Dear Joao et al.,
Original source:
Vygotsky, L.S. (1934). Problema razvitija i raspada vysshikh
psykhicheskikh funktsii [Problems of the development and dissolution of
higher mental functions]. Report to a conference of the Institute of
Experimental Medicine, 28. April 1934.
As mentioned, this work of LSV is not available in English.
Source in Russian:
Vygotsky, L.S. (1934/1960). Problema razvitija i raspada vysshikh
psykhicheskikh funktsij. (a last report which he made 1.5 months before
his death). First published in Russian in Vygotsky, L.S. (1960). Razvitie
vyschikh psikhicheskikh funkzii [The Development of Higher Mental
Functions]. M.Isdatel`stvo APN RSFSR, pp. 364-383].
Vygotsky, L.S. (1934/2003). Problema razvitija i raspada vysshikh
psykhicheskikh funktsij. In Vygotskij,L.S.(2003). Osnovy defektologii.
Izdatel`stvo "Lanj", pp.598-618.
Vygotsky, L.S. (1934/2005). Problema razvitija i raspada vysshikh
psykhicheskikh funktsij. In Vygotskij, L.S. (2005). Psikhologia razvitija
cheloveka. Vygodskaya, G.L. & Kravtsova E.E. (eds.), Izdatel`stvo
Smysl,Eksmo. Available online, se attachment from Bella Kotik-Friedgut's
e-mail.
This work of Vygotsky is one of the most important theoretical essays in
the field of critical-theorethical reflections on developmental- and
clinical psychology as well as cultural-historical psychopathology.
"Completed" only 1.5 months prior to his death, the "Problems of the
development and dissolution of higher mental functions" may leave an
impression of incomplete theoretical reflections on the development and
dissolution of HMF in ontogeny and dysontogeny. Nevertheless, Vygotsky
obviously made an attempt to criticize the inadequate naturalistic
principles of developmental psychology.
As mentioned earlier (2006), Vygotsky's (later Luria's) original
developmental idea was to apply detailed qualitative analyses of single
cases of (organic) distorted development, describing the mechanisms of the
dissolution of higher mental functions (dysontogenesis). According to
Vygotsky, the genesis of higher mental functions in ontogeny should be
understood and described via the mechanisms of the dissolution of higher
mental functions.
In this essay, Vygotsky tries to explain the basics of human
consciousness, i.e. its social character (semiotic mediation), the impact
of the dissolution of higher mental functions (e.g. clinical cases of
diverse speech- and language
disorders - aphasia; CNS disorders - cerebral palsy, optical agnosia etc).
Alexander Luria and Bluma Zeigarnik elaborated Vygotsky's ideas on the
dissolution of higher mental functions in their theoretical and empirical
work on neuropsychology and psychopathology.
Zeigarnik's ideas were based on Vygotsky's work on psychological
dysontogenesis as a new paradigma, research method and differential
diagnostic in some clinical disciplines (clinical psychology, special
psychology, psychopathology and child psychiatry). Zeigarnik - a student
of Kurt Lewin and Lev Vygotsky - was a founder of a new scientific school
in infant psychopathology with a new methodology not of the "old
psychometric school", but based on the central ideas of Vygotskian
clinical works and the above mentioned essay.
Some central ideas from this essay were crucial to cultural-historical
neuropsychology (Luria). The originality of Luria's neuropsychology
manifests itself in its organic connection with the more general and
clinical pscyhological ideas of Vygotsky's school: Vygotsky's ideas of
cultural-historical genesis, mediation, systemic hierarchy of higher
mental functions, or "psychological system".
>From Vygotsky's essay, it is clear the concept of higher mental functions
(HMF), operates with mind (psixika) and its dissolution (narushenii
psixiki) as units of analysis. According to Vygotsky and Luria, HMF is a
complex type of mental activity, developed and mediated throughout a
person's lifespan.
In this essay, Vygotsky formulated some of his fundamental positions:
about the development of higher mental functions, sensory and systemic
construction of consciousness etc. Based on this theoretical position,
Vygotsky did research on local brain disorders. Vygotsky's research (1934)
pioneered 1) scientific analyses of systemic construction of higher mental
functions and 2) neuropsychological rehabilitation/compensation of/for
dissolution (disorders) of higher mental functions caused by local brain
disorders. On the basis of this research the localization of higher mental
functions was formulated. Vygotsky's research established that the human
brain has an exstracortical structure of organisation of higher mental
functions (via signs, and first and foremost, speech). Vygotsky introduced
the idea of interfunctional connections (IC) of the human brain. According
to Vygotsky, our socio-historical behaviour leads to interfunctional
connections, enabling development of higher mental functions. This idea
was later elaborated by A.N. Leontiev (1972).
For more useful discussions of Vygotsky's work, good translations of the
above mentioned essay and other clinical works are needed.
Best regards,
Katarina
On Thu, July 3, 2008 12:58, Joao Batista wrote:
> Dear friends... somebody has this text in english:
>
> "Problema razvitia i raspada vyschikh psikhitcheskikh funktsii"
>
> Thanks
>
> Joao Martins
>
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> xmca@weber.ucsd.edu
> http://dss.ucsd.edu/mailman/listinfo/xmca
>
-- Katarina A. Rodina, PhD-Research Fellow/Logoped,MNLL Department of Special Needs Education University of Oslo P.O.Box 1140 Blindern,NO-0318 Oslo, Norway Phone: +47 22 85 81 38/Fax: +47 22 85 80 21 E-mail: katarina.rodina@isp.uio.no http://staffdirectory.uv.uio.no/singleview/v1/index.php?user=katja Head of Russo-Norwegian Academic Relations, The Vygotsky Institute of Psychology, Moscow The Herzen State University in St.Petersburg _______________________________________________ xmca mailing list xmca@weber.ucsd.edu http://dss.ucsd.edu/mailman/listinfo/xmcaReceived on Sun Jul 6 10:55 PDT 2008
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