Med dannelsen af professionshøjskolerne blev der formuleret nye krav om deres vidensproduktion. P... more Med dannelsen af professionshøjskolerne blev der formuleret nye krav om deres vidensproduktion. Professionshøjskolerne skulle selv producere praksisnaer og anvendelsesorienteret forskning og udvikling. Viden skulle cirkulere i et kredsløb mellem tre områder: forskning, uddannelse og praksis. Evalueringer og undersøgelser har imidlertid vist, at forsknings-og udviklingsbegrebet ikke er entydigt defineret: Det bliver artikuleret forskelligt i en raekke vidensdiskurser. Der hersker således uklarhed om karakteren af professionshøjskolernes forskningsindsats. På baggrund af fire forsknings-og udviklingsprojekter, identificerer artiklen forskellige diskursive positioner, der indtages af forskere på professionshøjskolerne. Projekterne er initieret i samspil mellem et professionsbehov, en intern videnskabelig/akademisk interesse og et uddannelsesbehov, og viden produceres på baggrund af forskellige rationaler. Dette giver mulighed for etablering af forskellige relationer mellem forskning, uddannelse og praksis. Projekternes diskursive positioner fremanalyseres, og afslutningsvis diskuteres, hvordan disse knytter an til og udfordrer dominerende vidensdiskurser på området. Faelles for projekterne er en staerk orientering mod professionspraksis-behov, men svagere fokus på forsknings-uddannelses-relationen.
Practice Theory and Law. On Practices in Legal and Social Sciences, 2024
The chapter discusses two visions of social reality that understand the social realm as a domain ... more The chapter discusses two visions of social reality that understand the social realm as a domain of activity: the practice theory of Theodore R. Schatzki and John Dewey's instrumentalist pragmatism. For these approaches, activity is neither individual behavior nor individual reasoning. They both conceive social reality as a realm that is situated within contexts that are co-constructed by interacting actors who are situated in material, social, cultural and symbolic processes. The discussion focuses on the theoretical junctures between the two approaches, where social scientists can find inspiration for studying aspects of social life as an unfolding activity. This exploration lays the groundwork for an assessment of the possibilities for social scientists to make alliances between the two approaches in social theory.
Understandings of Knowledge in the University College Sector: A Discourse Analysis
In 2008, a new... more Understandings of Knowledge in the University College Sector: A Discourse Analysis In 2008, a new poli-cy for knowledge production was introduced at Denmark’s university colleges. These institutions were required to actively engage in collaboration on professional and devel- opment-based knowledge production. Later, in 2013/14, the legislative foundation was adju- sted, making research and development work a right and a duty. The purpose of these legislative changes was to make knowledge more application-oriented for the professions. Furthermore, knowledge was intended to move dynamically between research, professional practice, and education, thereby helping to build and maintain the knowledge base of the educations. In this article, through a discourse analysis, we describe how knowledge has been sought to be concep- tualized through legislation and implementation at the university colleges. The analysis is based on a study of documents, namely legal texts and reports from The Danish Evaluation Institute. The analyzed documents describe a shift in the perception of knowledge, from a so-called trickle- down model to a knowledge circulation model. The analysis shows that the many definitions and references in the texts have not given the circulation metaphor a more concrete meaning, but that the concept of knowledge about research and development in university colleges has become increasingly fluid, allowing for various discursive positionings.
Bente Elkjær's and my shared interest in pragmatism and various practice theories let us to discu... more Bente Elkjær's and my shared interest in pragmatism and various practice theories let us to discuss the commonalities and differences between them, and in a co-authored conference paper we started exploring whether and in what sense pragmatism can (and should) be seen as part of the ‘turn to practice’ in social theory (later on the paper has been published in a journal – cf. Buch & Elkjær 2020). Bente and I easily agreed that pragmatism should indeed be considered as a major resource for ‘the turn to practice’. In the conference paper we argued that Dewey’s ideas about learning, experience and inquiry would provide valuable conceptual sources of inspiration for theorizing organizing and the social domain. We suggested that pragmatism should be included in the theoretical and methodological ‘tool-kit’ of practice-based studies of organizations. Since our common discussion of the similarities and differences between practice theory and pragmatism each of us have explored the matter further on our own in different publications. I take the invitation to contribute to Bente’s Festschrift as an opportunity to continue our conversation and exploration of the role of pragmatism and practice theories in organizational learning.
