RE: synomorphs

From: Glick, Joseph (JGlick@gc.cuny.edu)
Date: Sun Jul 27 2003 - 13:12:14 PDT


There is a really interesting sympatethic "critique" of Barker by an
enviromental psychologist named Wicker. In some sense Wicker returns the
notion of behavior setting to a sense more compatible with Kurt Lewin (from
whom the concept really derives - but not by that name).This relates to the
environmental determinism issue and to some of the things that are second
nature to this group.

His fundamental critique is that the behavior setting notion takes the
environment as a given and not as an interpreted given. For Barker it is
like a stimulus context (a setting for behavior) for Wicker it is that, but
only under some interpretation, some linkage to intended activity - so in
that sense it is not a "setting" it is a part of the scene.

I don't have the reference with me - since I am in a hotel in Washington DC
uneagerly awaiting an NSF conference. If any one is interested I'll dig it
up after Tuesday.

Joe Glick

-----Original Message-----
From: mcole@weber.ucsd.edu
To: xmca@weber.ucsd.edu
Sent: 7/27/2003 2:25 PM
Subject: synomorphs

Eugene et al-- Interesting branching of the discussion which,
unfortunately,
I cannot trace in all its interesting directions right now.

Re synomorph: For prior lchc discussion, use google search on lchc and
you will come up with some prior discussion but no full definition. I do
not
have relevant Barker refs at home, so unless someone else comes up with
the appropriate passage, it will take a day or two to follow through.

Lave in Cognition in Practice, p. 149 discusses idea of behavior setting
(also a relevant footnote).

I ask the question because Barker seems so often relevant yet forgotten.

Jean focuses on his shortcomings, from her perspective. But she
interprets
him as an environmental determinist in ways that may not draw the most
useful lessons from his work. There is no subject index to Cognition in
Practice which makes searching it difficult for purposes like this. More
on this
asap.
mike



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