京都大学 大学院経済学研究科・経済学部

タイトル： 

“Custodianship across generations: Preserving declining practices”

Abstract: 
Drawing on a global, longitudinal case study of the practice of vinyl record manufacturingafter its decline, we examine the work undertaken to preserve a practice over time. We buildon practice theory and the literature on custodianship to develop a process model of practicepreservation. Our model highlights five processes of custodianship (propping up,diversifying, recovering, replenishing and releasing) by which declining practices can bepreserved across generations of custodians. We focus on two sets of custodians who wedistinguish based on their temporal relations and associations of meaning with the practice(legacy professionals and new enthusiasts). Taken together, these processes increase theaccessibility for future generations and resilience of a declining practice –i.e., its ability tobounce back and withstand future disruptions– by reducing its dependence on specific typesof meanings, materials and competences. We contribute to the literature on custodianship byhighlighting inclusive processes of custodianship, which differ from gatekeeping andguarding so far emphasized, and by unpacking the role of materials to complement thetraditional emphasis on symbolic elements. Our model also contributes to practice studies byshowing the benefits of developing a diversity of meanings, materials and competences forpractice preservation.