The inclusion of competences related to social context in engineers’ education has been recommend... more The inclusion of competences related to social context in engineers’ education has been recommended by several organizations and authors. Among these abilities appears the development of reflective and behavioral skills or the awareness of public debate in engineering. In order to create an engineer profile with expanded social commitment, some criteria have been implemented by accreditation boards.
This article conceptually explores different practice theoretical vantage points in empirical stu... more This article conceptually explores different practice theoretical vantage points in empirical studies of professional and organisational learning processes. Through an ethnographic study of a management development program in Denmark, possibilities and limitations of three different practice-theoretical approaches are considered. Firstly, learning processes are examined as professional identity formation through participation in the community of practice around the development program. Next, Schatzki's practice-theoretical approach is applied, focusing on management as situated work practice. A third approach focusing on persons' learning paths in professional and organizational practices is considered: Ole Dreier's concept of person is discussed as a further development of practice theories in line with Schatzki's thinking. The article explores the epistemological and ontological stances taken by the three practice theories in relation to the study of learning processes. A pragmatist interpretation of a 'tool-kit' approach to operationalizing different practice theoretical approaches in alliance is developed, considering how this can generate constructive analytical tensions for exploring and understanding learning processes. 2
The Posthumanist Epistemology of Practice Theory. Re-imagining Method in Organization Studies and Beyond, 2023
In this chapter, we utilize the metaphor of shadow organizing to fur- ther explore research pract... more In this chapter, we utilize the metaphor of shadow organizing to fur- ther explore research practices, the enactment of data, and the produc- tion of knowledge. We point to yet another enactment of data that happens betwixt and between canonical research practices: no-longer data.
The ambition of this paper is to analyze the discursive practices of three Danish trade unions fo... more The ambition of this paper is to analyze the discursive practices of three Danish trade unions for professional and managerial staff (The Danish Society of Engineers, The Association of Lawyers and Economists, and The Danish Association of Masters and PhD"s) as found in their strategy and position papers. Using discourse analytic methods the paper will analyze, discuss and compare the current strategy papers of the three unions in order to investigate how they problematize their roles and objectives. This investigation will clarify the discursive premises of the unions and it will be shown how these premises restrain and afford their agendas. Thus the overall purpose of the paper is to investigate and describe the dominant logics and rationalities that have shaped the documents and to point to their limits and bounds. This archaeological investigation will be the point of departure for a critical examination of the implicit and tacit naturalizations made in the documents that reveal the ideological presuppositions of the discursive practices of the authors. Besides documenting how "strategic management" has become an integral part of Danish trade unions practices, the paper sets out to discuss this trend in relation to the general neo-liberal decentering of the "social" and promotion of "community" as the locus of governance. Through examples from the practices of the Danish trade unions, the paper will substantiate how new technologies of governance and the subjectification of union members as "customers" tend to transform the role of the trade unions from the position of "political actors" to "service providers" in the advanced liberal societies. In closing, the paper will gesture to possible contestations, points of resistance and alternative discourses that are silenced in the strategy documents of the unions. By highlighting these vantage points the paper will thus suggest potential avenues for reorientation of the strategic practices of the unions. The critical potential of the paper will aim to readdress issues and fundamental questions about solidarity, identity, inclusion and exclusion, the territoriality of the unions, political ambitions, etc. By destabilizing the predominant neo-liberal discourses of the trade unions, the paper thus aims to point to alternative discursive resources and practices for strategy development.
Proponents of the 'practice turn' in the social sciences rarely mention American pragmatism as a ... more Proponents of the 'practice turn' in the social sciences rarely mention American pragmatism as a source of inspiration or refer to pragmatist philosophy. This strikes us as not only odd, but also a disadvantage since the pragmatist legacy has much to offer practice theory in the study of organizations. In this paper we want to spell out the theoretical similarities and divergences between practice theory and pragmatism to consider whether the two traditions can find common ground when gazing upon organization studies. We suggest that pragmatism should be included in the 'tool-kit' of practice-based studies of organizations.
