Distributing Resources in a Construction Project: Conflictual Cooperation about a Common Cause and its Theoretical Implications

In the present paper the status of theories are discussed. It will be based on the fact that our understanding comes out of our common activity, and we will take point of departure in some empirical material from a construction project. We shall explore a conception of conflictual cooperation, which is understood as participants cooperating about a common contradictory cause, having each their perspective on the common cause, and therefore constantly confronted with the possibility of reorganization and conflict. To understand the ongoing processes a conception of procedures is introduced, seen as complexly interwoven activities. They are constituted by reciprocally reorganized, anticipated results, acquisition of resources and arrangements of activities and things therein. It will be argued that the constant possibility of interwoven change in this process forces us to accept that accordingly theories must change with the process, that they are dissolving in praxis.

Keywords: arrangement, common cause, concept, conflictual cooperation, contradictions, design of square, praxis, procedure, resources, theory.