Initial comments on my two articles under discussion

From: Keith Sawyer (ksawyer@artsci.wustl.edu)
Date: Sat Apr 06 2002 - 15:39:47 PST


I am delighted that members of XMCA are interested in discussing these two
papers.

Both articles identify unresolved issues facing socioculturalists, but
apart from that they are quite different. The HUMAN DEVELOPMENT article is
a historical exploration of the concept of "emergence" with the goal of
better understanding some contemporary issues in sociocultural psychology
and in cognitive science. Last year I circulated the manuscript of this
article, and the responses of several colleagues led me to write the
CULTURE & PSYCHOLOGY article (now posted on the XMCA web site and to be
published later this year). This one is about emergence only indirectly;
rather, I focus on different versions of two core assumptions of
socioculturalism--inseparability of the individual and the collective, and
a process/practice ontology--and I show how these different versions are
analogous to a prominent debate within social theory, the debate between
Anthony Giddens and Margaret Archer. This analogy leads me to conclude
that these different versions may be irreconcilable.

I believe that discussion of these tensions and unresolved issues can be
constructive and productive; my intention is not to criticize or "prove
wrong" any particular theorist or stance. I have learned from, and been
influenced by, all of the important theorists that I comment on. We are
unified in our attempt to move psychology beyond methodological
individualism and our desire to integrate society and culture in our work.
I think that there are elements of truth in all of these positions, and
that these tensions have been productive for our paradigm. As Mike says,
"in diversity there is hope."

R. Keith Sawyer

http://www.keithsawyer.com/
Assistant Professor
Department of Education
Washington University
Campus Box 1183
St. Louis, MO 63130
314-935-8724



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