Re: [xmca] Emotion at Work (and Theses on Feuerbach)

That sounded like an invitation. Perhaps everyone ought to make a top ten Vygotsky related list each year, we could merge them, and then produce an annual top ten plus other must reads..... :-)..... xmca top ten for 2007. It would be interesting to create and trace the development of the canon... what we return to over and over again.

A perennial favorite for me is M. Cole & I. Maltzman (editors), A Handbook of Contemporary Soviet Psychology. New York, NY: Basic Books, Inc.
A current favorite is Vygotsky, L.S. (1929/1986). Concrete human psychology: An unpublished manuscript by Vygotsky. Translated by A.A. Puzyrei. Psikhologiya,14(1), pp. 51-64. I love the raw notes by Vygotsky and the interpretive work by Puzyrei.
And of course Wolff-Michael's piece in RER! (Wolff-Michael Roth and Yew-Jin Lee, "Vygotsky’s Neglected Legacy": Cultural-Historical Activity Theory, Review of Educational Research 2007 77: 186-232.)
Gredler's work is a good read as well (Margaret E. Gredler, Of Cabbages and Kings: Concepts and Inferences Curiously Attributed to Lev Vygotsky (Commentary on McVee, Dunsmore, and Gavelek, 2005) Review of Educational Research 2007 77: 233-238.

-Em

 -------------- Original message ----------------------
From: "Mike Cole" <lchcmike@gmail.com>
> I somehow missed your great bibliographic note, Emily. Glad that Andy
> brought it back on screen.
> Chock a block full of even more things that are "must" reading. But oh the
> mammoth proportions of the tangled webs of
> reference, language slippage, conceptual confusions, not to say the absence
> of anything
> approach original texts that could be considered (however illusiorally!)
> authoritative!!
> mike
>
> On 8/5/07, Andy Blunden <ablunden@mira.net> wrote:
> >
> > Funny you should mention "Theses on Feuerbach" in that respect, Emily.
> > Because of arguments about translation, etc., I had "Theses" translated
> > especially for marxists.org, and the contentious words in the original
> > German included to help resolve arguments. And of course, not "however"
> > inserted into Thesis 11.
> > Andy
> > At 09:58 PM 5/08/2007 -0400, you wrote:
> > >In finishing up my dissertation, I ended up back at the Helsinki site and
> > >then moving forward from there. Back to marxists.org in fact... :-)
> > Theses
> > >on Feuerbach gets richer in light of new readings... excuse the pun....
> > >and trying to work through material. One of my advisor's always cautioned
> > >that one be aware of versions of versions of versions. Worth going to the
> > >sources. Gillen (2000) does a nice piece on "Versions of Vygotsky",
> > >British Journal of Educational Studies, 48(2), pp.183-198, discussing
> > >issues of translation and true authorship of works printed in the name of
> > >Vygotsky, but I digress.
> > >In terms of activity theory, there was also a nice series in the Journal
> > >of Russian and East European Psychology, May-June, 2004 volume, which
> > >includes, among others : Mikhailov, "Object-Oriented Activity ­ Whose?",
> > >pp.6-34; Lazarev, "The Crisis of "the Activity Approach" in Psychology
> > and
> > >Possible Ways to Overcome It", 35-58; Gromyko, "The Activity Approach:
> > New
> > >Lines of Research", pp. 59-71; Rozin, "Value Foundations of Conceptions
> > of
> > >Activity in Psychology and Contemporary Methodology", pp72-89.
> > >Dot Robbins' work has been another great source for me
> > >(http://faculty.cmsu.edu/drobbins/index.html). She had done some nice
> > work
> > >differentiating between Vygotsky's cultural and historical approach,
> > >activity theory/ies, and sociocultural theory/ies. I like her view that
> > >Vygotsky's work is more a metatheory.
> > >Yeah...everything is filtered through my dissertation these days. Hope
> > >this wasn't too far off.
> > >
> > >Andy Blunden wrote:
> > >>Wow! That's a classic article, Mike. Somehow I've gone all these years
> > >>without reading it. I don't think I was aware of how deeply Engstrom
> > >>embedded conflict in his idea of "system of activity"; "contradiction
> > >>between use-value and exchange value" can sound a little dry until you
> > >>realise that this is just the conflict that Helena was referring to,
> > >>viz., class interests!
