negative ZPD?

From: Andy Blunden (ablunden@mira.net)
Date: Tue Sep 21 2004 - 04:10:08 PDT


I have been looking at the question of *fear* - radical uncertainty,
ontological insecurity, "the culture of fear", "risk society" and so on -
which underlies the success of right-wing populist politics, law-and-order
campaigns, fear-of-terrorism, and so on.

I was wondering if anyone has given consideration to the negative
application of the concept of ZPD - whereby fears and anxieties which are
developed in one domain of life, or for that matter any kind of delusion or
pathological misconception, kind of bleed across to other domains of life.

So for example, if one were to accept that there are things about the
modern world which give people a rational basis for insecurity (prosperity,
rapid change and restructure at work, the nuclear threat and unseen
pollution, etc), then maybe there's some basis for thinking that people
might be predisposed to insecurity about other things for which there is no
basis (delusions of growing vulnerability to crime, fear of terrorists,
danger from Jacob-Kreuz disease, and so on).

Anyone know of anything about this? (obviously there are other approaches
and other angles to the question of the politics of fear, risk society and
so on, but I am just asking about negative ZPD)

Andy



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