Structuration theory and technology - Brief summary
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Structuration theory is a social theory developed by Anthony Giddens. It brings together two aspects of social systems: human action and social structures, aspects which were treated as separate and addressed by opposite epistemological standings. (Postivists study societies from the perspective of structures which are thought of as tangible rules, and Interpretivists study societies from the point of view of people’s actions.) Having these two aspects of societies in one theory helps to explain social phenomena at macro (structures) and micro levels (actions) together.
According to Giddens, human action and structure presuppose one another. They are defined as a duality in which both are mutually dependent and recursively related aspects of social systems. Structuration is the process whereby the duality of structure evolves and is reproduced over space and time. Structures are the rules and resources implicated in social reproduction. They come to live through human activity (as apposed to being tangible, objective rules.) This means that they exist in the memory of people and are reified through people’s actions. Human agency is social action reproducing existing structures or producing new ones.
The process of structuration can be analysed by looking at its three dimensions (or modalities.)
According to Giddens, human action and structure presuppose one another. They are defined as a duality in which both are mutually dependent and recursively related aspects of social systems. Structuration is the process whereby the duality of structure evolves and is reproduced over space and time. Structures are the rules and resources implicated in social reproduction. They come to live through human activity (as apposed to being tangible, objective rules.) This means that they exist in the memory of people and are reified through people’s actions. Human agency is social action reproducing existing structures or producing new ones.
The process of structuration can be analysed by looking at its three dimensions (or modalities.)
- Interpretive scheme: is the stock of knowledge based on experience that is used to convey and understand meaning.
- Norms: dictate whether a conduct is appropriate or not. Conducts are legitimised by actions.
- Facilities: resources to accomplish desired outcomes. They produce structures of domination.
Orlikowski (2000) adapted Giddens structuration model and created her model of enactment of technologies-in-practice, which can be used as a lens to analyse use of technology. Orlikowski says that technology enables and constrains human action but at the same time technology is a social product of human action. (Recursive relationship.) Orlikowski also says that users of technology are situated within a number of nested and overlaping social systems. (This means that users environments are not simple.) Therefore by looking at the structures that surround users (not only the technology itself) through the three modalities of structurtation we can understand better why people use technology the way they use it. This can give us interesting insights into technology-uses beyond what users tell us and what is embedded in technology by its designers.
Source: Orlikowski (2000)
One way of using the model of enactment of technologies-in-practice is with software... have you ever wondered how people use software and in which circumstances? Do they really use it as it was intended? or maybe Why do people reject software even if in theory it is the perfect solution for their problems? Asking users is a good start, but having a tool like Orlikowski’s model to analyse what they say and contrast that with what we think and have can be very helpful.
On a similar theme... It can also be helpful to look at the processes of software development and implementation as structuration processes. So instead of focusing only on the technology and its users we can also see software developers as acting on or enacting structures while they develop software. Software developers are influenced by structures within their working environments but are also influenced by the requirements and needs of their users. However, being the users’ organisations separate entities, we should treat these structures as perceptions or interpretations. Developers are not working with their users and neither will use the software they produce as their users. So in reality software developers use “what they understand” from their interactions with their users to develop software.
Adapted from Cecilia (2006) i.e., my thesis. Click to see larger picture.
The diagram shows an illustration of what I said. It shows software development as a structuration cycle. The boxes on top of users and developers represent their structures and their images represent their actions, as in using software and developing software.
Here a practical example. The following is an extra-short portion of the structuration processes taking place when students write their theses:
- Structures: University culture, time pressures, personal/family commitments
- Action: students use technology to write their theses
- Interpretive scheme: I need to use a word processor to write my thesis. A word processor is more efficient than a typewriter. I need a reference manager to manage my bibliography. A reference manager is more efficient than doing it manually. If I do not have "facilities" (below) I cannot write my thesis.
- Norms: University regulations require me to submit an electronic version of my thesis. Avoid plagiarism: sources have to be cited. Theses have to have a minimum of 70 thousand words and a maximun of 100 thousand words. Theses have to be formatted according to the University's regulations.
- Facilities: Computer, a word processor and a reference manager.
From the above one can understand what a student needs and why... of course this is a very limited example, but I hope you get my point.
Orlikowski, W. J., (2000), 'Using Technology and Constituting Structures: A practice Lens for Studying Technology in Organizations', Organisation Science, 11, no.4: 404-428
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research,
software development,
structuration theory
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ur really good...it helped me very much.tnx^^