> > >>This still leaves open a few questions for me:
> > >>
> > >>1. Why does this seem "cold" especially when we see how conflict-ridden
> > >>is Leontyev and Engstrom's original idea?
> > >>2. I can see how "systems of activity" arise objectively out of
> > >>contradictions or relations in an existing system of activity, by a
> > >>process of differentiation, but what is the criterion for claiming
> > >>something to be a "system" of activity, rather than just an activity?
> > >>3. If we can trace the source of negative emotions connected to
> > learning,
> > >>in conflict, what is the place of positive emotions, or are emotions
> > >>simply epiphenomena from the standpoint of learning?
> > >>
> > >>Andy
> > >>At 11:01 AM 5/08/2007 -0700, you wrote:
> > >>>As I think is true for everyone who has been following this thread, I
> > found
> > >>>helena's summaries and commentaries
> > >>>extremely thought provoking. Whenever we dig deep into a topic, as in
> > this
> > >>>case, my overwhelming impulse is
> > >>>to feel as if I have to go back to the beginning and rethink
> > everything, and
> > >>>then I panic because I will not have time
> > >>>to do so, and then I start plotting to teach a class "from the
> > beginning"
> > >>>and then THAT becomes too complicated
> > >>>to arrange, and then I start looking for shortcuts.
> > >>>
> > >>>In what follows I am not following the emotion line of discussion
> > although I
> > >>>believe, along with others here as I interpreted
> > >>>them, that we all believe emotion to be deeply implicated in
> > >>>learning/work/earning a living/....... My only thought is that
> > >>>I want to remember moments of positive emotion, as illustrated in the
> > >>>article and many places, and not restrict emotion
> > >>>to the consequences of conflict. I don't thinks michael r does this,
> > but in
> > >>>a couple of the posts, the times of intense
> > >>>positive emotion experienced might get submerged.
> > >>>
> > >>>Rather, I think as I read through some dozen+ messages that the terms
> > >>>"activity" and "activity system" are floating around
> > >>>in ways that leave me confused, at times, to whether and when people
> > are
> > >>>agreeomg, elaborating, or talking about different
> > >>>things.
> > >>>
> > >>>I started stumbling over the "making a living" "vs" "commercial fishery
> > >>>production" as different activity systems. There seems
> > >>>to me to be something incommensurate, in time scale, in what we could
> > mean
> > >>>by "motive", "need" or "object" these vastly
> > >>>different enterprises. The relations can't, it seems to me, be seen as
> > >>>activity 1<-->activity2 etc, but perhaps, I was thinking
> > >>>in terms of embedding, where "fish farming" is one of many historically
> > >>>accumulated ensemble of activities that, as an ensemble,
> > >>>constitute "making a living" for the social group or the socium in
> > general.
> > >>>
> > >>>Following this line of thought, I was led backward in my thinking to
> > Yrjo's
> > >>>philosophical anthropology of the evolution from animal
> > >>>to human activity, where human activity is vastly more differentiated
> > (in
> > >>>his representation of it) than animal activity.
> > >>>
> > >>>I have no great insights to offer here. For those who have never done
> > so, it
> > >>>might be worthwhile looking at
> > >>>
> > >>>http://www.edu.helsinki.fi/activity/pages/chatanddwr/activitysystem/
> > >>>
> > >>>where this story is told in synoptic form and the issue of division of
> > labor
> > >>>and class come up as well.
> > >>>
> > >>>Thanks a lot for the stimulus to re-education, all.
