[Xmca-l] Re: General check-in?

Greg Thompson greg.a.thompson@gmail.com
Thu Apr 16 07:00:28 PDT 2020


Just wanted to point back to the collective document that Alfredo initiated
that included responses to Latour's challenge and to share some of the
answers (below) that our colleagues provided. Here is the link:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1s23bmSz-Su4hohICZE_il8ujuhecIt2PeRcSa_TeSjw/edit?usp=sharing

And here are some of the initial responses to things that people would like
to see changed (there are definitely some themes emerging - standardized
testing, commuting (and travel) - but I wonder if others might want to
offer some new and novel (more radical?) ideas about things that have been
halted that we would like to see remain halted):

Helena Worthen: Single person cars, to be replaced by electric bicycles for
short trips, public transport for longer trips, with tearing up of acres of
asphalt to be replaced by farms and parks.

Diana Arya:  (1) School-wide testing, which is a HUGE waste of time and
pulls all attentional resources to score performance rather than authentic
engagement in literacies. (2) Commutes for engaging in activities that can
be done equally as well in virtual spaces. (3) Shopping for anything other
than food (can mail back any item ordered online that doesn’t fit/work).

Zaza: (1) the corporate emphasis on growth and development (in the form of
“Goals” or “OKRs” or “KPIs”) that really about seeing how much business you
can generate not what you have learned or how you have grown or even how
that growth will contribute to your work.

Wendy: 1. ‘Unnecessary’ journeys in private vehicles; 2. Half-filled
airplane flights, carrying people on ‘cheap’ (environmentally un-costed)
journeys; 3. Long, test-filled school days

GregT: Long commutes (maybe short ones too). Here in Utah, the air is
cleaner than its ever been in the Winter when we usually suffer from
“inversions” where the polluted air is trapped in the valleys by the
surrounding mountains.

On Tue, Apr 14, 2020 at 2:40 PM Alfredo Jornet Gil <a.j.gil@ils.uio.no>
wrote:

