Understanding Sociomateriality through the Lens of Assemblage Theory: Examples from Police Body-Worn Cameras

IS researchers have used several theoretical lenses, singly or in combination, to shed light on IS phenomena. Such development is encouraged as a necessary ingredient in the intellectual endeavor to build a cumulative tradition. We continue in that endeavor by introducing assemblage theory to provide a lucid elucidation of organizations as social machine assemblages. We provide examples involving the use of police Body-Worn Cameras to illustrate the potential of assemblage theory as a philosophical foundation with the facilities and flexibility to advance understandings along a continuum of configurations of social and material interactions in organizations. Our research contributes to the IS knowledge base by demonstrating how assemblage theory accommodates the oppositional swings in the agency-structure debate, and add clarity to the notion of sociomateriality, a new and evolving area of IS scholarship. Additionally, we augment DeLanda’s presentation of assemblage theory to improve its appeal and amenability for IS research.