Because of its roots in Marxian analyses of capitalism and other historically specific modes of produc-tion, activity theory pays more attention to the articulation of activities within larger syste_ms_<.>f power and prlvilsge

Telling AA personal stories also helps members identify with one an­other in ways that are harder to document. As a public event, one that is not only observable but material and co-participatory, the telling encom­passes body practices, including vocalization, that realize structures of affect and disposition. Not only social theorists, from Durkheim and Mauss to Bourdieu, but any participant in such performances would tell you that the fellow-feeling born in these ceremonies is a powerful means of identification.