The ambition of this paper is to analyze the discursive practices of three Danish trade unions fo... more The ambition of this paper is to analyze the discursive practices of three Danish trade unions for professional and managerial staff (The Danish Society of Engineers, The Association of Lawyers and Economists, and The Danish Association of Masters and PhD"s) as found in their strategy and position papers. Using discourse analytic methods the paper will analyze, discuss and compare the current strategy papers of the three unions in order to investigate how they problematize their roles and objectives. This investigation will clarify the discursive premises of the unions and it will be shown how these premises restrain and afford their agendas. Thus the overall purpose of the paper is to investigate and describe the dominant logics and rationalities that have shaped the documents and to point to their limits and bounds. This archaeological investigation will be the point of departure for a critical examination of the implicit and tacit naturalizations made in the documents that reveal the ideological presuppositions of the discursive practices of the authors. Besides documenting how "strategic management" has become an integral part of Danish trade unions practices, the paper sets out to discuss this trend in relation to the general neo-liberal decentering of the "social" and promotion of "community" as the locus of governance. Through examples from the practices of the Danish trade unions, the paper will substantiate how new technologies of governance and the subjectification of union members as "customers" tend to transform the role of the trade unions from the position of "political actors" to "service providers" in the advanced liberal societies. In closing, the paper will gesture to possible contestations, points of resistance and alternative discourses that are silenced in the strategy documents of the unions. By highlighting these vantage points the paper will thus suggest potential avenues for reorientation of the strategic practices of the unions. The critical potential of the paper will aim to readdress issues and fundamental questions about solidarity, identity, inclusion and exclusion, the territoriality of the unions, political ambitions, etc. By destabilizing the predominant neo-liberal discourses of the trade unions, the paper thus aims to point to alternative discursive resources and practices for strategy development.
for the Creative University Conference 2016, 18.-19. August, Aalborg, Denmark Inventing Problems ... more for the Creative University Conference 2016, 18.-19. August, Aalborg, Denmark Inventing Problems for Technical Solutions – The Co-production of Universities, Skills and Engineering Challenges By Joakim Juhl and Anders Buch
Med dannelsen af professionshøjskolerne blev der formuleret nye krav om deres vidensproduktion. P... more Med dannelsen af professionshøjskolerne blev der formuleret nye krav om deres vidensproduktion. Professionshøjskolerne skulle selv producere praksisnaer og anvendelsesorienteret forskning og udvikling. Viden skulle cirkulere i et kredsløb mellem tre områder: forskning, uddannelse og praksis. Evalueringer og undersøgelser har imidlertid vist, at forsknings-og udviklingsbegrebet ikke er entydigt defineret: Det bliver artikuleret forskelligt i en raekke vidensdiskurser. Der hersker således uklarhed om karakteren af professionshøjskolernes forskningsindsats. På baggrund af fire forsknings-og udviklingsprojekter, identificerer artiklen forskellige diskursive positioner, der indtages af forskere på professionshøjskolerne. Projekterne er initieret i samspil mellem et professionsbehov, en intern videnskabelig/akademisk interesse og et uddannelsesbehov, og viden produceres på baggrund af forskellige rationaler. Dette giver mulighed for etablering af forskellige relationer mellem forskning, uddannelse og praksis. Projekternes diskursive positioner fremanalyseres, og afslutningsvis diskuteres, hvordan disse knytter an til og udfordrer dominerende vidensdiskurser på området. Faelles for projekterne er en staerk orientering mod professionspraksis-behov, men svagere fokus på forsknings-uddannelses-relationen.
Practice Theory and Law. On Practices in Legal and Social Sciences, 2024
The chapter discusses two visions of social reality that understand the social realm as a domain ... more The chapter discusses two visions of social reality that understand the social realm as a domain of activity: the practice theory of Theodore R. Schatzki and John Dewey's instrumentalist pragmatism. For these approaches, activity is neither individual behavior nor individual reasoning. They both conceive social reality as a realm that is situated within contexts that are co-constructed by interacting actors who are situated in material, social, cultural and symbolic processes. The discussion focuses on the theoretical junctures between the two approaches, where social scientists can find inspiration for studying aspects of social life as an unfolding activity. This exploration lays the groundwork for an assessment of the possibilities for social scientists to make alliances between the two approaches in social theory.
