The Historicity of Human Activity and Perception

Abstract

The analysis of the empirical evidence in this book and the ensuing theoretical arguments draw upon two theories that are essentially historical—activity and perception. Activity theory (AT, also known as cultural-historical activity theory) assumes that human activities are social and objective, and essentially cultural-historical. It explains human activities in terms of the motives that drive them, their underlying conditions, and the implications for appropriation of tools. AT is applicable to the analysis of technology use in both organizational and non-organizational (personal) conditions. In particular, it is applicable for the analysis of personal-organizational tensions that inform the usability of mobile computers. Thus, an activity perspective has greater potential to explain better how and why people use portable technologies in both personal and organizational contexts.