Differences

This shows you the differences between two versions of the page.

Link to this comparison view

Both sides previous revisionPrevious revision
Next revision		Previous revision
topics:social_practice [2026/03/19 16:02] – ↷ Links adapted because of a move operation admintopics:social_practice [2026/04/06 19:56] (current) – vso_vso
Line 1: Line 1:
-[[merge_into_other_topics:institutional_change]]; +<WRAP catbadge purple>Governance, Innovation & Change 
 +</WRAP>
  
-[[users_citizens_consumers]];+====== Social practice ======
  
-[[innovation|]];+<WRAP meta> 
 +lead-authors: [Name] 
 +contributors: Vitaliy Soloviy, Klaus Kubeczko 
 +reviewers: [Names] 
 +version: 0.4 
 +updated: 4 April 2026 
 +sensitivity: low 
 +status: draft 
 +ai-use: Claude Sonnet 4.6 (Anthropic) was used for editorial revision, reference verification, and formatting; reviewed by Vitaliy Soloviy, 17.03.2026</WRAP>
  
-[[actors_roles]]+<WRAP intro> 
 +This topic is part of the ISGAN Wiki and is currently being developed. You can contribute directly by clicking the edit button, or use the [[about:newtopic|Topic Builder]] for guided input. A confirmed wiki account is required. Register and allow up to three days for admin confirmation. Before contributing, read the [[about:guidelines|ISGAN Wiki Editorial Guidelines]]. 
 +</WRAP>
  
 +<WRAP insight>
 +Practices are routinised behaviours that depend on materials, competences, and meanings attached to specific acitivites.
 +</WRAP>
  
-====== Social Practice & Behaviour ======+===== Why this matters =====
  
-===== What distinguishes the notion of BEHAVIOUR from that of social PRACTICES? =====+<WRAP callout> 
 +[To be drafted] 
 +</WRAP>
  
-The notions of behavior and social practice are related concepts but have distinct characteristics that set them apart. Here's a breakdown of the key differences between the two:+===== Shared definitions =====
  
-1. Scope and Complexity: +Practices are situated patterns of action that transcend individual action.((Möllering, G., & Müller-Seitz, G. (2018). Direction, not destination: Institutional work practices in the face of field-level uncertainty. //European Management Journal//, 36(1), 28–37. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.emj.2017.10.004))
-   - Behavior: Behavior refers to individual actions or responses to stimuli, which can be observable and measurable. It often focuses on specific actions or reactions of an individual, such as walking, speaking, eating, or making a particular choice. +
-   - Social Practice: Social practice encompasses a broader and more complex set of activities, behaviors, and interactions within a social and cultural context. It involves the routine, repeated actions, and shared norms, beliefs, and rituals that shape how individuals and groups engage in various aspects of life, such as work, family, leisure, and religion.+
  
-2. Context: +Practice theory treats practices as routinised types of behaviour consisting of several interconnected elements: forms of bodily activity, forms of mental activity, things and their use, background knowledge, know-how, states of emotion, and motivational knowledge.((Reckwitz, A. (2002). Toward a theory of social practices: A development in culturalist theorizing. //European Journal of Social Theory//, 5(2), 243–263. https://doi.org/10.1177/13684310222225432)) On this reading, practices are the primary unit of social analysis — neither individual behaviour nor social structure, but the shared, repeated performances that connect them.
-   - Behavior: Behavior can occur in various contexts, both social and non-social. It may not necessarily involve shared cultural norms or a community of participants. +
-   - Social Practice: Social practices are inherently embedded in a cultural and social context. They are shaped by societal norms, values, traditions, and the collective activities of a group or community. Social practices often involve multiple participants who engage in a coordinated manner.+
  