> > >>>mike
> > >>>
> > >>>On 8/5/07, Steve Gabosch <sgabosch@comcast.net> wrote:
> > >>> >
> > >>> > Many aspects of the situation Wolff-Michael
> > >>> > describes in the fish hatchery with Erin and Jack
> > >>> > - layoffs, new management, new policies,
> > >>> > initiative from workers ignored, solidarity among
> > >>> > workers, negative attitudes, arguments with
> > >>> > management, budget cuts, threats of job cuts -
> > >>> > remind me of hundreds of similar situations I
> > >>> > have experienced in the aircraft manufacturing
> > >>> > plants I worked at for many years, and just
> > >>> > retired from (yea!!). A complex work
> > >>> > environment like a fish hatchery or a mega
> > >>> > manufacturing company tends to exaggerate the
> > >>> > dynamics and contradictions of everyday activity
> > >>> > - the class conflicts in particular between
> > >>> > people are more pronounced and expressed in more
> > >>> > specific ways in a larger production oriented
> > >>> > workplace than is typically found in a shopping
> > >>> > mall, neighborhood, or even a school, where
> > >>> > conflicting needs and motives between and within
> > >>> > people are always there but tend to be more
> > >>> > smoothed over and less obvious. As Helena
> > >>> > indicates, in workplaces, especially if there is
> > >>> > open activity supporting workers (organizing a
> > >>> > union, getting a better contract, fighting for
> > >>> > better working conditions, opposing
> > >>> > discrimination), deeper social questions rise to
> > >>> > the surface and can become explicit. And it most
> > >>> > certainly is a world of many emotions, emotional
> > >>> > payoffs, varying emotional payoffs, which is
> > >>> > Wolff-Michael's most important point - emotions are very much at
> > work at
> > >>> > work.
> > >>> >
> > >>> > A way I try to make sense of the zillion
> > >>> > conflicts between people that can be observed in
> > >>> > a large factory or any work environment is to try
> > >>> > to get a handle on what a person's concrete needs
> > >>> > and motives are. There is usually much more
> > >>> > going on than meets the eye. Sometimes, even the
> > >>> > persons involved are not fully aware of (able to
> > >>> > fully articulate verbally) the multiple needs and
> > >>> > motives that are driving them and the people
> > >>> > around them. Helena points to a very common
> > >>> > conflict, between participating in production and
> > >>> > earning a living - layoff situations. During a
> > >>> > layoff, as with Erin, the relationship between
> > >>> > these two activities becomes problematic. I have
> > >>> > sure seen that many times! I have been through
> > >>> > several waves of massive layoffs at Boeing, which
> > >>> > tends to have a cyclical production cycle, and
> > >>> > emotions certainly do run high on the job during
> > >>> > these very difficult situations.
> > >>> >
> > >>> > Safety issues are another arena where
> > >>> > "participating in production" can conflict with
> > >>> > worker's self-interests. Although people are not
> > >>> > necessarily fully conscious of it, these issues
> > >>> > get resolved almost minute to minute in dynamic
> > >>> > ways, sometimes resolved by choosing to get
> > >>> > something fixed or changed, generating potential
> > >>> > conflicts with supervision, sometimes resolved by
> > >>> > working around or through the safety or health
> > >>> > issue, perhaps just accepting the wear and tear
> > >>> > on one's body and taking other little
> > >>> > risks. These issues can hide beneath the surface
> > >>> > for a while and then break out more dramatically
> > >>> > when someone gets hurt or something otherwise
> > >>> > goes wrong (and then the fingerpointing begins,
> > >>> > where needs and motives may get openly
> > >>> > debated). Helena alludes to this when she
> > >>> > points out how safety questions, especially
> > >>> > incidents and near misses, are really good ways
> > >>> > to get people to talk about their jobs. Part of
> > >>> > what makes these stories so interesting is the
> > >>> > way they reveal conflicting needs and motives,
> > >>> > between labor and management, between different
> > >>> > workers with different tasks, between a worker and herself or
> > himself.
> > >>> >
> > >>> > Another area of conflicting motives and needs I
> > >>> > have seen over the years: during union activity
> > >>> > that could result in a strike, solidarity can
> > >>> > come into conflict with earning a living. Some
> > >>> > contemplate crossing a picket line, a
> > >>> > particularly dramatic example of dealing with
> > >>> > conflicting motives in a work situation - and one
> > >>> > with consequences that are likely to generate
> > >>> > very tense emotional valences, sometimes for a long time after.
> > >>> >
> > >>> > - Steve
> > >>> >
> > >>> >
> > >>> >
> > >>> >
> > >>> >
> > >>> > At 07:17 PM 8/4/2007 -0500, you wrote:
> > >>> > >Andy --
> > >>> > >
> > >>> > >Almost. It's not the *key* fact about emotion.
