Intercreativity in Surgical Practice : A Dialogical Approach to Interaction & Technology

Sammanfattning: Based on dialogical theory and empirical exploration of surgical operations in a Swedish hospital, this text contributes to the study of critical work practice. In empirical detail, ethnographic investigation and video analysis show that ‘everyday interactivity’, i.e. technical development beyond the control of individual participants, is a ubiquitous phenomenon of surgical work. This research interest can be contrasted to models of human-machine interaction, which describe how a given technology affords or impedes an intended outcome. Conclusions are that there may be fundamentally different ways of describing the regular course of surgery. From so-called ‘designer-oriented‘ perspectives, creative or unexpected results would be seen as emergent signs of design failure. According to dialogical theory, unfolding and multifunctional technical outcomes are necessary in working life. The latter is everything but trivial for research and development. As concrete products of collective practice, workplace technology cannot support individual ‘user experiences’ or workflows. Instead, we may recognise already present, parallel, and ongoing design changes. Thus, the thesis problematise the meaning of teamwork and technology in everyday practice.