Given that social practices are considered as part of Anthony Giddens structuration theory, it is necessary to define the concept of “structure”. Analyzing the existing definitions, Giddens more “interesting” considers the definition of “structure” encountered within structuralism and post-structuralism. Giddens also defines the structure as a “generative” (generating) the rules (and resources). Thus, “in the context of social analysis structure exists in the form of structuring properties of social systems, thanks to which they ensured” connectedness “of time and space, the properties that contribute to the reproduction of more or less the same social practices across time and space, which gives them a” systematic “form “(Giddens 2003: 59). Practice having the highest spatial and temporal extent within the various communities, discusses Anthony Giddens as a social institution.
Giddens in the analysis and description of social practices often uses the concept of “social reproduction”, “recursive”. These concepts reflect the repetitive nature of everyday life, a common practice that are formed in terms of the intersection of transient (but continually returning) days and seasons. In this regard, we must examine the definition of “everyday life.” Giddens gives the following interpretation: “Everyday life has a duration over (or flow), however, does not lead anywhere; the very adjective “everyday” and its synonyms indicate that time is constituted of multiple repeatable “(Giddens 2003: 82). In his presentation to a number of “daily, cyclical” falls and “continuity of generations”, which suggests length of the long-term existence of institutions, long-haul institutional time.
The relationship between institutions (institutional practices), the routine practices of everyday life and man, according to Giddens, is that each of these options practices involved in the creation of each other, and together form a valid identity. Another important provision Structuration Giddens’ theory: All social systems, regardless of size, powerful at the same time expressed and displayed in the routine of everyday social life, mediating the physical and sensory properties of the human body.
The summary guidelines Structuration Giddens’ theory of distinguished theses are important for empirical research:
- All human beings are aware of stakeholders, they have the knowledge about the connection conditions in which they operate, and the consequences of what they do in their daily lives. Awareness and the ability to know the subject of activity as the subject of empirical research is extremely complex. Cognitive capabilities of quantitative methods is not enough to study them, it is necessary to use qualitative methods.
- Awareness of stakeholders has its limits: it is limited, on the one hand, unconscious, on the other the unintended consequences.
- The study of everyday life is an important part of the analysis of the reproduction of institutionalized practices. The routine has a dominant form of everyday social practice; moreover, it is psychologically protect the actor from the subconscious anxiety. Most everyday practices are not motivated yourself. Every day, repetitive practice has the personification of duality of structure in relation to the continuity of social life.
- The study of social practices, and thus the process of social reproduction, necessarily implies the study context or environment of action and interaction.
Based on the fact that the habit is the foundation of social practices, their empirical study should be carried out through the family context, the inclusion of practice in the life of different generations in the family, early (kids) experience of the individual; availability of items, equipment needed for the implementation of certain practices; Use the same practices in a group of friends, evaluation of social practices prestige actor and significant others.
The study of social practices associated with their property as the length of time and physical actor, t. E. In this case study not only the consciousness of the subject.
In sociology, the concept of youth “social practice” is used (B. Lukow, Lukow S. Shugalsky 2011), explores the practice of reading (Seliverstov, Yumashev, 2009), social narkopraktiki (Agranat, Lukow, Nadtochy, 2003), the practice of entertainment nightclub (Shugalsky 2013) and others.