SITUATING ACTION .4. PLANNING AS SITUATED ACTION

This article presents a preliminary dialogical analysis of how mundane social activities are planned and how the resulting plans are acted u pon. We trace some of the history of the distinction between situated and cognitive accounts of actions. We argue that the polarized dichoto my between planned and situated actions is unhelpful, and we try to un dermine that dichotomy by treating preparation for action (in which pl ans are produced) and acting with plans as everyday dialogical activit ies. The restricted definition within cognitive science of plans as me ntal representations completely specifying sequences of behaviors fail s to do justice to mundane plans. We propose that plans can be treated as performatives that regulate and coordinate multiparticipant social activities. Plans are, however, more than just words; they may involv e recruitment and construction of tools in preparation for activities. We analyze preparation for activity and acting with plans with help f rom cooking recipes, do it-yourself handbooks and instruction manuals. With an apology to the Czech nation, we also make use of Jaroslav Has ek's (1974) book The Good Soldier Svejk.