Mike, I don't think I can go into details now because the hiring process is
still going on. But I need to say that the dissertation work I mentioned was
very far from being a purely academic talk; on the contrary, it was a
participatory, politically motivated, and value-laden study within one of
the most underpriviledged (opressed is the better word) community, with a
clear goal of improving the situation for the members of this community. It
is exactly in this sense that this work was also within the CHAT approach
(although it did cut across boundaries of several frameworks). We have
several other students now working in this same vein and applying AT in
their work (not talk).
This is to emphasize again (as i also did in my symposium description for
ISCRAT, posted some time ago here on this site, the one we both will
participate in) -- that CHAT, as it was conceived and practiced by its
founders - Vygotsky, Luria, Leont'ev, Davydov, Gal'perin, El'konin, and
others - has never been about an academic talk, or any talk for that matter.
It was about action. To cite again what I wrote before
"CHAT can be viewed as stretching beyond the confines of science as such (in
the mentalist and individualistic traditions of understanding what science
is about) and constituting, instead, an investigative project with a unique
human liberating potential rooted in its commitment to ideals of social
justice and equality."
Helena was talking about difficulties with tenure, i.e. about an academic
context, as I have understood her. She is right, when she now writes, that
the AT-related "tide" will change things here too, as well as this whole
context. I strongly believe so, and often use this same word - tide - to
convey how I see things already changing now and expect them to change even
more in the near future. And if there is any way to help Helena, I am more
than willing.
Anna
--------------------------------
Anna Stetsenko
Professor and Program Head
Ph D Program in Developmental Psychology
Graduate Center, CUNY
365 5th Avenue, New York, NYC 10016
-----Original Message-----
From: Mike Cole
To: xmca@weber.ucsd.edu
Sent: 5/30/2002 8:23 PM
Subject: labor versus talk
Anna-- Its great that in the halls of high academe AT folks can get
jobs and I think the situation is improving in broad parts of that
rarified world.
But what about a person who works in an institution representating the
working people not being able to use AT?
Helena-- Any ideas for how we might help? I fear that if CUNY or UCSD
wrote on your behalf it would seal your death warrant! (And this from
a guy whose dad started a trade union!)
mike
-----Original Message-----
From: Mike Cole
To: xmca@weber.ucsd.edu
Sent: 5/30/2002 8:23 PM
Subject: labor versus talk
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