At 12:41 AM 4/4/2001 -0400, Ana Marjanovic Shane wrote:
>If we want to take "collective activity system" for an analytic unit, then
>I need more discussion of the notion of an "object" .
Me, too, Anna.
>the "object" becomes a complex system in itself with all kinds of dynamic
>"properties" that depend on every other relationship within the activity
>system. It may even not be the same "thing" for different participants in
>the "same" activity...
Now I think (perhaps incorrectly) that as the collective activity system at
the level of ACTIVITY pursues a main overriding outcome, it does so by
focusing activity on a main overriding object. These objects may be
abstract and concrete (the concrete may be a social object). At the level
of ACTION, depending on what particular partcipants are doing, the object
and outcome may be different and change in accord with goals, all the while
accomplishments at the ACTION level represent effort to transform the main
object of activity. Thus there may be multiple objects being transformed
by multiple groups within the activity system simultaneously. The division
of labor coordinates the activity aimed at the multiple objects, the
results of which transform the main object. Now, I can grasp the idea of
object this far, I think.
What makes it difficult for me beyond this point is, as you point out, the
discourse among participants, in itself another level of ACTION. The
object of one interlocutor is the utterance of another while engaged in
action aimed at another object. Making it more difficult to understand is
our inability to slow down the action!
What do you think, others too?
Bill Blanton
>This is more apparent if we think of an "object" as a topic, because we
>are aware of the interpretative nature of the discourse (I think) and many
>possibilities for misinterpretations and multi-interpretations. We are
>maybe less aware of the interpretative nature of the activity systems, so
>it may look like the "object" is something more stable and more definite
>than it in fact is.
>
>Eugene has this quite infective habit of closing each posting with:
>"What do you think?", so
>
>What do you think?
>
>Ana
>
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