RE: [xmca] ISCAR - Sevilla 2005 -- 1. Marx and dialectics/discourse/identity and 2. ractice/activity

From: Peg Griffin (Peg.Griffin@worldnet.att.net)
Date: Thu Oct 06 2005 - 14:16:22 PDT


This is not a rebuttal of bb's note. I just couldn't resist sending these
pictures of roles, planning, and coordination in play by preschoolers from
Elena and Deb's work with Head Start children. Roopan plans to be a shopper
and her mate plans to be a bagger and sure enough they play as they planned!

Deb and Elena see kids in their sites having humongous attention spans and
not much fighting or bickering at all. Also kids who are not just like
their classmates seem to fit in with the mainstreamers better sooner. And
there seem to be good outcomes for those wondering about reading and writing
and self regulation, too.

I am cc'ing them on this so they can speak for themselves. These pictures
are from a presentation about a Head Start Center program but probably the
easiest access full reference to their work is this:
Bodrova, E., & Leong, D. J. (2001). The Tools of the Mind Project: A case
study of implementing the Vygotskian approach in American early childhood
and primary classrooms. Geneva, Switzerland: International Bureau of
Education, UNESCO.
Peg Griffin

-----Original Message-----
From: xmca-bounces@weber.ucsd.edu [mailto:xmca-bounces@weber.ucsd.edu] On
Behalf Of bb
Sent: Thursday, October 06, 2005 12:52 PM
To: eXtended Mind, Culture, Activity
Subject: Re: [xmca] ISCAR - Sevilla 2005 -- 1. Marx and
dialectics/discourse/identity and 2. ractice/activity

I appreciate Steve's practical follow up and the chance to clarify. I too
have used an extension to put more muscle into my pipe wrench when working
on my home steam heating system, having watched my father apply this
strategy to the track gear on his bulldozer when I was much younger.

But let me work with specifics; by example. I greatly appreciate Engestrom's
activity systems theory and its application to institutional and
inter-institutional transformation or resistance thereof. It's six main
elements parse activity into interrelated elements where those elements are
well formed, e.g. a division of labor, as in the collective hunt wrtitten by
Leont'ev, that being one of the paradigm cases in Learning by Expanding
(LBE).

But what if one is interested in the day to day development of 3 year old
children in nursery schools? There, one sees children in solitary play --
no division of labor to speak of among the children, no understanding by the
children of their roles, if they had any, no conscious engaging in a
collective object by the chlidren. Activity Systems Theory does not
purchase much here, microgenetically. Ahh... but if one is interested in
the development of nursery schools, and how that historical development
shapes the context of the children's play -- what rules the adults obey and
enforce, what toys exist, what the caregivers must do to be licensed? Or if
one is interested in changing the nature of nursery schools? Then AST
methods described in LBE could yield large gains.

It's more like cutting diamonds (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diamond_cut):

The rule (following cleavage planes)
The tool (the cutting steel wedge)
The jewel (the outcome)

