Re: [xmca] FW: [ISCAR] Section Proposals

From: Mike Cole (lchcmike@gmail.com)
Date: Tue Sep 06 2005 - 16:55:49 PDT


Armando-- Other comments have passed between the time you
sent this note and the time I can respond to it.
 I also find it difficult to have a coherent position about the themes
I was posting about. I am seeking to puzzle through what cultural
historical/activity theory has accomplished in the past 20
years.
 One thing it has accomplished is to see the centrality of diversity
in seeking to understand activity. This was not so obvious 20
years ago when the Soviet version of CHAT was the dominant
voice and, by virtue of its internal sociocultural constitution, it
shaped what its adherents could write about.
 And as Vygotsky wrote, quoting mandelshtam, unspoken thoughts
return to the hall of shadows. Where incohate memory rules. So
it was hard to think about diversity.
 Americans doing research in the CHAT tradition get beat up pretty
regularly for our inability to understand the real Vygotsky. And with
excellent justification. But we did get the CHAT world to think about
diversity. And with the end of the USSR, with all of the good and bad it
has resulted in, diversity has become an important theme in Russia
as well.
 Which leads to the predicament you are in. I am in almost exactly the same
situation, literally speaking. After a 30 year absence, thanks to colleagues
here and in Yucatan, I am able to continue lines of thought that ended more
than 30 years ago when I conducted research there.
 Except now, the times have changed. The village where I conducted part of
my work now has two schools instead of one, and the close attention of
Mayan professionals who have become involved in teacher educationa and
curriculum for Mayan kids. My Mayan colleague wants to see that Mayan
culture becomes
both a resource for the education of the kids AND a way of preserving Mayan
culture.
We had a long, multisided discussion with colleagues in different parts of
the US from
different disciplinary backgrounds and our Mayan colleagues and their
student (teachers).
Enough contradictions in THIS situation, viewed now not in terms of
cognitive tests but
the level of the school in the community in the (Spanish dominated) state to
choke a horse.
I feel very certain I cannot give advice. I can only be a medium murmuring
thoughts from
a distance. You appear to have much more direct involvement. But the
dilemmas must
be at least as numerous.
 What does CHAT suggest that we do? Analyse. I got that part. Write down our
thoughts?
got that part. And then......?" (I am working on this part.. :-) ).
 mike
 

