The active role of instruments in articulating knowing and knowledge: the case of animal qualification practices in breeding organisations

Abstract : The purpose of this paper is to investigate the role of instruments defined as artefacts, rules, models or norms, in the articulation between knowing-in-practice an knowledge, in learning processes. The paper focuses on a particuar activity: qualification of ewes in the breeding sector. It is based on observation and practice-based studies. The study of instruments used in daily practices allows us to go beyond the dichotomy between opposite types of knowledge, i.e. scientific knowledge seen as a stock and sensible knowledge seen as purely tacit and equated to non-instrumental practices. The paper complements more classical practice-based approaches by proposing a new perspective of instruments in learning processes, which is to particular relevance where power is diffuse.