Presentation showing the further development and application of Yryo Engestrom's activity system model to understanding and/or analysing 'primitive' socio-technical systems.

1. AN APROACH TO SOCIO-TECHNICAL SYSTEMS
EVOLUTION BASED ON CULTURAL HISTORICAL
ACTIVITY THEORY (CHAT)
Peter Bond

2. Activity System is a goal directed system
Activity theory is a theoretical framework for studying different forms of human
praxis.
Activity is not merely an external behavior; it is also inextricably linked with internal mental
activity and consciousness of abstractions from a concrete situation that allow an individual
to anticipate the sequences of other situations and provides insight into mental processes
that guide conscious and volitional behavior (Rubinshtein, 1957).
Cultural Historical Activity Theory
Life process is a material and practical process

3. The CHAT Development Trajectory
Lev Vygotsky
Russian Psychologist
(1896-1934)
Alexei Leont’ev
Russian Psychologist
(1903-1979)
instruments
subject object outcome
division of labourcommunityrules
Collective Activity System
Yryo Engestrom
Finnish Psychologist
Russia
1970s
West
Humans use tools, including symbols
and language, that develop from a
culture, to
mediate their material and
social environments.
Individual Activity System
mediating artefact
subject objectactivity

4. instruments
(tools cultural artefacts)
object/problem
situation outcome
division of labourcommunityrules
Engestrom’s Collective Activity System Model
or Framework of Analysis
Arrowed lines represent
tension.
Intervention is based
on reducing it.
subject/agent
All instruments are
social in nature
activity
Instruments mediate the relation between subject and object
Rules (and division of labour) mediate the relation between subject and
community
Community also mediates between subject and object

5. Engestrom’s Collective Activity System Model
or Framework of Analysis
Activity: Examining a Patient
(social) instruments
stethoscope, questions
object/problem situation
patient
outcome
diagnosis, strategy
division of labour
hierarchy, nurse assists
community
other doctors, nurses
rules
hippocratic oath,
professional etiquette,
ethics, communication
guidelines
subject/agent
physician/doctor activity
Question: Can this system be improved?

6. Adapting Engestrom’s system model to describe and analyse the
evolution of a material culture
Priority was to understand the process of material engagement—crafting, toolusing.
Needed to introduce something that drew attention to materials—the STUFF of technical
systems (stone, metal, wood, composites).
activity
tools medium
human
medium
Werner Rammert
A relational mediational
view of technology
Andrew Feenberg
Metatheory of technology
deworlded captured property of adeworlded captured property of a
(natural) object(natural) object
MIND or SELF Object-of-action result-of-action
Process whereby tools became symbolic, took on additional (social) meaning (jadeite axes).
role emerged fromrole emerged from
activity/practiceactivity/practice
tools becoming symbolictools becoming symbolic
(secondary instrumentalisation)(secondary instrumentalisation)
(secondary instrumentalisation in relation(secondary instrumentalisation in relation
to the tool user)to the tool user)
OTHERSOTHERS
(human and nonhuman)(human and nonhuman)
Andrew Pickering
mangle of practice
creative tension in the
sociotechnical system

7. Language???Language???
human
medium
MIND or SELF Object-of-action........ result-of-action
activity or
process
habitushabitus
(Pierre Bourdieu)(Pierre Bourdieu)
Reference Framework emerging fromReference Framework emerging from
conversations about practices and the result ofconversations about practices and the result of
practicespractices
(`Maturana and Varela)(`Maturana and Varela)
result-of-action
tools medium
human
medium
deworlded captured functionaldeworlded captured functional
property of a (natural) objectproperty of a (natural) object
MIND or SELF Object-of-action
role/identityrole/identity
of the selfof the self
OTHERSOTHERS
(human and nonhuman)(human and nonhuman)
activity or
process

8. tools mediumhuman
medium
deworlded property of a (natural)deworlded property of a (natural)
objectobject
MIND or SELF
CUTTING
SHARPNESS
OPPOSABLE
THUMB
result-of-action is a motivation forresult-of-action is a motivation for
the activitythe activity
ultimate objective is eating fleshultimate objective is eating flesh
FLINT, OBSIDIAN,
COPPER
CUT FLESH
A Cutting ToolA Cutting Tool

9. A Cutting Tool andA Cutting Tool and
Emerging SymbolEmerging Symbol
tools mediumhuman
medium
deworlded property of a (natural)deworlded property of a (natural)
objectobject
MIND or SELF Object-of-action
role/identityrole/identity
of the selfof the self
humanhuman
OTHERSOTHERS
activity or
process
weight, sharpness, lengthweight, sharpness, length
expert, competent, knowing, axeexpert, competent, knowing, axe
wielderwielder
stone, root, woodstone, root, wood
habitushabitus
strong,strong,
coordinatedcoordinated
LEADER, an ELDERLEADER, an ELDER

10. tools mediumhuman
medium
deworlded property of a (natural)deworlded property of a (natural)
objectobject
MIND or SELF Object-of-action
role/identityrole/identity
of the selfof the self
nonhumannonhuman
OTHERSOTHERS
activity or
process
CONTAINMENT,CONTAINMENT, BUOYANCYBUOYANCY
BENEFICIARY, VICTIM?BENEFICIARY, VICTIM?
RITUALRITUAL
SKIN, GUT, BONESKIN, GUT, BONE
An Inuit Hunting BoatAn Inuit Hunting Boat