 On 9/6/05, Armando Perez <armreyper@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> Mike:
> Itīs very difficult to have a coherent position about
> the temes you have posted in your e-mail. Now, working
> in Brazil, Iīm engaged in a proyect which is atending
> more or lest 200 huncred teachers from indinas
> commnutiies.
> In five years they are forming as techer of indian
> schools. But the problem is that while they are in the
> campus, they behave in " a civilizaised manner" and
> when tehy return to its communities, they change the
> manner of behaving. Why? Are they trying to preserve
> its culture, Itīs the same thing for different
> teachers. Activity in our way of ananlizing is viewed
> as having a motive, but for those people whatīs the
> real motive. They transform their verbal language and
> transliterate for portugueses written letters. But the
> meaning of activity for them. Itīs our theoretical
> referetial enough for integrating CULTURE AND
> ACTIVITY, OBJECT OF ACTIVITY, COMPREHEND THE
> INTERRELATION OF SUBJETC AS AGENT AND ACTIVITY
> STRUCTURE? COULD WE LEFT THE SUBJECT MOTIVE OF
> INFICIVIDUAL ACTIVITIES OUTSIDE OF SOCIAL MOTIVE OF
> ACTIVITIES?
> When you read the work of Bozhiovich about the school
> activity it taste as it were automatically incorporate
> for the subjetct. Those works of Galperin, Talizina,
> some ideas of Leontiev, etc. taste the same way. I,
> finally, thing that our approach is the future, but we
> have a lot of theoretical work to do and a a lot of
> practical work to do in order to contribute a little
> bit to change our world.
> Armando
> --- Mike Cole <lchcmike@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > Yes, Sasha and Michael. My thoughts too, are turning
> > to ISCAR.
> > Not all of XMCA will be present. Those who will be
> > might pick ohe seminar
> > or paper to report back to the list on. but what are
> > our questions ahead of
> > time?
> > The theme of the meeting is "Activity in a changing
> > world: learning,
> > communication,
> > and intercultural activity."
> > Visiting the sites suggested by Sasha seems
> > worthwhile. But in addition, I
> > wonder what
> > those on XMCA want to learn, whether they go or not.
> > This sort of meeting,
> > under various
> > names, has been occurring at least since 1986 and by
> > some accounts before.
> > Almost 20
> > years during which the world has changed a lot.
> > What has CH/AT accomplished? Do we know what an
> > object is: A subject? The
> > difference between
> > an action and an activity? Do we care? Is anything
> > we have to say relevant
> > to the theme's of the
> > conference?
> > I am not sure how many of you have noticed, but if
> > you go to the xmca page
> > at lchc.ucsd.edu <http://lchc.ucsd.edu> <http://lchc.ucsd.edu> you will
> > find a cluster map that shows what parts of the
> > world xmca messages have
> > been coming from. Kind of
> > interesting given ISCAR's theme. Not uniform, but
> > not entirely regional or
> > loca either. Almost intercultural,
> > in some ways.
> > It would be really interesting if every member of
> > xmca sent just a brief
> > note with their most burning question
> > about the role of culture and activity in human
> > development and its relation
> > to the current human condition-- then
> > we would be able to see what bits of the world had
> > turn,....... red! :-)
> > mike
> >
> > On 9/3/05, Wolff-Michael Roth <mroth@uvic.ca>
> > wrote:
> > >
> > > Hi Sasha,
> > > I may have missed it--is there a specific time and
> > place that we meet
> > > in Seville; and is there an official subscription
> > etc.?
> > > Cheers,
> > > Michael
> > >
> > >
> > > On 3-Sep-05, at 5:35 PM, Alexander Surmava wrote:
> > >
> > > >
> > > > Hi all,
> > > > inasmuch as Sevilla's congress is approaching
> > > > and its schedule will contain a meeting of
> > newborn sections
> > > > I decide to address to all with a little
> > announcement.
> > > >
> > > > Dear colleges,
> > > >
> > > > it's a little bit late to congratulate all of us
> > with the
> > > > registration of
> > > > our newborn "Dialectical psychology section" -
> > the event took place
> > > > in the
> > > > last midsummer - and it's high time to begin to
> > work.
> > > > Soon in Seville most of us will have a
> > possibility to take a closer
> > > > look at
> > > > each other and to discuss our plans. But it will
> > be helpful to get
> > > > ready to
> > > > our meeting and to begin our discussion
> > immediately.
> > > > As it strikes me we have to discuss several
> > questions:
> > > > 1. Information.
> > > > I mean we can inform each other about all new
> > ideas, publications,
> > > > seminars, online or offline discussions wherever
> > they take place.
> > > > For example today I know three such events:
> > > > a) Mike Cole's XMCA (in case of such constantly
> > functioning
> > > > forums as
> > > > XMCA we can point at the topics of our closer
> > interest)
> > > >
> > http://communication.ucsd.edu/MCA/Mail/index.html ;
> > > > b) Peters Moxhay's XBDG group discussing the
> > E.V.Ilienkov's
> > > > "Dialectic
> > > > of abstract and concrete in Marx's "Das Kapital"
> > > > http://groups.yahoo.com/group/xbdg
> > > > (besides the texts you can find there some
> > interesting photos
> > > > http://photos.groups.yahoo.com/group/xbdg/lst
> > > > c) Offline "Moscow wide seminar on
> > cultural-historical
> > > > psychology". The
> > > > audio records, photos and texts from seminar (in
> > Russian) is
> > > > available on my
> > > > website
> > http://www.voxnet.ru/~monada/phpBB/viewforum.php?f=6
> > > > d) Hope that some of section's members can
> > prolong this list.
> > > > 2. Technical means of our future communication.
> > > > a) We have to open a registration list to have a
> > possibility for
> > > > E-mailing all interesting information to
> > sections members;
> > > > b) We have to organize a special website with
> > web conference (a
> > > > listserve discussion group), useful links,
> > library of classic
> > > > texts, audio
> > > > and video records, photos, an electronic journal
> > for current
> > > > publications
> > > > which lately can transform into a full size
> > paper journal etc.; the
> > > > replenishment of our site with materials of
> > common interest will be
> > > > the goal
> > > > of all of us.
> > > > c) Temporarily (before we will organize such a
> > website) I invite
> > > > everybody to my website
> > > >
> >
> http://www.voxnet.ru/~monada/phpBB/viewforum.php?f=11
> > and
> > > > http://www.voxnet.ru/~monada ;
> > > > d) To inform all ISCAR members of section
> > activity we will
> > > > prepare a
> > > > special part of the ISCAR Newsletter;
> > > > 3. The most difficult problem is a problem of
> > common language
> > > > (English-Russian and Russian-English
> > translation). Unfortunately
> > > > among a
> > > > group of Russian philosophers and psychologists
> > - members of our
> > > > section - I
> > > > with my middling English am the best English
> > speaker :-(. So if we
> > > > wish to
> > > > begin a real common international discussion we
> > will need to solve
> > > > a problem
> > > > of funding of translation of our future
> > conversations. Most of Russian
> > > > philosophers know German, but still I think that
> > working languages
> > > > in our
> > > > Dialectical community must be English and
> > Russian.
> > > > 4. Themes and order of our discussions. I do not
> > want to
> > > > forestall the
> > > > colleges with this meaty question. Let's form
> > the preliminary list of
> > > > theoretic problems desirable to discuss in the
> > immediate future
> > > > collecting
> > > > each voce.
> > > > 5. The organization of summer schools for
> > students and post
> > > > graduates
> > > > looks very useful.
> > > > 6. One day we'll organize special symposia on
> > the future ISCAR
> > > > congresses, or organize a special section
> > conferences or working
> > > > meetings.
> > > > 7. Finally I recommend for all participants of
> > our section to
> > > > pay
> > > > attention to a new Newton Duarte's section
> > because as far as I
> > > > understand
> > > > the subject of our sections is practically
> > identical.
> > > > If I've probably forgotten something essential
> > I'll be grateful
> > > > for
> >
> === message truncated ===
>
>
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