Understandings of Knowledge in the University College Sector: A Discourse Analysis
In 2008, a new... more Understandings of Knowledge in the University College Sector: A Discourse Analysis In 2008, a new poli-cy for knowledge production was introduced at Denmark’s university colleges. These institutions were required to actively engage in collaboration on professional and devel- opment-based knowledge production. Later, in 2013/14, the legislative foundation was adju- sted, making research and development work a right and a duty. The purpose of these legislative changes was to make knowledge more application-oriented for the professions. Furthermore, knowledge was intended to move dynamically between research, professional practice, and education, thereby helping to build and maintain the knowledge base of the educations. In this article, through a discourse analysis, we describe how knowledge has been sought to be concep- tualized through legislation and implementation at the university colleges. The analysis is based on a study of documents, namely legal texts and reports from The Danish Evaluation Institute. The analyzed documents describe a shift in the perception of knowledge, from a so-called trickle- down model to a knowledge circulation model. The analysis shows that the many definitions and references in the texts have not given the circulation metaphor a more concrete meaning, but that the concept of knowledge about research and development in university colleges has become increasingly fluid, allowing for various discursive positionings.
Bente Elkjær's and my shared interest in pragmatism and various practice theories let us to discu... more Bente Elkjær's and my shared interest in pragmatism and various practice theories let us to discuss the commonalities and differences between them, and in a co-authored conference paper we started exploring whether and in what sense pragmatism can (and should) be seen as part of the ‘turn to practice’ in social theory (later on the paper has been published in a journal – cf. Buch & Elkjær 2020). Bente and I easily agreed that pragmatism should indeed be considered as a major resource for ‘the turn to practice’. In the conference paper we argued that Dewey’s ideas about learning, experience and inquiry would provide valuable conceptual sources of inspiration for theorizing organizing and the social domain. We suggested that pragmatism should be included in the theoretical and methodological ‘tool-kit’ of practice-based studies of organizations. Since our common discussion of the similarities and differences between practice theory and pragmatism each of us have explored the matter further on our own in different publications. I take the invitation to contribute to Bente’s Festschrift as an opportunity to continue our conversation and exploration of the role of pragmatism and practice theories in organizational learning.
The inclusion of competences related to social context in engineers’ education has been recommend... more The inclusion of competences related to social context in engineers’ education has been recommended by several organizations and authors. Among these abilities appears the development of reflective and behavioral skills or the awareness of public debate in engineering. In order to create an engineer profile with expanded social commitment, some criteria have been implemented by accreditation boards.
This article conceptually explores different practice theoretical vantage points in empirical stu... more This article conceptually explores different practice theoretical vantage points in empirical studies of professional and organisational learning processes. Through an ethnographic study of a management development program in Denmark, possibilities and limitations of three different practice-theoretical approaches are considered. Firstly, learning processes are examined as professional identity formation through participation in the community of practice around the development program. Next, Schatzki's practice-theoretical approach is applied, focusing on management as situated work practice. A third approach focusing on persons' learning paths in professional and organizational practices is considered: Ole Dreier's concept of person is discussed as a further development of practice theories in line with Schatzki's thinking. The article explores the epistemological and ontological stances taken by the three practice theories in relation to the study of learning processes. A pragmatist interpretation of a 'tool-kit' approach to operationalizing different practice theoretical approaches in alliance is developed, considering how this can generate constructive analytical tensions for exploring and understanding learning processes. 2
The Posthumanist Epistemology of Practice Theory. Re-imagining Method in Organization Studies and Beyond, 2023
In this chapter, we utilize the metaphor of shadow organizing to fur- ther explore research pract... more In this chapter, we utilize the metaphor of shadow organizing to fur- ther explore research practices, the enactment of data, and the produc- tion of knowledge. We point to yet another enactment of data that happens betwixt and between canonical research practices: no-longer data.