> > >>> > >However, when there is conflict between the
> > >>> > >bottom line and the attempt to earn a living,
> > >>> > >that conflict shapes the knowledge that people
> > >>> > >bring to bear on resolving the conflict.
> > >>> > >Sometimes there is no conflict. Either way, the
> > >>> > >kind of knowledge that people develop in order
> > >>> > >to survive and protect or improve their jobs is
> > >>> > >emotionally charged, and that emotion can be
> > >>> > >seen to have been shaped by the social relations of their work.
> > >>> > >
> > >>> > >Take symphony orchestra players -- for example,
> > >>> > >the Milwaukee symphony. They organized a union
> > >>> > >(based on the example of the Chicago symphony)
> > >>> > >back in the 1970's or earlier. When they started
> > >>> > >bargaining, the job of a symphony musician was a
> > >>> > >terrible job. (To check out what a "bad" job for
> > >>> > >performers is, take a look at the Washington DC
> > >>> > >ballet.) Over the course of 30 years, the
> > >>> > >Milwaukee job has become better and better. The
> > >>> > >musicians have a considerable amount of power --
> > >>> > >over the choice of program, the hiring of a
> > >>> > >conductor, the hiring of new musicians, loans
> > >>> > >for instruments, conditions while touring, etc.
> > >>> > >Whether the city can afford the good working
> > >>> > >conditions is another question. Negotiating an
> > >>> > >incrementally better contract year after year
> > >>> > >takes knowledge. That knowledge has an emotional
> > >>> > >valence, positive valence -- to use Wolff-Michael's terms.
> > >>> > >
> > >>> > >At the other extreme, remember the Sago mine
> > >>> > >tragedy? There was one survivor. While he was in
> > >>> > >a coma, his wife was interviewed on television.
> > >>> > >She described how she and her husband had talked
> > >>> > >about how dangerous the mine was. The problem
> > >>> > >was that if he left the mine, she'd have to go
> > >>> > >to work, and there was no job she could get that
> > >>> > >would pay enough to support them and cover
> > >>> > >childcare. The actual level of danger, the
> > >>> > >immediacy of the danger, was unknown to them,
> > >>> > >although that information existed. This was a
> > >>> > >mine that had been closed but reopened when the
> > >>> > >price of gas rose and coal became economically
> > >>> > >viable. It was a non-union mine. The calculation
> > >>> > >that she and her husband made about his
> > >>> > >likelihood of surviving his job was deeply
> > >>> > >fatalistic. This is a case where someone knew he
> > >>> > >was engaging in very dangerous work but just
> > >>> > >went ahead and did it because he felt he had no other choice.
> > >>> > >
> > >>> > >People do work all the time that exposes them to
> > >>> > >risks, and they know it, and sometimes they know
> > >>> > >how to do something about it and sometimes they
> > >>> > >just shrug their shoulders and say, "I can't do anything about it."
> > >>> > >
> > >>> > >This body of knowledge about how to survive a
> > >>> > >job, and how to protect or improve it, is common
> > >>> > >across all kinds of work. Symphony musicians can
> > >>> > >talk to grocery clerks can talk to social
> > >>> > >workers can talk to prison guards can talk to
> > >>> > >teachers about what they know about it. The
> > >>> > >emotions are all over the map, depending on
> > >>> > >their job, but the knowledge is something they have in common.
> > >>> > >
> > >>> > >Helena Worthen
> > >>> > >NEW EMAIL: hworthen@uiuc.edu
> > >>> > >Chicago Labor Education Program
> > >>> > >Suite 110 The Rice Building
> > >>> > >815 West Van Buren Street
> > >>> > >Chicago, IL 60607
> > >>> > >312-996-8733
> > >>> > >
> > >>> > >-----Original Message-----
> > >>> > >From: xmca-bounces@weber.ucsd.edu
> > >>> > >[mailto:xmca-bounces@weber.ucsd.edu] On Behalf Of Andy Blunden
> > >>> > >Sent: Saturday, August 04, 2007 1:39 AM
> > >>> > >To: eXtended Mind, Culture, Activity
> > >>> > >Subject: RE: [xmca] Emotion at Work
> > >>> > >
> > >>> > >That's fascinating Helena. I feel I've got to know you for the
> > first
> > >>> > time.
> > >>> > >Thank you.
