Activity Theory

Since the mid 1980s, activity theory has been explored as a basic perspective on human-computer interaction (HCI). In order to understand why this form of HCI came into being, let us consider the Scandinavian research on computer technology use and design of the early 1980s. The 1970s had been a period in which, in general, conventional theory had been challenged in the universities, at the same time that many new areas, such as computer science, evolved. In the Scandinavian context, this led to research projects that critically reconsidered the introduction of computer technology in the workplace. The projects developed an action research approach, emphasizing the active cooperation between researchers and “those being researched,” suggesting that researchers need to enter an active commitment with the workers of an organization to help improve their situation (Ehn & Kyng, 1987). In the early 1980s, concerns evolved for the maintenance and development of skills of the involved workers and for technological alternatives (e.g. Utopia; Bødker et al., 1987). These projects were situated in a context where insights from social psychology and industrial sociology were necessary—some of the inspiration came from activity theory through German work psychology and Scandinavian critical psychology.