The questions I wouldd like to explore in relation to psychology, and what
the Vygotsky School has to tell us about psychology include:
(1) Critique of the various schools of psychology existing today taken if
possible one at a time through the writings of leading advocates (C.f. V's
"Crisis in Psychology" for the psychology of 1930)
(2) The approach to "different learning styles", "different preferred modes
of learning" etc., which I gather is the main line of attack by opponents
of CHAT, either by means of eclecticism ("we use this alongside *other*
theories") or outright opposition ("I don't have to justify my teaching
practice by a crazy theory of psychology");
(3) "Defectology": what the Vygotsky School has to teach us about how
people find themselves with a dysfunctional psyche, including an assessment
of the place of both "explanations" (biochemical, societal, etc) and
"therapies" (biochemical, political, performance, family, etc.);
(4) The relationship between "Sociological" categories (Class, conflict,
organisation, feudal, etc) in the conception of Personality, and "Personal"
categories (introverted, intelligent, loving, intuitive) in the conception
of Social relations;
(5) What being an adherent of CHAT tells us about our Ethics (our
conception of Virtue, what sort of people we want to be, etc.) and vice versa;
(6) The status of learning as a specific mode of activity within the whole
personality, alongside caring, sharing and glaring, and other rational
activity (decision-making, organising, etc.);
(7) The place of Money in the formation of Personality. A curious
blindspot, given the clear origins of the basic premises of CHAT in Marx's
early writings and the central place Marx gave to Money in those writings.
Browsing back over what I have just written, it seems I am asking for help
in finding the place of CHAT within a larger picture.
Andy Blunden
_________________________________________________________________
At 12:10 PM 12/7/00 -0800, you wrote:
>
>Paul-- I have been asking myself the same question concerning
>books of great discussion-generating potential. But there are
>other, linked, communication issues on my mind. First, there
>are members who would like early critical readings of things
>they are thinking about. Second, there are the contents of xmca
>which, I once imagined, would provide material for discussion here.
>I, for one, would like to hear mutliple points of view on the
>inscription double issue.
>
>Nate and I have been batting around some sort of alternating system.
>Whatever it is, it has to be accessible
>mike
>
**************************************************
* Andy Blunden, Teaching Space Support Team Leader
* Email ablunden@unimelb.edu.au or andy@mira.net
* http://home.mira.net/~andy/ - Personal Home Page
* http://www.ists.unimelb.edu.au - Work Home Page
* University of Melbourne 9344 0312 (W) 9380 9435 (H)
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