> > >>> > >
> > >>> > >Just to clarify: you are saying that conflict (interpreted as
> > conflict
> > >>> > >between activity systems, endowing actions with conflicted
> > motivations,
> > >>> > >significance, etc.) is *the key* fact about emotion. yes? Would you
> > go
> > >>> > any
> > >>> > >further than this? Or is this too narrow?
> > >>> > >
> > >>> > >Andy
> > >>> > >At 07:04 PM 3/08/2007 -0500, you wrote:
> > >>> > > >Hello -- I'll try to respond to Wolff-Michael, Andy and Paul all
> > >>> > together,
> > >>> > > >since all three are picking up on my claim that two, not one
> > activity
> > >>> > > >systems are taking place in the fish hatchery where the employees
> > that
> > >>> > > >Wolf-Michael observed are working. I especially want to reply to
> > >>> Andy's
> > >>> > > >question, "If someone were to deny that, say, earning and living
> > and
> > >>> > > >producing a product, were two different activity systems, how
> > >>> would you
> > >>> > go
> > >>> > > >about justifying that?"
> > >>> > > >
> > >>> > > >It has to do with what you're trying to do, what you need the
> > >>> theory to
> > >>> > be
> > >>> > > >able to show or explain.
> > >>> > > >
> > >>> > > >Wolff-Michael's discussion article is an effort to enrich and
> > expand
> > >>> > the
> > >>> > > >theory itself, and I thank him for doing that. He is writing "as
> > part
> > >>> > of
> > >>> > > >an effort to develop third-generation-historical activity
> > theory," and
> > >>> > to
> > >>> > > >incorporate emotion, motivation and identity into that theory. If
> > you
> > >>> > > >picture his audience, he's speaking to other researchers and the
> > >>> > academic
> > >>> > > >community generally. His data contributes to this effort.
> > >>> > > >
> > >>> > > >I'm dealing with a different problem. I'm trying to explain
> > something
> > >>> > that
> > >>> > > >is going on in my classes. However, I can't do it without ALSO
> > >>> > speaking
> > >>> > > >to the same audience as Wolff-Michael and engaging with theory.
> > >>> This is
> > >>> > > >because theory is an indispensable tool for successful practice.
> > But
> > >>> > I'm
> > >>> > > >trying to answer the question, "How do we explain the intense
> > emotion
> > >>> > with
> > >>> > > >which the learning produced at work is charged?"
> > >>> > > >
> > >>> > > >In my job as a labor educator for the University of Illinois, I
> > teach
> > >>> > > >people about work from the point of view of workers. This means
> > >>> > everything
> > >>> > > >from labor history, labor law, basics of representation and
> > bargaining
> > >>> > to
> > >>> > > >job design, including safety. Just as in any teaching, I have to
> > find
> > >>> > out
> > >>> > > >what my students, most of whom are working adults, already know
> > in
> > >>> > order
> > >>> > > >to figure out how and what to teach them. This is axiomatic in
> > >>> teaching
> > >>> > > >kids and undergraduates -- you build on prior knowledge, right?
> > But
> > >>> > when I
> > >>> > > >start to investigate what my adult students know, I find it
> > charged
> > >>> > with
> > >>> > > >strong -- sometimes extreme -- emotion. It has other
> > >>> characteristics as
> > >>> > > >well, but the one that surfaces immediately in the classroom is
> > this
> > >>> > > >emotion. It can run the gamut from despair to pride to gratitude
> > to
> > >>> > > >bitterness. Whatever it is, that's what a teacher has to build
> > on. For
> > >>> > my
> > >>> > > >practice as a teacher, I need theory that can account for this.
> > As
> > >>> > > >Wolff-Michael shows, this emotion is integral to the cognitive
> > >>> activity
> > >>> > > >going on. The cognitive activity is not "cool," it's hot. Where
> > does
> > >>> > this
> > >>> > > >emotion come from? Thus my investment in seeing CHAT developed to
> > >>> > account
> > >>> > > >for emotion.