> Thanks Anne-Nelly. I haven’t yet answered myself, haven’t got the time to
> sit back and reflect yet (for some, the isolation is slowing down, for
> others it means frenetic activity all the time…). Will do my best to find
> the time by the end of the week though.
>
>
>
> And I wanted to say that anyone in this list may insert answers without
> necessarily having to write their (real) name. Anything to mark that there
> is a new entry should suffice. I am thinking of anyone who might want to
> contribute but who for one or another reason may prefer to stay anonymous.
>
>
>
>
> https://docs.google.com/document/d/1s23bmSz-Su4hohICZE_il8ujuhecIt2PeRcSa_TeSjw/edit?usp=sharing
>
>
>
> Best,
>
> Alfredo
>
>
>
> *From: *<xmca-l-bounces@mailman.ucsd.edu> on behalf of PERRET-CLERMONT
> Anne-Nelly <Anne-Nelly.Perret-Clermont@unine.ch>
> *Reply to: *"eXtended Mind, Culture, Activity" <xmca-l@mailman.ucsd.edu>
> *Date: *Tuesday, 14 April 2020 at 22:31
> *To: *"eXtended Mind, Culture, Activity" <xmca-l@mailman.ucsd.edu>
> *Subject: *[Xmca-l] Re: General check-in?
>
>
>
> Thanks Alfredo.
>
> I have already tried to answer this questionnaire several times. I observe
> changes in my answers… due to social interactions, growing sensibility,
> experience of the changes induced by covid19…
>
> Yours,
>
> Anne-Nelly
>
>
>
> Prof. em. Anne-Nelly Perret-Clermont
>
> Institut de psychologie et éducation Faculté des lettres et sciences
> humaines
>
> Université de Neuchâtel
>
> Espace Tilo-Frey 1 (Anciennement: Espace Louis-Agassiz 1)
>
> CH- 2000 Neuchâtel (Suisse)
>
> http://www.unine.ch/ipe/publications/anne_nelly_perret_clermont
>
>
>
>
>
> *De : *<xmca-l-bounces@mailman.ucsd.edu> on behalf of Alfredo Jornet Gil <
> a.j.gil@ils.uio.no>
> *Répondre à : *"eXtended Mind, Culture, Activity" <xmca-l@mailman.ucsd.edu
> >
> *Date : *samedi, 11 avril 2020 à 22:47
> *À : *"eXtended Mind, Culture, Activity" <xmca-l@mailman.ucsd.edu>,
> Kloetzer Laure privé <laure.kloetzer@gmail.com>
> *Objet : *[Xmca-l] Re: General check-in?
>
>
>
> One way could be compiling them in a google docs. Each question could be
> written as a heading, and under each heading, each participat writes name
> in Bold and then answer in body type. Would this work and would people be
> willing to fill in? If yes, here is a Google doc anyone could fill in:
>
>
>
>
> https://docs.google.com/document/d/1s23bmSz-Su4hohICZE_il8ujuhecIt2PeRcSa_TeSjw/edit?usp=sharing
>
>
>
>
>
> Alfredo
>
>
>
> *From: *<xmca-l-bounces@mailman.ucsd.edu> on behalf of Helena Worthen <
> helenaworthen@gmail.com>
> *Reply to: *"eXtended Mind, Culture, Activity" <xmca-l@mailman.ucsd.edu>
> *Date: *Saturday, 11 April 2020 at 22:37
> *To: *"laure.kloetzer@gmail.com" <laure.kloetzer@gmail.com>, "eXtended
> Mind, Culture, Activity" <xmca-l@mailman.ucsd.edu>
> *Subject: *[Xmca-l] Re: General check-in?
>
>
>
> Hi, Laure — It looks as if each group to which this is disseminated has to
> collect its own results and share them among themselves.  I wish we could
> compile results across xmca at least to see which are the two activities
> chosen by this widespread community.
>
>
>
> H
>
>
>
> Helena Worthen
>
> helenaworthen.wordpress.com
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> On Apr 11, 2020, at 12:48 PM, Laure Kloetzer <laure.kloetzer@gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
>
>
> Good evening,
>
>
>
> In Neuchâtel, we sent an adapted version of the Latour questionnaire to
> our students for gathering their own reflections, with the goal to discuss
> them altogether after all this.
>
> Take care,
>
> Laure Kloetzer
>
>
>
>
>
> Le sam. 11 avr. 2020 à 21:46, Helena Worthen <helenaworthen@gmail.com> a
> écrit :
>
> The Latour exercise that Anne-Nelly provides is really provocative!!! I
> did it; it takes 10-15 minutes and helped me clarify my thinking.
>
>
>
> Thank you.  Here’s the link again:
>
>
>
> http://www.bruno-latour.fr/node/852.html
>
>
>
>
>
> Helena Worthen
>
> helenaworthen.wordpress.com
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> On Apr 10, 2020, at 8:48 PM, mike cole <mcole@ucsd.edu> wrote:
>
>
>
> Hi Anna-Lisa. What you describe has great similarities what people in the
> US are experiencing with the exception that it is now clear for all to see
> that it is poverty, or the security of the vulnerable (same thing in my
> view).
>
>
>
> Thanks very much for the Latium letter.  It is totally relevant right now.
>
>
>
> Mike
>
>
>
> On Fri, Apr 10, 2020 at 9:38 AM PERRET-CLERMONT Anne-Nelly <
> Anne-Nelly.Perret-Clermont@unine.ch> wrote:
>
> Hello everybody!
>
>
>
> Thank you so much for all the news and perspectives that are being shared
> from all over the Planet. Such difficult times, especially for those who
> can’t even send news...
>
>
>
> Some news from Switzerland, a privileged country, yet with very serious
> contamination rates. Almost 4 weeks of confinement (rights to go out are
> very limited and only a limited number of professions are still working)
> that totally re-organize our private and public life.
>
>
>
> The sun is shining wonderfully and it is very tempting  to move out for
> this Easter holiday. Nevertheless, most people are very disciplined and
> stay home in confinement.
>
> It took a lot of time for the local, cantonal and federal authorities to
> decide on the confinement measures. Switzerland’s political traditions
> impose  bottom-up decisions. But the result of this (too slow?) process
> seems to be that most people agree and comply with this policy. Police
> forces try to do education and not  repression. But the peak of the tide of
> contamination has not been reached yet and hospitals are under stress.
>
>
>
> The economic stress due to this long shut down arises a lot of fear on the
> side of trade unions and employers associations. Switzerland has very large
> multinational companies, but 90% of its firms are small or medium size
> business. Quite a number of them are now reaching the edge of  bankruptcy.
> If they should go bankrup,t this would totally disorganise the country, its
> daily style of life and more: small firms and their locations impact
> regional demography, resources, power (in a federation of cantons), etc.
>  after compulsory education, 60% of the young people attend dual education
> (i.e. half time in firms and half-time in school) and if firms shut down
> this education will fall apart. Government, banks and networks of citizens
> are lending money and trying to maintain these small firms alive.
> Unemployment rate is raising but rents have to be paid. Etc…
>
>
>
