Sociomateriality

Sociomateriality is a theoretical lens in science and technology studies and organization studies that treats social and material as mutually constitutive and inseparable in the production of social reality. It rejects the idea that human actors and technologies operate in distinct spheres, instead arguing that practices are produced through the ongoing entanglement of people, artifacts, spaces, and infrastructures.

The concept builds on actor-network theory and the broader tradition of new materialism, emphasizing that technologies, devices, and physical environments actively shape what people can do, how they interpret situations, and which actions are considered possible or legitimate. At the same time, human actors organize, repurpose, and interpret material arrangements, so social and material influences are co-constructed in everyday work and interaction. Sociomateriality focuses on practice and context, highlighting how routines, workflows, and organizational norms emerge from the interplay of people and technologies.

Applications of sociomateriality are widespread across information systems, organizational studies, healthcare, education, and urban design. Examples include electronic health records shaping clinical workflows, dashboards guiding decision making, or classroom spaces and digital tools influencing teaching practices. Researchers often analyze thick descriptions of routines, inscriptions, and configurations of artifacts to show how material scripts and social practices inseparably shape each other.

Methodologically, sociomaterial studies employ ethnography, case studies, and qualitative analysis to trace how combinations of actors and technologies enact specific organizational realities. Critiques note challenges in operationalizing the concept, potential overemphasis on entanglement, and the need to clarify causal mechanisms and power dynamics within sociomaterial arrangements.