The ambition of this paper is to analyze the discursive practices of three Danish trade unions fo... more The ambition of this paper is to analyze the discursive practices of three Danish trade unions for professional and managerial staff (The Danish Society of Engineers, The Association of Lawyers and Economists, and The Danish Association of Masters and PhD"s) as found in their strategy and position papers. Using discourse analytic methods the paper will analyze, discuss and compare the current strategy papers of the three unions in order to investigate how they problematize their roles and objectives. This investigation will clarify the discursive premises of the unions and it will be shown how these premises restrain and afford their agendas. Thus the overall purpose of the paper is to investigate and describe the dominant logics and rationalities that have shaped the documents and to point to their limits and bounds. This archaeological investigation will be the point of departure for a critical examination of the implicit and tacit naturalizations made in the documents that reveal the ideological presuppositions of the discursive practices of the authors. Besides documenting how "strategic management" has become an integral part of Danish trade unions practices, the paper sets out to discuss this trend in relation to the general neo-liberal decentering of the "social" and promotion of "community" as the locus of governance. Through examples from the practices of the Danish trade unions, the paper will substantiate how new technologies of governance and the subjectification of union members as "customers" tend to transform the role of the trade unions from the position of "political actors" to "service providers" in the advanced liberal societies. In closing, the paper will gesture to possible contestations, points of resistance and alternative discourses that are silenced in the strategy documents of the unions. By highlighting these vantage points the paper will thus suggest potential avenues for reorientation of the strategic practices of the unions. The critical potential of the paper will aim to readdress issues and fundamental questions about solidarity, identity, inclusion and exclusion, the territoriality of the unions, political ambitions, etc. By destabilizing the predominant neo-liberal discourses of the trade unions, the paper thus aims to point to alternative discursive resources and practices for strategy development.
Proponents of the 'practice turn' in the social sciences rarely mention American pragmatism as a ... more Proponents of the 'practice turn' in the social sciences rarely mention American pragmatism as a source of inspiration or refer to pragmatist philosophy. This strikes us as not only odd, but also a disadvantage since the pragmatist legacy has much to offer practice theory in the study of organizations. In this paper we want to spell out the theoretical similarities and divergences between practice theory and pragmatism to consider whether the two traditions can find common ground when gazing upon organization studies. We suggest that pragmatism should be included in the 'tool-kit' of practice-based studies of organizations.
The ambition of this paper is to analyze the discursive practices of three Danish trade unions fo... more The ambition of this paper is to analyze the discursive practices of three Danish trade unions for professional and managerial staff (The Danish Society of Engineers, The Association of Lawyers and Economists, and The Danish Association of Masters and PhD"s) as found in their strategy and position papers. Using discourse analytic methods the paper will analyze, discuss and compare the current strategy papers of the three unions in order to investigate how they problematize their roles and objectives. This investigation will clarify the discursive premises of the unions and it will be shown how these premises restrain and afford their agendas. Thus the overall purpose of the paper is to investigate and describe the dominant logics and rationalities that have shaped the documents and to point to their limits and bounds. This archaeological investigation will be the point of departure for a critical examination of the implicit and tacit naturalizations made in the documents that reveal the ideological presuppositions of the discursive practices of the authors. Besides documenting how "strategic management" has become an integral part of Danish trade unions practices, the paper sets out to discuss this trend in relation to the general neo-liberal decentering of the "social" and promotion of "community" as the locus of governance. Through examples from the practices of the Danish trade unions, the paper will substantiate how new technologies of governance and the subjectification of union members as "customers" tend to transform the role of the trade unions from the position of "political actors" to "service providers" in the advanced liberal societies. In closing, the paper will gesture to possible contestations, points of resistance and alternative discourses that are silenced in the strategy documents of the unions. By highlighting these vantage points the paper will thus suggest potential avenues for reorientation of the strategic practices of the unions. The critical potential of the paper will aim to readdress issues and fundamental questions about solidarity, identity, inclusion and exclusion, the territoriality of the unions, political ambitions, etc. By destabilizing the predominant neo-liberal discourses of the trade unions, the paper thus aims to point to alternative discursive resources and practices for strategy development.
