The Dispositif

2The Dispositive, Organization and Collective Action

We have discussed in the previous chapter the relationship between technique and humans, and the impact of repetitive and effective technical activities on humans. We have seen how instruments and tools interact in collective spaces to operate the dispositive. All the actors, whatever their discipline, agree on the technological nature associated with the dispositive. This is why we have discussed this point first. So far, when we have linked dispositive to resources, we have considered the dispositive as a space providing resources that transforms human arrangements into active know-how. We have outlined the collective dimension of the dispositive by introducing the notion of efficiency at the end of Chapter 1. In this chapter, we will further develop this dimension linked to collective action (Hatchuel, 2008)¹, where mandated and incarnated roles are at work, where coordination and regulation activities are necessary, and reconfigurations are essential.

Section 2.1 allows us to develop roles that can be found in a dispositive, whether they are those linked to actors or users who benefit from the service provided by the dispositive. In this section, we are developing the meaning of the dispositive as an arrangement, where human elements, objects and discourses are placed and have roles. This static image of the dispositive organization is made more dynamic by regulations and coordination necessary for collective action. ...