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How are Networks Theorized? Clay Spinuzzi Clay.spinuzzi @utexas.edu
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Value

• Grounding in activity theory: history, assumptions, applications

• Grounding in actor-network theory: history, assumptions, applications

• Strengths of each theory• Differences between the theories• Applications of each theory to social media

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THE FIGHT

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THE FIRST STROKE

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The Central Disagreement

• Activity theory: Development precedes and underpins political-rhetorical interests [weaving]

• Actor-network theory: Political-rhetorical interests precede and underpin development [splicing]

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ACTIVITY THEORY: KEY CONCEPTS

0. Engelsian dialectics1. Mediation2. Structure of activity3. Contradictions4. Activity networks

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0. Engelsian Dialectics

• “The dialectical laws are really laws of development of nature, and therefore are valid also for theoretical natural science” (Engels 1954, p.84).

• Not only does dialectic constitute a “universally valid … general law of development of nature, society, or thought,” it also constitutes a universally valid law of development for the natural world (p.91).

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1. Mediation

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“typified rhetorical responses to recurring social situations”

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2. Structure of ActivityLevel Focus Chars Timescale Aware? Disruption

Macro Activity Culture, history; social action, social memory

Year, decades

No Contradiction

Meso Goal Tool-in-use; tactics

Minutes, hours

Yes Discoordination

Micro Operation Rules, habits Seconds No Breakdown

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2. Structure of Activity

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3. Contradictions

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Primary Contradictions

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Secondary Contradictions

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Tertiary Contradictions

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Quaternary Contradictions

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4. Activity Networks

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4. Activity Networks

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Example: Coworking

• Coworking = “working alone, together”• Coworking sites = open plan workspaces

where unaffiliated people can work in each others’ presence

• Coworkers and proprietors don’t agree on what coworking is

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Exercise: What’s your activity?

• What is the object they’re cyclically trying to achieve?

• What’s the outcome they’re trying to produce? (Why are they doing it?)

(Figure out the object and outcome, and you’ll be able to determine the rest of the activity.)

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Social Media in an Activity System

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Social Media in an Activity Network

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Social Media in an Activity Network

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Social Media in an Activity Network

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Activity Theory: Summing Up

• Woven, developmental• Nodes: activities, which develop over time• Links: interconnections among activities and

components of activities• Splicing explicitly built on top of weaving• The first stroke is a weave

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ACTOR-NETWORK THEORY: KEY CONCEPTS

0. Machiavelli1. Actor-Networks2. Mediation3. Translation4. Composition5. Black-Boxing6. Delegation

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1. Actor-Networks

• Actants define each other (Callon 1991, p.142)• The actant is the effect of the network, not its

cause (Law 1992)• ANT is ontological.

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2. Mediation

• In ANT, creating a relation (link) between two actants (nodes)

• All actants are also intermediaries• Agency is distributed

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Genres Developed Over Iterations

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Mediation Involves…

• Translation• Composition• Reversible Black-Boxing• Delegation

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3. Translation

a. Problematizationb. Interessementc. Enrollmentd. Mobilization

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4. Composition

• The assemblage becomes an actant.• “Who performs the action?”• “Action is simply not a property of humans but

an association of actants” (Latour 1999b, p.182; cf. Berg 1999, Law 1986b).

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5. Reversible Black-Boxing

• “I’ll call X.”• “The phone’s not working.” • “The line is dead.” • “I called Telecorp and they’ll send someone

out.” • “Telecorp didn’t tell the BigTel technician

there was a dog in our yard.”

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6. Delegation

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Exercise: How is translation happening in your case?

• Problematization. What’s the problem to be solved?

• Interessement. What people and resources must be defined to address the problem?

• Enrollment. How are these people and resources given roles? Defined and attributed?

• Mobilization. How can they be persuaded to link up and address the problem?

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GENUINE DIFFERENCES

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Genuine Differences

Activity Theory Actor-Network Theory

The first stroke is a weave The first stroke is a splice

Developmental Political-rhetorical

Competence, Cognition Negotiation

Dialectic Rhizomatic

Genealogical Antigenealogical

Asymmetrical Symmetrical

Structural Relational

Irreversible Reversible

Contradictions Translations

Epistemology Ontology

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Genuine Differences

Activity Theory Actor-Network Theory

The first stroke is a weave The first stroke is a splice

Developmental Political-rhetorical

Competence, Cognition Negotiation

Dialectic Rhizomatic

Genealogical Antigenealogical

Asymmetrical Symmetrical

Structural Relational

Irreversible Reversible

Contradictions Translations

Epistemology Ontology

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Genuine Differences

Activity Theory Actor-Network Theory

The first stroke is a weave The first stroke is a splice

Developmental Political-rhetorical

Competence, Cognition Negotiation

Dialectic Rhizomatic

Genealogical Antigenealogical

Asymmetrical Symmetrical

Structural Relational

Irreversible Reversible

Contradictions Translations

Epistemology Ontology

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Genuine Differences

Activity Theory Actor-Network Theory

The first stroke is a weave The first stroke is a splice

Developmental Political-rhetorical

Competence, Cognition Negotiation

Dialectic Rhizomatic

Genealogical Antigenealogical

Asymmetrical Symmetrical

Structural Relational

Irreversible Reversible

Contradictions Translations

Epistemology Ontology

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Genuine Differences

Activity Theory Actor-Network Theory

The first stroke is a weave The first stroke is a splice

Developmental Political-rhetorical

Competence, Cognition Negotiation

Dialectic Rhizomatic

Genealogical Antigenealogical

Asymmetrical Symmetrical

Structural Relational

Irreversible Reversible

Contradictions Translations

Epistemology Ontology

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Genuine Differences

Activity Theory Actor-Network Theory

The first stroke is a weave The first stroke is a splice

Developmental Political-rhetorical

Competence, Cognition Negotiation

Dialectic Rhizomatic

Genealogical Antigenealogical

Asymmetrical Symmetrical

Structural Relational

Irreversible Reversible

Contradictions Translations

Epistemology Ontology

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Commonalities

• Heterogeneous• Multiply linked• Transformative• Black-boxed

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Takeaways

• Grounding in activity theory: history, assumptions, applications

• Grounding in actor-network theory: history, assumptions, applications

• Strengths of each theory• Differences between the theories• Applications of each theory to social media

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Exercise: Analyzing an Activity

• Identify the object of your activity: the problem space or material around which people’s effort is focused, the problem space that is cyclically transformed.

• Identify the outcome: what results from the cyclical transformation. Think in terms of motives or benefits.

• Based on these, identify the other components of the activity.

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Exercise: Identifying Black Boxes

• In the same case, identify a black box (e.g., “I’m making a call”).

• Try decomposing the black box. What components or actants compose it and hold it together?

• Try examining translation. Where did these actants come from, and how did they come together?

• Repeat – forever.