Questions of Practice in Philosophy and Social Theory

Humanistic theory for more than the past 100 years is marked by extensive attention to practice and practices. Two prominent streams of thought sharing this focus are pragmatism and theories of practice. This volume brings together internationally prominent theorists to explore key dimensions of practice and practices on the background of parallels and points of contact between these two traditions. The contributors all are steeped in one or both of these streams and well-known for their work on practice. The collected essays explore three important themes: what practice and practices are, normativity, and transformation. The volume deepens understanding of these three practice themes while strengthening appreciation of the parallels between and complementariness of pragmatism and practice theory.

Anders Buch holds a professorship in technological expert cultures at Aalborg University Copenhagen at the Department for Learning and Philosophy. He has published articles and books on knowledge, learning, education, professionalism, and the professional development of engineers. He is editor-in-chief of Nordic Journal of Working Life Studies.

Theodore R. Schatzki is Professor of Geography and Philosophy at the University of Kentucky. He is the author of, among other works, Social Practices (1996), The Site of the Social (2002), and The Timespace of Human Activity (2010) and coeditor of The Practice Turn in Contemporary Theory (2001) and The Nexus of Practices (2017).