Diane,
Thank you very much for the post, I have been thinking on somewhat similar
lines. I am personally not familiar with the authors you mentioned, but in
looking at activity theory recently especially the ruptures of tool use,
community, and division of labor I see a possibility for both. I do know
the division of labor has been looked at as merely different roles in
society, but it also has the possibility to merge cultural and political
views. I know in some of my classes this semester in post modernism which
focuses on "knowledge" or discourses rather than ideology I have struggled
where the political fits in. I think politicizing the "division of labor"
it can serve as a possible bridge of sociocultural and sociopolitical
perspectives. Engestrom argues that part of activity theory is taking a
perspective "subjects" or better yet more than one. I see no reason why
these perspectives can not be more of a political analyses, but maybe we
are looking at political differently.
Thanks again, I find the political aspect as something that can easily be
left out in sociocultural studies.
Nate