Conventions and institutional logics: invitation to a dialogue between two theoretical approaches

In her contribution, Ann Westenholz explores the similarities and differences of the conventions and institutional logics perspectives in order to create a space for dialogue and mutual learning between the two approaches. Both approaches not only share a similar purpose, that is, helping us to understand indeterminacy and ambiguity, they also identify different social orders that may change over time. Both recognize that actorhood is important for the transformation of social orders, and they have both developed an understanding of how social orders and actorhood are interrelated. Despite these commonalties, the two perspectives have developed in different ways in France and the USA and not much dialogue has taken place between them until recently. Westenholz illustrates that a comparison of the two perspectives is helpful to create a common ground for analyzing and understanding how people coordinate their activities in indeterminate and ambiguous situations.