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Left behind Quote by Terry Nardin

“practices are displayed only in performances: a practice is the trace, the residue, of its performances. Practices are not "stable compositions of easily recognized characteristics." They are nothing more than "footprints left behind by agents responding to their emergent situations, footprints…” quote by Terry Nardin
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““practices are displayed only in performances: a practice is the trace, the residue, of its performances. Practices are not "stable compositions of easily recognized characteristics." They are nothing more than "footprints left behind by agents responding to their emergent situations, footprints which are only somewhat less evanescent than the transactions in which they emerged" (OHC ioo).””

Terry Nardin

About This Quote

Source Article: OHC ioo, 2020

Practices emerge from actions and are fleeting traces, not fixed structures.

In simple terms: Practices are temporary results of actions.

Key Takeaway

Recognize the fluid nature of practices.

Themes

change ity emergence

Mood

analytical reflective

Type

theoretical academic

When to use this quote

  • organizational change
  • cultural analysis
  • policy design

Key Concepts

sociology performance theory agency

Questions to Reflect On

  • How can we study fleeting practices?
  • What methods reveal hidden traces?
A Different Perspective

Practices can be hard to capture for analysis.

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