Patterns of practice : a reflection on the development of quantitative/mixed methodologies capturing everyday life related to water consumption in the UK

Browne, Alison and Pullinger, Martin and Medd, William and Anderson, Ben (2014) Patterns of practice : a reflection on the development of quantitative/mixed methodologies capturing everyday life related to water consumption in the UK. International Journal of Social Research Methodology, 17 (1). pp. 27-43. ISSN 1364-5579

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Abstract

There is a growing body of research arguing the relevance of practice approaches to understand resource consumption, and to highlight alternative pathways to sustainability. These practice approaches offer an alternative conceptualisation of demand and have been demonstrated largely by qualitative research, particularly in the work on water and energy consumption in the home. However, these historical narratives and qualitative research have not, to date, lead to the development of quantitative or mixed methodologies that could potentially reflect the diversity of performances of practice across populations in a more systematic way. This paper reflects, critically, on one such attempt to scale a practice-based perspective into a quantitative survey on water consumption and practice in homes in the south and South-East of England. The use of quantitative and mixed methodology has substantial potential – from translating practice-based research to policy; developing indictors to track patterns of practices as they change over time; and the exploration of methodologies that reflect the bundling and coordination of practices associated with water use inside and outside the home. The benefits and utility of such a methodological approach are highlighted as cautions and future research directions.

Item Type:
Journal Article
Journal or Publication Title:
International Journal of Social Research Methodology
Uncontrolled Keywords:
/dk/atira/pure/subjectarea/asjc/3300/3300
Subjects:
?? everyday practicepractice theory consumptionsurveys mixed methodology water cluster analysisgeneral social sciencessocial sciences(all) ??
ID Code:
67369
Deposited By:
Deposited On:
04 Nov 2013 09:33
Refereed?:
Yes
Published?:
Published
Last Modified:
16 Jul 2024 09:28