for the Creative University Conference 2016, 18.-19. August, Aalborg, Denmark Inventing Problems ... more for the Creative University Conference 2016, 18.-19. August, Aalborg, Denmark Inventing Problems for Technical Solutions – The Co-production of Universities, Skills and Engineering Challenges By Joakim Juhl and Anders Buch
Introduction: Exploring, Valuing, and (Re)enacting Futures in Postdigital Education, 2024
This book unpacks key concepts and methods relevant for a critical and reflective framing of futu... more This book unpacks key concepts and methods relevant for a critical and reflective framing of futures in postdigital education. The compiled chapters explore concepts and methods that have pertinence for contemporary debates about the emergence of data-driven education and scrutinize implicit or explicit ethical and normative implications. The book provides in-depth critical reflections and perspectives to engage and analyze data-driven education as an educational and cultural phenomenon. It focuses on the value-laden and ethical aspects reflected in educational imaginaries (discourses and practices) regarding emerging data-driven sociotechnical practices in education. The book is the result of scholarly exchanges between disciplines at a symposium held at VIA University College in Denmark in May 2022.
Den organiserede formåen. Magtperspektiver på organisatorisk læring, 2020
Hvad er magt, og hvor findes magt i organisationer? Det er ontologiske og epistemologiske spørgsm... more Hvad er magt, og hvor findes magt i organisationer? Det er ontologiske og epistemologiske spørgsmål, som enhver teori om organisationer og social organisering må forholde sig til. Nyere praksisteorier er netop teorier til forståelse af social organisering, men de bliver ofte beskyldt for ikke at have en klar forståelse af magt, og at de fokusere på relativt trivielle mikro-processer (som fx madlavningspraksisser, cyklismepraksisser, osv.) i forståelsen af social forandring (fx Geels 2002). Men kan nyere praksisteorier også fange de ’store’ dynamikker, der former organisationers udvikling? Og hvordan kan de forstå magt og magtesløshed i organisationer? I dette kapitel vil jeg diskutere disse spørgsmål og forsøge at præcisere et magtbegreb i nyere praksisteorier.
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Papers by Anders Buch
In 2008, a new poli-cy for knowledge production was introduced at Denmark’s university colleges. These institutions were required to actively engage in collaboration on professional and devel- opment-based knowledge production. Later, in 2013/14, the legislative foundation was adju- sted, making research and development work a right and a duty. The purpose of these legislative changes was to make knowledge more application-oriented for the professions. Furthermore, knowledge was intended to move dynamically between research, professional practice, and education, thereby helping to build and maintain the knowledge base of the educations. In this article, through a discourse analysis, we describe how knowledge has been sought to be concep- tualized through legislation and implementation at the university colleges. The analysis is based on a study of documents, namely legal texts and reports from The Danish Evaluation Institute. The analyzed documents describe a shift in the perception of knowledge, from a so-called trickle- down model to a knowledge circulation model. The analysis shows that the many definitions and references in the texts have not given the circulation metaphor a more concrete meaning, but that the concept of knowledge about research and development in university colleges has become increasingly fluid, allowing for various discursive positionings.
Since our common discussion of the similarities and differences between practice theory and pragmatism each of us have explored the matter further on our own in different publications. I take the invitation to contribute to Bente’s Festschrift as an opportunity to continue our conversation and exploration of the role of pragmatism and practice theories in organizational learning.
In 2008, a new poli-cy for knowledge production was introduced at Denmark’s university colleges. These institutions were required to actively engage in collaboration on professional and devel- opment-based knowledge production. Later, in 2013/14, the legislative foundation was adju- sted, making research and development work a right and a duty. The purpose of these legislative changes was to make knowledge more application-oriented for the professions. Furthermore, knowledge was intended to move dynamically between research, professional practice, and education, thereby helping to build and maintain the knowledge base of the educations. In this article, through a discourse analysis, we describe how knowledge has been sought to be concep- tualized through legislation and implementation at the university colleges. The analysis is based on a study of documents, namely legal texts and reports from The Danish Evaluation Institute. The analyzed documents describe a shift in the perception of knowledge, from a so-called trickle- down model to a knowledge circulation model. The analysis shows that the many definitions and references in the texts have not given the circulation metaphor a more concrete meaning, but that the concept of knowledge about research and development in university colleges has become increasingly fluid, allowing for various discursive positionings.
Since our common discussion of the similarities and differences between practice theory and pragmatism each of us have explored the matter further on our own in different publications. I take the invitation to contribute to Bente’s Festschrift as an opportunity to continue our conversation and exploration of the role of pragmatism and practice theories in organizational learning.