Social constructionism and the material and practice turns

The chapter reviews social theories that have been applied in housing studies. It starts with a description of the basis of constructionist thought, focusing particularly on the work of Berger and Luckmann. It then examines the impact on housing studies of issues such as the work of Kemeny and others on international comparisons and on tenure structures. The strengths and limitations of this work are explored, focusing on the way that housing studies has been changed by the approach. However, it is noted that many applications have built on the initial base by adding constructs from other areas such as structuration theory in the concept of housing pathways. The perceived limitations of social constructionism in its treatment of the material world have led to the application of the alternative approach of new materialism that includes theories such as Actor Network Theory and Assemblage. The basic approach and its variations are described and reviewed, and its contribution to housing studies evaluated. Finally, the social practices framework is introduced and its use in areas of housing studies such as energy use in the home reviewed. It is argued that this approach builds on the insights from both social constructionism and new materialism and provides a holistic framework for the analysis of housing phenomena.