-3. Repetition and Tradition: +The distinction between behaviour and practice matters for energy policy. Behaviour-change approaches target individual attitudes and choices, assuming that information provision or price signals will shift what people do. Practice-oriented approaches focus instead on the social, material, and infrastructural arrangements that make certain ways of doing things normal, easy, and expected — and others difficult or inconceivable. Shove (2010) argues that energy demand is better understood as the product of ordinary social practices than as the aggregated outcome of individual decisions, and that effective policy must engage with how practices change rather than simply trying to shift individual behaviour.((Shove, E. (2010). Beyond the ABC: Climate change policy and theories of social change. //Environment and Planning A//, 42(6), 1273–1285. https://doi.org/10.1068/a42282))
-   - Behavior: While behaviors can be repetitive, they do not necessarily entail tradition or cultural significance. Repetition of certain behaviors by an individual may not always carry the same cultural weight. +
-   - Social Practice: Social practices are typically characterized by their repetitive nature and their significance within a cultural or social tradition. They are passed down from one generation to the next and help maintain social cohesion and identity.+
  
-4. Symbolism and Meaning: +===== Perspectives =====
-   - Behavior: Behaviors may or may not carry deep symbolic or cultural meanings. Some behaviors are purely functional or individual, while others may have symbolic value. +
-   - Social Practice: Social practices are often laden with symbolic meanings and cultural significance. They reflect shared values, beliefs, and identities within a community, contributing to the cultural fabric of a society.+
  
-5. Collective vs. Individual: +<WRAP perspectives> 
-   - Behavior: Behaviors can be individual or group-oriented, but they do not necessarily involve collective coordination or shared expectations. +==== Actors and stakeholders ====
-   - Social Practice: Social practices are inherently collective and involve shared expectations, roles, and responsibilities among participants. They contribute to the construction of social identities and group cohesion.+
  
-In summary, while behavior refers to individual actions or responses, social practice encompasses a more complex set of shared activities, behaviors, and norms within a cultural and social context. Social practices are deeply embedded in society and play a crucial role in shaping cultural identity and social cohesion.+==== Technologies and infrastructure ====
  
-[source: ([https://help.openai.com/en/articles/6825453-chatgpt-release-notes]] +==== Institutional structures ====
-Free Research Preview. ChatGPT may produce inaccurate information about people, places, or facts. ChatGPT August 3 Version; Chat generated on 07.09.2023]+
  
-===== Concept of Practices [Sociology]=====+</WRAP>
  
-"Practices can be understood - drawing, among others, on Giddens (1984) - as situated patterns of action organized around shared, yet malleable, practical understandings in timeespace. They are a key element of the institutional work concept as they transcend, by definition, individual action but are nevertheless conceptually rooted in assumptions about agency."+===== Distinctions and overlaps =====
  
-[Source: Möllering, Guido, and Gordon Müller-Seitz. ‘Direction, Not Destination: Institutional Work Practices in the Face of Field-Level Uncertainty’. European Management Journal 36, no. 1 (February 2018): 28–37. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.emj.2017.10.004.]+<WRAP distinction> 
 +**Behaviour vs. social practice** \\ 
 +Behaviour refers to individual actions or responses. Social practice refers to the collective, repeated, and culturally embedded patterns through which people engage in everyday life. The distinction matters for how change is understood: behaviour-change frameworks focus on individual choices, while practice theory asks how the social and material conditions enabling particular ways of doing things come to be established or disrupted.((Shove, E. (2010). Beyond the ABC: Climate change policy and theories of social change. //Environment and Planning A//, 42(6), 1273–1285. https://doi.org/10.1068/a42282)) 
 +</WRAP>
  
 +===== Related topics =====
 +
 +[[topics:users_citizens_consumers|Users, citizens, consumers]] · [[topics:actors_roles|Actors and roles]] · [[topics:institutions|Institutions]] · [[topics:transitions|Transitions]] · [[topics:innovation|Innovation]]
 +
 +===== Topic notes =====
 +
 +**Content notes from source material:**
 +  * Source material included a ChatGPT-generated comparison of behaviour and social practice — used as a structural prompt only; content replaced with Reckwitz (2002) and Shove (2010).
 +  * The Möllering & Müller-Seitz (2018) definition draws on Giddens (1984) — consider adding the Giddens primary source directly.
 +  * Related pages flagged in source: users/citizens/consumers, actors and roles, innovation; institutional change noted — belongs in [[topics:institutions|Institutions]] rather than a separate page.
  
-~~DISCUSSION|Discussion Section - PAGE OWNER: Klaus Kubeczko~~