The Transformation to Organic: Insights from Practice Theory - Organic Food and Agriculture: New Trends and Developments in the Social Sciences - page 173

embodiment, and cognitive - mental processes (see Figure 1). In the following we describe
our understanding of these dimensions, their relation to social practices and their inter-
relatedness. 4
3.1 Structures
To frame the dimension of structures we draw first from Anthony Giddens' approach to
structuration. Giddens (1992, 1984) identifies structures (orders of knowledge) as sets of
rules and resources (see Westermayer 2007, 10) (Table 2). 5 Structures are interpreted as rules
with a regulative and constitutive dimension in a space-time context and as material and
power resources. Rules and resources are established in and through practices, by doings
and sayings.
Note: All dimensions are linked and they influence and form each other. They are stored in structures
and arise through carrying out social practices, defined as a bundle of practice arrangements, which
exist independent from individuals. Individuals take over but also perform the social practice beyond
their own materiality and embodiment and as well cognitive-mental patterns. Social practices combine
objective behavior and subjective sense.
Fig. 1. Framing A Theory of Social Practices
4 For other models on practice theory see e.g. Brand 2011
5 Anthony Giddens understanding of structures contrasts with that of Ralf Dahrendorf's (1973) theory
of conflict sociology and Talcott Parsons functional part systems of society (AGIL scheme)(1970)