Barcelona’s citizen-led Decidim platform to Singapore’s centralized Smart Nation initiative and Bristol’s hybrid model of technological and community-driven governance. While these innovations enhance accessibility and transparency, they also pose challenges, including digital inequality, privacy risks, and algorithmic biases. Addressing these issues requires ethical data governance, digital inclusion strategies, and participatory co-design to ensure that smart city initiatives promote equitable, transparent, and democratic urban governance.
... 2.5 Networks of mobility in relation to racial heterogeneity An understanding of mobility flows and their potential to aid in the transformation of South African cities, is particularly important as planners had worked for decades to homogenise and separate space. Recently, networks of mobility, which flow, both virtually and physically, has gained attention in sociology for granting agency between the intersection of objects and people (Latour, 2005, Urry, 2007, Thrift, 2008. Urry (2010:348) criticises 20th Century sociology for disregarding geographical intersections of region, city and place, making reference to Bauman's (1987) ideas on the gardening state, which is governance that presumes conceptual concern with pattern, ordering and what is growing and should be "weeded out". ...
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Although Apartheid officially ended in 1994, scant empirical evidence exists into spatial factors which may serve to afford the generation of racial heterogeneity. This research, centred on Cape Town, as a primary case study is an empirical examination of the relationship between demographic racial integration and urban configuration in South African cities. The principal argument of this dissertation is that the spatial configuration and mobility systems of an urban environment can either reinforce existing racial homogeneity or allow for the creation of new networks of racial heterogeneity. Furthermore, it is argued that within this context, urban systems, which emerged organically, have the strongest relation with demographic racial integration. The research required a methodological approach which could encompass both physical and behavioural aspects. The precise descriptions offered by the evidence-based research techniques of space syntax allowed for a configurational understanding of both the spatial and social aspects of this study. A morphological analysis of Cape Town confirmed that, on a global scale, the city remains predominantly racially and economically stratified. Despite the global trend of segregation, a local analysis of demographic racial integration, revealed that, residential racial heterogeneity is emerging in particular neighbourhoods. Through a compendium of neighbourhood case studies, specific spatial morphological characteristics were identified and shown to have a relation with demographic residential racial integration. Furthermore, the research examined mobility systems, from the perspective of how they may provide affordances for the creation of multi-racial co-presence, with an emphasis on the minibus taxi system. Whilst this system has widely been stigmatised as chaotic and haphazard, the evidence has shown it to possess an intrinsic spatial and social logic, forming the largest network of accessibility in the city. Finally, this dissertation draws a series of conclusions which lead to a broad set of proposed recommendations.
... Nesse sentido, uma abordagem que encontra grande potencial crítico é o das redes Latourianas (LATOUR, 1987(LATOUR, , 2005, sobretudo no que se refere a como os fatos científicos são produzidos, construídos e negociados por meio de práticas sociais, incluindo experimentação, DOSSIÊ Hist. R., Goiânia, v. 29, n. 1, p. 11-29, jan./abr. ...
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