Re: [xmca] ideology: easy access web page

[Larry Purss <lpscholar2@gmail.com>]

Thanks Andy

I will ponder on this answer and be reflective as I play with both notions
"activity" and "representations" [and also the terms "traditions" and
"Discourses"]  I do agree that Sandra is foregrounding "representations" as
foundational.  I will pay close attention when reading her book on how she
links up "social representations" with "activity" and how she understands
the interrelations.

At minimum Sandra's re-evaluation of the term "representations" emphasizes
HISTORICAL consciousness as fundamental within ontogenesis.

Larry

On Mon, Sep 27, 2010 at 6:21 PM, Andy Blunden <ablunden@mira.net> wrote:

> Well these pragraphs are interesting, but my only problem for having a CHAT
> concept of ideology is that the writer takes *representation *as the most
> fundamental category, and defines other concepts in terms of representation.
> But in CHAT, representation is not the fundamental category, which would
> rather be *activity*. And it is hardly a big struggle to define
> *institutions *in terms of activity. The problem is more how to conceive of
> representation in terms of activity. And I think there are very good reasons
> to have activity as a fundamental category and representation as a
> derivative concept.
>
> Andy
>
> Larry Purss wrote:
>
>>  Hi Andy & others
>>
>> You mentioned that ideology is institutionalized consciousness, or that
>> institutionalization is inherently an aspect of consciousness and each are
>> inseparable from one another.
>>
>> I'm wondering if this framing of ideology can be linked to notions of
>> "social representations"  Mike recommended the book "knowledge in Context
>> by
>> Sandra Jovchelovich and her definition of SOCIAL representations [in
>> contrast to cognitive notions of representation] seems to parallel the
>> discussion of ideology.
>> Her definition of representation:
>>
>> To represent is to make present what is actually absent, through the use
>> of
>> symbols... Representation is at the basis of the construction of
>> languages,
>> and the acquisition of speech, and is crucial to establishing the
>> interrelations that constitute the social order and is the material
>> through
>> which cultures form and are transformed across time [history] and space."
>>
>> She further writes
>> Representation is the basis of inclusion and exclusion - who is and who is
>> not represented and underlies the very core of the knowledge of ourselves
>> and the world. Very few representations reach verity [a true depiction of
>> the world]. Even when there is a high level of consensus within he
>> culture,
>> there is always some dissent from others proposing alternative
>> representations.  What constitutes truth and reality is informed by
>> representations which are always precarious and unstable.... Much of the
>> tension and disputes over representations can be explained by an
>> underlying
>> tendency to focus solely on its epistemic function [the ability of
>> representation to produce knowledge ABOUT the world]  There is a strong
>> tendency to equate the epistemic function of representation with cognition
>> and to ERASE from the representational process its connection with persons
>> and contexts.  When this happens, representation is reduced to a mental
>> epistemic phenomenon, ruled by information processing functions
>> [mechanisms]
>> that cognitive models call "mind".... The MULTIDIMENSIONAL aspects of
>> representation, which are clearly visible in its social psychological
>> GENESIS and social foundations are RENDERED INVISIBLE.
>>
>> Ideology and "social representations" as concepts seem to share similar
>> roots.
>>
>> Larry
>>
>> It was good to see that a German speaker read this passage the same way I
>> have, because there are multiple translations of the passage. But if we
>> take
>> the line that ideology is institutionalised consciousness, or that
>> institutionalisation is inherently an aspect of consciousness and each are
>> inseparable from one another in general, then this problematic concept of
>> "false consciousness" disappears. It is simply a matter of the practical
>> critique of forms of social practice, of what deserves to be defended and
>> what should be brought down.
>> Andy <Andy@mira.net>
>>
>>
>> mike cole wrote:
>>
>>
>>
>>>  Once Lucas set me off looking at that interesting webpage of Teun van
>>>
>>>
>>>> Dijk,
>>>> I realized that an inquiry
>>>> into people's uses of the term, ideology, could take us ANYWHERE. So,
>>>> thinking of anywhere, I thought in
>>>> particular of Raymond Williams' KEYWORD which is on my home bookshelf,
>>>> and
>>>> sure enough, the entry there
>>>> on ideology was interesting.
>>>>
>>>> Then I wondered if there was a web version so I could add that to the
>>>> discussion in an easy-to-access way and,
>>>> voila, as they say, I came up with the following;
>>>>
>>>> http://www.autodidactproject.org/other/ideo8.html
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> mike
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>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>> --
>>> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>> *Andy Blunden*
>>> Home Page: http://home.mira.net/~andy/
>>> Videos: http://vimeo.com/user3478333/videos
>>> Book: http://www.brill.nl/scss
>>>
>>>
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>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>>
>
> --
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> *Andy Blunden*
> Home Page: http://home.mira.net/~andy/
> Videos: http://vimeo.com/user3478333/videos
> Book: http://www.brill.nl/scss
>
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