Re: A question of selves

Paul Dillon (dillonph who-is-at northcoast.com)
Thu, 28 Oct 1999 15:13:17 -0700

Vera,

That was beautifully expressed and provides an answer to my question insofar
as it reduces the status of the selves that Judy named to facets of a
system. I suppose that any facet itself, etc. would be capable of becoming
a system of similar facets, holographic or fractal reproduction, etc. But .
. . is the body that is born, lives and dies an encompassing system that we
inevitably presuppose and whose trajectory demarcates the domain of all that
can occur as experience of self? Higher mental functions still embodied
mental functions?

Paul H. Dillon

-----Original Message-----
From: Vera P. John-Steiner <vygotsky who-is-at unm.edu>
To: xmca who-is-at weber.ucsd.edu <xmca@weber.ucsd.edu>; Vera P. John-Steiner
<vygotsky who-is-at unm.edu>
Date: Thursday, October 28, 1999 2:38 PM
Subject: Re: A question of selves

>It seems to me that the selves of which Judy writes are different facets
>of the functional system of self. When focusing on a coherent account
>of one's life, one aspect of remembered experiences is mobilized. In
>conversational contexts an other facet emerges, that of a very immediate
>awareness of the otherwith whom one co-constructs utterances, thoughts,
>and opinions. These govern the practice of voicing. Audience,
>artifacts, purpose all contribute to mobilizing the subset of
>possibilities that are part of the dynamics of the "self,
>or what Wenger refers to as "identity as a focus of social selfhood."
>In my class on collaboration, students speak of the simultaneously
>experiencing mutuality and autonomy; they embrace Penuel and Wertsch's
>statement about the irreducible tension of the individual and the
>social.
>Vera
>---------------------------------
>Vera P. John-Steiner
>Department of Linguistics
>Humanities Bldg. 526
>University of New Mexico
>Albuquerque, NM 87131
>(505) 277-6353 or 277-4324
>Internet: vygotsky who-is-at unm.edu
>---------------------------------
>