> > >>> > > >
> > >>> > > >Sociocultural learning theory generally assumes that social
> > >>> context has
> > >>> > a
> > >>> > > >powerful, if not fully determinative impact on learning. The
> > Engestrom
> > >>> > > >model -- the famous triangle -- gives us a representation of what
> > we
> > >>> > mean
> > >>> > > >by "social context." Andy, since you ask about "unit of
> > analysis,"
> > >>> I'll
> > >>> > > >respond by saying that I'm happy with the concept of "unit of
> > >>> analysis"
> > >>> > > >and furthermore, I like Engestrom's model as an image of the unit
> > of
> > >>> > > >analysis of an activity system. It's a concise way to visualize
> > >>> all the
> > >>> > > >things you have to think about when you ask, of a situation,
> > "What's
> > >>> > going
> > >>> > > >on here?" or of a person or group of people, "What are they doing
> > >>> > here?"
> > >>> > > >The Engestrom model leads me to ask, "What's the nature of the
> > >>> division
> > >>> > of
> > >>> > > >labor that I'm looking at?" "Who is the community out of which
> > these
> > >>> > > >people have been selected?" "What are the history, the
> > traditions, the
> > >>> > > >customs, the rules of this activity?" "What are they using --
> > what
> > >>> > > >material or cultural tools, what resources or equipment?" and
> > most
> > >>> > > >important, "Why are they doing what they're doing?"
> > >>> > > >
> > >>> > > >One of the things you can do with that model is talk about how it
> > >>> > > >transforms and expands, moves via contradictions from one
> > activity to
> > >>> > > >another, is part of a network of activity systems or is nested in
> > >>> other
> > >>> > > >activity systems (I'm looking at Engestrom 1987 Figure 2.11 and
> > 2.12,
> > >>> > > >here). All I've done is place one activity system opposite
> > another
> > >>> > > >activity system to represent that there is a conflict between the
> > two
> > >>> > > >activity systems. One is the activity system of production, the
> > other
> > >>> > is
> > >>> > > >the activity system of earning a living.
> > >>> > > >
> > >>> > > >This is the image I propose to represent the difference between
> > the
> > >>> > kind
> > >>> > > >of learning activity that workers engage in when learning how to
> > >>> do the
> > >>> > > >work they are hired to do, as opposed to the kind of learning
> > activity
> > >>> > > >that workers engage in when they are learning how to survive at
> > their
> > >>> > job
> > >>> > > >or how to protect or improve their working conditions. These two
> > >>> > activity
> > >>> > > >systems are driven by different motives. Sometimes there is no
> > >>> conflict
> > >>> > > >between them but sometimes the conflict is extreme. Either way,
> > we
> > >>> need
> > >>> > to
> > >>> > > >be able to theorize what's going on. Either way, the social
> > >>> > relationships
> > >>> > > >of those activity systems impact the learning activity and leave
> > their
> > >>> > > >mark on it. It seems reasonable to me that that is where the
> > emotion
> > >>> > comes
> > >>> > > >from.
> > >>> > > >
> > >>> > > >Other major theories of learning do not have the potential to be
> > >>> > developed
> > >>> > > >in this direction. Some theories of learning are individual
> > >>> (Kolb). But
> > >>> > > >even among theories that treat learning as a collective activity
> > >>> > > >-- distributed cognition, legitimate peripheral participation,
> > >>> > > >communities of practice, human capital theory -- we don't hear
> > about
> > >>> > > >conflict. Sometimes this doesn't matter. When we're talking about
> > >>> > school
> > >>> > > >learning or informal learning such as second language acquisition
> > >>> > outside
> > >>> > > >school, we may not need to be able to talk about the conflicting
> > >>> > purposes
> > >>> > > >of the site where the learning is being produced. But if we're
> > talking
> > >>> > > >about working adults (of whom there are a lot), we do need to be
> > able
> > >>> > to
> > >>> > > >surface the reality that what people learn in order to meet the
> > >>> demands
> > >>> > of
> > >>> > > >production is sometimes in conflict with what people learn in
> > order to
> > >>> > > >survive their jobs, and that this conflict generates emotions
> > >>> which, as
> > >>> > > >Wolff-Michael puts it, "are integral to the cognitive activity."
> > >>> > > >
> > >>> > > >The easiest stories to elicit from students that illustrate this
> > >>> > conflict
> > >>> > > >are stories about safety incidents -- accidents, near misses,
> > etc.
