Helena,
I just read "Studying the Workplace" and I really hope you put it up on the
xmca website because it has such a clear, succinct synthesis of the
principles and recent directions of activity theory; e.g., the split between
US education practitioners and much of the rest of the world. Your summary
of the four principles and translation into the practical consciousness of
union activitists is really wonderful and raises some very interesting
questions about the relationship between theory and practice.
To cast a long leader, I think that your statement concerning P. Capper
keeping hidden the "apparatus of activity theory" in his research raises
issues of "vanguard consciousness" and could be related to Lukacs conception
of the party's relationship to the proletariat. When we were discussing
Bruce Robinson's paper the question concerning the Lukacsian totality and
who has access to it
came up. Clearly your intent is that activity theory be useful to the union
activists even though they don't have time to pursue it academically.
Nevertheless, the conscious focusing of their practical experience with the
lens of activity theory might very well lead them to undertake "knowing
about" relations and processes that previously were not considered part of
the domain of their practice (e.g., beyond knowing how to fill out
grievances). This in turn might lead to seeing solutions outside the
existing rules, division of labor, etc. Who considers the transformational
consequences of such expansion?
Paul H. Dillon
----- Original Message -----
From: Mike Cole <mcole@weber.ucsd.edu>
To: <xmca@weber.ucsd.edu>
Sent: Friday, March 24, 2000 9:38 AM
Subject: Helena's paper
>
> Hi Helena-- I'll bet if you send it to Nate he can put it on the web
> and that way anyone who wants can read and comments. Sounds like it ought
> to be of general interest.
> mike
>
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