Abstract
This paper sets out to explore the extent to which the “performativity thesis” may be useful in critical studies of organisation, by way of focusing on a recent social phenomenon: online dating, with reference to dating services more generally. We distinguish between two readings of the performativity thesis: a Barnseian notion of performativity that considers the verisimilitude of market outcome to the prediction of theory; and a broader concept, following Callon, where economic agency is constituted by language and device. We argue that dating services are performed primarily by psychology and the empirical method of social science, while economic agency is constituted in the users as Callon suggests. We draw attention to the implications of our claims, and on this basis we propose that performativity forms a vital part of the theoretical underpinnings for critical studies of economisation.
| Original language | English |
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| Publication status | Published - 2011 |
| Event | 7th International Critical Management Studies Conference - Naples, Italy Duration: 11 Jul 2011 → 13 Jul 2011 |
Conference
| Conference | 7th International Critical Management Studies Conference |
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| Country/Territory | Italy |
| City | Naples |
| Period | 11/07/11 → 13/07/11 |