Activity Theory as a Framework to Analyze Technology-Mediated Elderly Care

ABSTRACT

This article presents a field study of technology-supported elderly care analyzed from an activity theory perspective. Leont’ev’s hierarchical structure of activity is used to analyze how elderly people learn new technology-mediated care practices. We also used Engeström’s activity system in studying particular work contexts. We combined activity theory with Corbin and Strauss’s trajectory concept to represent a time line perspective on technology-mediated elderly care. This combination made it easier to focus on transitions between the stages in the trajectory. Our analysis of technology-supported care emphasizes providing for increasing levels of automation in care and shifting relations between the subject and the tool as a way to maintain the stability of the object of activity.

Acknowledgments

We thank the people who participated in our fieldwork studies: the elderly residents and the service staff in the care housing and the homecare staff. They have contributed significantly to the studies. We also thank our colleague Suhas Joshi for collaboration in the telecare experiment. Last, we thank the reviewers and the editors for insightful and helpful comments to earlier versions of the paper.

Funding

This research was supported by the Norwegian Research Council Grant number 220111 awarded to Anita Woll; Norwegain research council [220111].

Additional information

Funding

This research was supported by the Norwegian Research Council Grant number 220111 awarded to Anita Woll; Norwegain research council [220111].