Margrethe Aune
Dept. of Interdisciplinary Studies of Culture, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway
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Published in: Proceedings of the Sustaining Everyday Life Conference
Linköping Electronic Conference Proceedings 38:3, p. 27-27
Published: 2010-11-05
ISBN:
ISSN: 1650-3686 (print), 1650-3740 (online)
Studies of technologies in everyday life show that the process of innovation continues after products are appropriated. Users do not relate passively to the products they buy; but may be active in both procurement and use (McCracken 1988; Keat et al. 1994; Lie and Sørensen 1996). Moreover; everyday life activities may change in relation to technologies. In analysing these socio-technical processes of everyday life; the concept of domestication has proved to be useful. Silverstone; Hirsch and Morley (1991); introduced this concept in an analysis of how media technology was integrated into the “moral economy” of a household. Domestication as a tool or a perspective has since then; been used and reshaped through empirical studies (Lie and Sørensen 1996; Berker et al. 2005).
Domestication describes the practical; symbolic and cognitive processes that take place when a product is integrated into a household. When people domesticate a technology they place it; learn to use it; fit it into their routines and give it meaning. Thus; the discussion is not about effects of technology; but of the development of different user patterns in ‘negotiation’ with the technology.
In this presentation I will discuss the concept of domestication and use empirical examples to illustrate the domestication of technologies in everyday life. I will show how a domestication perspective can be used as a concrete analytical tool as well as a more general analytical perspective in understanding the relationship between users and technologies/technological systems.