> Switzerland is a country of pharmaceutical industry and engineers. But the
> panic in the hospitals is not over: equipment is insufficient, and drugs
> are starting to miss. Local enterprises have the know how to make them but
> …with ingredients that come exclusively from China and India. Hospitals
> have been afraid of losing 25% to 40% of their staff as nurses often come
> from the bordering regions of France and Italy. Finally, these countries
> have locked their borders but not for those professionals. This does not
> solve the problem on the long term, of course as these countries also need
> more medical staff. We hope that a growing awareness of the importance (and
> respect and salary) due to these professions will finally have the
> necessary impact. At 9 p.m., everybody goes at the window or balcony to
> give them a clap (or ring bells or even play music) for a minute to thank
> all the medical staff and other professions (e.g., cleaners) who likewise
> take enormous risks and make great efforts.
>
>
>
> The number of beds in the hospitals has been seriously increased by
> creative means. The ultraliberal policy of the last decade had seriously
> cut down the number of beds in hospital and sent many many patients  to
> private practice and ambulatory treatment. But the government, when
> declaring confinement, has also declared that medical practitioners should
> only do online treatment and should close their practice. Result: 3 weeks
> later medical authorities are very worried: many patients in serious
> conditions or with severe chronic diseases don’t dare to call their medical
> practitioner and are afraid to go to the emergency services in hospital
> (fear of overloading them, fear of infection by Covid and fear of being cut
> out from their families (not allowed in the hospital). The pronostic is a
> possible wave of very serious cases needing urgent and heavy  treatment.
> This wave will put extra-pressure on the sanitary system already
> overburden. Meanwhile small medical units are close to bankruptcy : their
> have to pay the salaries of their staff but have no income to do so.
>
>
>
> There is also a (still small) growing concern among social scientists that
> the teams that reflect on the pandemic and the confinement measures (and
> the planning of the end of the confinement) are made up of exclusively of
> epidemiologists and economists (with one or two specialists in ethics).
> Hence the psychic and social problems of the confined population are
> probably underestimated.
>
> Little is known of the underprivileged part of the population, now
> unemployed, in small housing, with little outreach. Schooling has gone
> online in a fortnight (with absolutely no preparation) but many students
> don’t have connections or share the unique computer of the household with
> parents and siblings all supposedly on line.
>
>
>
> This is only a few elements that characterise the situation. In parallel,
> many citizens are becoming increasingly aware of the dangers of the total
> interdependence of the economy and of the ecological disasters that this
> creates. Sanitary disasters and ecological disasters are much more
> interrelated than expected (a very nice book to understand that biological
> processes and ways of life social life are interdependent: Rob Dunn *"Never
> home alone. **From Microbes to Millipedes, Camel Crickets, and Honeybees,
> the Natural History of Where We Live"*).
>
>
>
> There are also plenty of many nice examples of solidarity, creativity,
> etc. They need to converge and be made visible.
>
>
>
> We (MAPS in University of Neuchâtel)  are engaging in a large inquiry
> based on Bruno Latour’s call (March 29, 2020): "A little exercise to make
> sure that, after the virus crisis, things don’t start again as they were
> before" (see http://www.bruno-latour.fr/node/852.html with already
> versions in English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Polish, German, Dutch).
>
>
>
> Anne-Nelly Perret-Clermont
>
>
>
> Prof. em. Anne-Nelly Perret-Clermont
>
> Institut de psychologie et éducation Faculté des lettres et sciences
> humaines
>
> Université de Neuchâtel
>
> Espace Tilo-Frey 1
> <https://www.google.com/maps/search/Espace+Tilo-Frey+1?entry=gmail&source=g>
> (Anciennement: Espace Louis-Agassiz 1)
> <https://www.google.com/maps/search/Espace+Louis-Agassiz+1)+%0D%0A+CH-+2000+Neuch%C3%A2tel+(Suisse?entry=gmail&source=g>
>
> CH- 2000 Neuchâtel (Suisse
> <https://www.google.com/maps/search/Espace+Louis-Agassiz+1)+%0D%0A+CH-+2000+Neuch%C3%A2tel+(Suisse?entry=gmail&source=g>
> )
>
> http://www.unine.ch/ipe/publications/anne_nelly_perret_clermont
>
>
>
> Last publications:
>
> Perret-Clermont, A.-N., Schär, R., Greco, S., Convertini, J., Iannaccone,
> A., & Rocci, A. (2019). Shifting from a monological to a dialogical
> perspective on children’s argumentation. Lessons learned. In F. H. van
> Eemren & B. Garssen (Eds.), *Argumentation in actual practice. Topical
> studies about argumentative discourse in context* (pp. 211-236): John
> Benjamins Publishing Company. *Version électronique
> <http://doc.rero.ch/record/327354> *Iannaccone, A., Perret-Clermont,
> A.-N., & Convertini, J. (2019). Children as investigators of Brunerian
> “Possible worlds”. The role of narrative scenarios in children’s
> argumentative thinking. . Integrative Psychological and Behiavioral
> Science, 53, 679-693. *Version électronique
> <https://doc.rero.ch/record/327830?ln=fr>*
>
> Perret-Clermont, A.-N., Perret, J.-F., Pochon, L.-O., & Marro, P. (2019).
> Hommage à Jacques Perriault. Hermes, La Revue, 3, 226-226.
>
> In J.-P. Fragnière (Ed.), Agir et penser avec Anne-Nelly Perret-Clermont
> (pp. 71-107). Lausanne: Editions Socialinfo
> https://www.socialinfo.ch/les-livres/38-agir-et-penser-avec-anne-nelly-perret-clermont.html
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> --
>
> Being a social scientist is like being a geologist who studies rocks in a
> landslide. Roy D'Andrade
>
> ---------------------------------------------------
>
> For archival resources relevant to the research of myself and other
> members of LCHC, visit
>
> lchc.ucsd.edu.  For archival materials and a narrative history of the
> research of LCHC, visit lchcautobio.ucsd.edu.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>


-- 
Gregory A. Thompson, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Department of Anthropology
880 Spencer W. Kimball Tower
Brigham Young University
Provo, UT 84602
WEBSITE: https://anthropology.byu.edu/greg-thompson
http://byu.academia.edu/GregoryThompson
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