Teorie della pratica e processi di consumo. Habitus, oggetti, routine

The perspective that goes under the label of "theories of practice" constitutes probably the approach that more than others has catalyzed the interest in studies on consumption processes over the last two decades. Starting from the beginning of the new century, a new generation of studies on consumption processes has taken shape centered on the concept of "practice". It is an intellectual movement of wide scope, which he found precisely in the field of studies on consumption one of the main areas in which to develop a focused research approach on the concept of "practice", from a theoretical and empirical application point of view. The label “theories of practice” refers to a set of approaches the social theory that identifies a peculiar perspective in the study of practices to study social organization, capable of focusing attention on some particular dimensions previously poorly considered, including in firstly the routinized and performative character of social action, as well as the its dependence on forms of tacit, implicit, and embodied knowledge of social actors. Furthermore, as we will see, study-focused approaches practices have also emphasized the role of material culture (things, consumer objects, technologies, etc.) in the process of forming action, thus acquiring a fundamental importance, particularly in giving shape to tastes, choices, and consumption habits and practices. The objective of this chapter is therefore to reconstruct the theoretical foundations, the evolution and the main contributions they have in the field of consumption studies adopted theories of practice as its conceptual pivot. To do this, the first part of the chapter focuses on the work of Pierre Bourdieu, the one who more than other scholars contributed to laying the foundations for the study of consumption through the conceptual lens of practice. Subsequently, the chapter will expand on it look to reconstruct development, starting from the first years of the new millennium, of the so-called "practice turn" in the study of processes of consumption, highlighting its different declinations and therefore offering a a concise overview of its empirical applications within the study of consumer practices, processes, and cultures.