bb

> I appreciate Bill's (bb's) comments on using the appropriate tool for
> the job. Bill seems to imply that Marxism is appropriate for certain
> kinds of heavy lifting, but other tools are more suited for more
> delicate and intricate work. I happen to run into the kind of
> situation that Bill uses as an analogy fairly frequently in my line
> of work. We use impact wrenches to bolt down and unbolt large steel
> plates that hold our clamping fixtures (I work in a large machine
> shop that mills the parts (spars) that become the long
> infrastructures of jetliner wings). Sometimes a bolt is on too tight
> for even an impact wrench to loosen, so we get a breaker bar, just as
> Bill suggests to use when needed, to muscle it off. In rare cases
> where that amount of force is still not sufficient, we go find a long
> pipe that fits over the breaker bar, and apply that extra
> leverage. If I follow Bill's reasoning, perhaps Bill would compare
> such mechanical extensions of the breaker bar to politically
> employing Leninist and Trotskyist extensions of Marxism ... in cases
> where the old rulers ... are particularly intransigent ... :-))
>
> ~ Steve
>
>
>
> At 09:12 PM 10/5/2005 +0000, you wrote:
> >Interesting comments, Julian, may it be the case that never the
> >twain shall meet?
> >
> > To indulge for a brief email, for which I may be soundly
> > criticized, my interest is in understanding learning and
> > development in particular circumstances, and activity theory,
> > dialectics, marxist critique, etc, are tools toward furthering that
> > understanding. Perhaps this is my own ontogeny brought about by
> > mostly american influences and resources. So then, on the one
> > hand, in this perspective, not being dialectical enough, or
> > marxist enough, or being faithful to the originators, doesn't
> > really seem a reasonable measure of the quality of someone's
> > research. In analogy to a mechanic, who finds he is working on a
> > car with hand tightened wheel lugs, it would make no sense for
> > someone to say the mechanic is not using the "breaker bar" enough,
> > since that tool is not appropriate in this circumstance.
> >
> >On the other hand, I do really think it's important to well
> >understand the original works, and to critically mark where and when
> >departures are made from them. And it would seem departures must be
> >made for there to be a continuing (r)evolution. This might be the
> >razor that slices superficial from contributing studies, e.g. those
> >that illuminate the human condition and further activity
> >theory. Granted, I've seen papers submitted for publication that
> >have used AT superficially, apparently (I'm guessing) to leverage AT
> >for a publication (AT becoming the research buzz). I'd further
> >guess that a cultural-historical critique of higher education and
> >its promotion incentives would reveal contradictions between the
> >object of furthering activity theory and
> >professors/researchers/educators/etc. personal motives. Perhaps to
> >continue the analogy, we are sometimes seeing mechanics trying to
> >use "breaker bars" where breaker bars are not the appropriate tool.
> >
> >bb
> >
> >
> >
> > > Date sent: Mon, 03 Oct 2005 15:19:15 -0400
> > > From: Ana Marjanovic-Shane <ana@zmajcenter.org>
> > > To: Xmca <xmca@weber.ucsd.edu>
> > > Subject: [xmca] ISCAR - Sevilla 2005 -- Theoretical
> > Concepts in
> > > CHAT and
> > > their connestion to physical concepts and knowledge
> > > Send reply to: "eXtended Mind, Culture, Activity"
> > <xmca@weber.ucsd.edu>
> > > <mailto:xmca-request@weber.ucsd.edu?subject=unsubscribe>
> > > <mailto:xmca-request@weber.ucsd.edu?subject=subscribe>
> > >
> > > Ana
> > >
> > > I will try two concepts: each seems to mark a conceptual
> > > dichotomy
> > >
> > > 1. One concept that seems to divide the ISCAR/socio-cultural
> > > community is its relation to Marxism.
> > >
> > > For some of the Marxists (or maybe for some eg michael Roth? -
> > > the dialectics is the crucial 'line') , the version of AT known to
the
> > > West through Yrjo Engestrom's account is regarded as not Marxist
> > > (or maybe not Marxist enough).
> > >
> > > I felt myself drawn towards this critique of Yrjo's site/approach
> > > when I saw it being 'applied' in fairly routine (non-dialectical) way
to
> > > an 'analysis' of the directors of sports-and-drug centres. There was
> > > no critical analysis of why sports-people use drugs, the
> > > commodification involved in the Olympic industry etc.
> > >
> > > The theme was there also in David Bakhurst's (and others) talks in
> > > a different way: he and others suggested that many of the users of
> > > the (CH-) AT literature (Yrjo got criticised again) are not faithful
to
> > > the originators: eg Hegel, Ilyenkov, Bakhtin, Leont'ev ...
> > >
> > > (But then I was not impressed by his example of a meaningless
> > > 'object' of activity: I believe he worried about the sense in which
> > > there was an 'object' of the Russian Revolution. I found this
> > > extraordinary for a philosopher who has read all this Marxism.)
> > >
> > > On the other hand I was struck by the readiness of Yrjo in his own
> > > paper/symposium to abandon the familiar model of the AS
> > > (triangles) when the need arises (I hope I understood that right- I
> > > mean when he talks of wildfire activity).
> > >
> > > 2. There seems to be a division between those concerned mainly
> > > with identity (and discourse/positioning/subjectivity) and those
> > > concerned more with practice (and activity/system). Some of us
> > > are focussing on working out the dialectics/relations between the
> > > two (see also Harry Daniels' and other papers).
> > >
> > > We (some of my colleagues here in Manchester and I) are working
> > > on the theme of discourse-and-practice (you can find our papers to
> > > sevilla at
> > > http://www.education.man.ac.uk/lta/ISCAR2005/symposium/index.h
> > > tm
> > >
> > > and would like to hear from others similarly interested in this.
> > >
> > > Julian
> > >
> > > Also BTW some more papers from the Sept Manchester
> > > conference on the themes of community, identity and transition are
> > > at:
> > > http://orgs.man.ac.uk/projects/include/experiment/sctigcon.htm
> > >
> > > > This is a multi-part message in MIME format.
> > > > --------------050203030509000100050703
> > > > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
> > > > Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
> > > >
> > > > ISCAR in Sevilla, September 2005:
> > > >
> > > > In a conference of this scope, where one cannot hope to have
attended=20
> > > > even one 10th of all the presentations, it is hard to give any
overall=20
> > > > evaluations or even impressions. But, XMCA members who did not come
to=20
> > > > Sevilla, ought to have some notion of what went on there for 5 days
in=20
> > > > September 2005. So those of us who were there really need to put
our=20
> > > > thoughts together and give some descriptions of what went on. That
is=20
> > > > not easy. There are different aspects one can write about,
different=20
> > > > themes that ran through presentations, different aspects of=20
> > > > organization. I will be working from my notes -- taken in haste
during=20
> > > > the workshops, from the abstracts we received and from some other=20
> > > > sources people gave us (handouts, web pages). It would be very
> > useful if=20
> > > > someone at the XMCA headquarters could put the abstracts in pdf
format=20
> > > > on the server so that everyone could have an access to them. (Mike,
is=20
> > > > it possible to organize it?).
> > > >
> > > > The conference was held in 3 buildings of the Department of
> > Psychology,=20
> > > > Sociology and Philosophy, at the University of Sevilla. Those are
new=20
> > > > buildings (not part of the University main venue in the old
Tobacco=20
> > > > Factory), built with inner balconies and great visibility, so
> > they were=20
> > > > easy to navigate. The workshops were held in auditoriums, most
> > of which=20
> > > > had a classic layout: a podium with a blackboard and projection
> > screen,=20
> > > > and then rows of seats and desks. Everything fixed -- unmovable.
There=20
> > > > were just a few rooms without fixed benches -- with panels and
chairs.=20
> > > > They were used for Poster sessions. My first fear was that the
first=20
> > > > part of our session was assigned a room with fixed benches. We
would=20
> > > > have to move it -- since it was an interactive drama workshop
where=20
> > > > people have to have space to move, group and regroups and play!!=20
> > > > Fortunately, it was not: we were given one of the poster rooms!!
> > > >
> > > > We usually don't consciously think of the space and its qualities
when=20
> > > > we participate in activities with intellectual content. But it is=20
> > > > important. If our beliefs about the mediated quality of
intellectual=20
> > > > growth and functioning are true, then we have to think about the
space=20
> > > > as mediated and mediating. European universities (at least
> > three of them=20
> > > > I know, and now Sevilla) are still mediated by another paradigm
about=20
> > > > intellectual processing and education. A paradigm that Vygotsky
> > started=20
> > > > to question 100 years ago. It takes much more to have this
> > understanding=20
> > > > of ourselves trickle down to those who plan and build schools and=20
> > > > universities.
> > > >
> > > > Participants came from many parts of the world. But not from
> > everywhere.=20
> > > > I was happy to see people from Africa -- some of them from
> > Rwanda! There=20
> > > > were not many Africans in the previous ISCRAT
> > conferences. Participants=20
> > > > came from all continents. There were many people known to us on
> > the XMCA=20
> > > > discussion list in the conference: N. Ares, D. Bakhurst, S.
> > Chaiklin, M.=20
> > > > Cole, M. de Haan, J. Derry, Y. Engestr=F6m, S. Gaskin, A. Goncu,
P.=20
> > > > Hakkarainen, L. Holzman, V. John-Stainer, E. Lampert-Shepel, C.
> > Lee, E.=20
> > > > Matusov, D. Robbins, W-M. Roth, A. Stetsenko, A. Surmava, J.
Valsiner,=20
> > > > B. van Oers, N. Veresov, G. Wells, J. Wertsch..., There were
> > many more=20
> > > > we have to learn about.
> > > >
> > > > The conference program listed two main themes with lots of sub
themes:
> > > > THEME A.- Theoretical and Methodological Issues
> > > > THEME B.- Acting in changing worlds
> > > > Each workshop was classified within one of the two themes and
> > within one=20
> > > > of its subtopics. What was hard on the conference organizers
> > and on the=20
> > > > conference attendees was to separate workshops that tackled
similar=20
> > > > problems in time: there were many workshops I wanted to go to,
> > but they=20
> > > > were held at the same time. I always had to choose between, at
> > least two=20
> > > > competing workshops and more often between three or four. That
> > was very=20
> > > > hard to juggle. I ended up running from one to another, missing
chunks=20
> > > > from each workshop that I wanted to hear, or just worrying that I
was=20
> > > > missing something else.
> > > >
> > > > Before the conference, I made my own selection of workshops which
have=20
> > > > something to do with play and imagination. That was my personal
> > program=20
> > > > guide, I am attaching here. However, I ended up changing it to=20
> > > > accommodate other talks which were also important to me. [Other=20
> > > > participants in Sevilla: Please send your own selection of the=20
> > > > workshops!"]. In my next postings, I will discuss some of the=20
> > > > presentations I attended. I invite you who went to Sevilla to
> > discuss at=20
> > > > least one of the presentations: one paper, one concept you heard=20
> > > > discussed, one thought you found important in Sevilla. Each one of
us=20
> > > > has a special "pet" interest, and sometimes, special ways to
> > understand=20
> > > > or to "objectify" this interest through different selection of
topics=20
> > > > and different people. Maybe you want to connect the questions we
asked=20
> > > > before the Conference with your experience in the conference? Or
maybe=20
> > > > you would want to mention just something unexpected, something
> > that made=20
> > > > you think?
> > > >
> > > > Until later.
> > > >
> > > > Ana
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > _______________________________________________
> > > xmca mailing list
> > > xmca@weber.ucsd.edu
> > > http://dss.ucsd.edu/mailman/listinfo/xmca
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>
>
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