Oh, yes, I am sure there are contradictions in Davydov's ideas,
Peter. And your suggestion that they might play out differently in
different sociocultural circumstances seems a very interesting line
of thought to follow.
Perhaps 20 years ago we were able to get Vasili Vasilievitch to visit
LCHC. We were a very diverse group, struggling then as now with issues
of inequality in education. VVD scandalized members of the lab by asserting
that there was one correct form of education for all children in the
USSR or anywhere else and that the culturally different would simply
have to recognize that fact and get with the program. I believe Esteban
was there at the time and may contribute his memories. No relativism
in that talk that I can recall. And yes, he thought that if provided the
resources, all could find that one best right way.
At roughly the same time I led a developmental psych delegation to
Moscow where VVD was allowed to participate at a symposium at the Institute
of Psychology (Vygotskians worked elsewhere and Zinchenko was categorically
denied admission to that institute). He gave a talk that was basically
Hegelian, such that primitive adults were seen to think like modern
children. Our delegation, which included Urie Bronfenbrenner and Robert
Plonim was knocked over when he reiterated these views in the discussion;
These memories were rekindled by Eugene's description of VVD's discussion
of folk wisdom and the existence of theoretical thinking in both schooled
and non-schooled thought.
And note. VVD was one of the big supporters of the school for blind-deaf
kids in Zagorsk and in particular of the view that they should be fully
educated to lead independent lives. That Alexander Suvorov and others
got Ph.Ds (candidate degree) at Moscow U and lived with his wife in
Moscow (also blind deaf) was an existence proof the correctness of the view
that human potential is realized in human society -- when and if society
puts in the requisite effort. That position, when first articulated and
put into practice was one of the prides of Soviet psychology and stories
appeared about it in USSR Today, or whatever the counterpart of "America"
(our propaganda mag) was. But by the early 1980's it was an impractical
project where adherents were probably dissidents, and certainly shouldn't
head institutes.
Yep, plenty of contradictions surrounded VVD.
mike
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