> > >>> > > >
> > >>> > > >Helena
> > >>> > > >
> > >>> > > >
> > >>> > > >
> > >>> > > >Helena Worthen
> > >>> > > >NEW EMAIL: hworthen@uiuc.edu
> > >>> > > >Chicago Labor Education Program
> > >>> > > >Suite 110 The Rice Building
> > >>> > > >815 West Van Buren Street
> > >>> > > >Chicago, IL 60607
> > >>> > > >312-996-8733
> > >>> > > >
> > >>> > > >-----Original Message-----
> > >>> > > >From: xmca-bounces@weber.ucsd.edu [mailto:
> > xmca-bounces@weber.ucsd.edu]
> > >>> > On
> > >>> > > >Behalf Of Paul Dillon
> > >>> > > >Sent: Friday, August 03, 2007 5:56 AM
> > >>> > > >To: eXtended Mind, Culture, Activity
> > >>> > > >Subject: Re: [xmca] Emotion at Work
> > >>> > > >
> > >>> > > >Helena,
> > >>> > > >
> > >>> > > > As I read your comments I found the first activity system
> > >>> > > > described/named but not the second except insofar as you
> > identified
> > >>> > it's
> > >>> > > > object: making a living, which you contrasted to the object of
> > the
> > >>> > first
> > >>> > > > activity system: being a fish culturist. But the first activity
> > >>> > system,
> > >>> > > > the focus of the discussion paper, was also clearly identified
> > in
> > >>> > other
> > >>> > > > activity theoretic categories in your comments. Perhaps
> > Wollf-Michael
> > >>> > is
> > >>> > > > right in saying there is only one activity system. But if we,
> > >>> > adopting
> > >>> > > > Marx's categories as Engestrom applied them, consider that the
> > >>> > use-value
> > >>> > > > of being a fish-culturist is doing the best job and getting the
> > >>> > biggest
> > >>> > > > and healthiest fish as a member of the entire team, while the
> > >>> > > > exchange-value of that job is for each member of the system
> > "making a
> > >>> > > > living", the fundamental condition of wage labor, is the problem
> > >>> > > > resolved? I don't remember any analysis of the contradictions
> > >>> > > > between use value and exchange value of the fish culturist's
> > labor
> > >>> > in
> > >>> > > > the paper.
> > >>> > > > Not too sure about this expanding power stuff either.
> > >>> > > >
> > >>> > > > I don't know if Engestrom has changed his position about the
> > >>> > > > contradictions between use and exchange value in activity
> > systems but
> > >>> > > > perhaps that would account for your concern which seems to be
> > >>> > addressing
> > >>> > > > the class character of all labor in capitalist economies. Our
> > ability
> > >>> > to
> > >>> > > > participate in "this or that activity" is a function of the
> > >>> market for
> > >>> > > > the labor commodity, no matter how skilled. Certainly,when one
> > does
> > >>> > the
> > >>> > > > best job they can but still gets laid off, frustration and
> > resentment
> > >>> > > > arise. I'm not sure whether the term "wage-laborer", someone who
> > haas
> > >>> > to
> > >>> > > > "make a living", as opposed to someone who inherited a lot of
> > money
> > >>> > for
> > >>> > > > example, is a category of a specific activity system or one of
> > the
> > >>> > > > principles of all activity systems in capitalist economies. The
> > >>> > latter
> > >>> > > > is how I understand Engestrom when he evaluates how ithis
> > >>> > contradiction
> > >>> > > > works itself out in the different vertices.
> > >>> > > >
> > >>> > > > As far as production, distribution, exchange, consumption in the
> > >>> > > > Grundrisse, Marx's analysis in that work showed how production
> > was
> > >>> > > > determinant of the of the others despite their ability to be
> > analyzed
> > >>> > in
> > >>> > > > terms of each other. Hence commodity production as determines
> > the
> > >>> > > > specific characteristics of the other elements of the economic
> > system
> > >>> > as
> > >>> > > > a whole.
> > >>> > > >
> > >>> > > > Paul Dillon
> > >>> > > >
> > >>> > > >
> > >>> > > >Wolff-Michael Roth <mroth@uvic.ca> wrote:
> > >>> > > > Hi Helena,
> > >>> > > >I am sure all appreciate your extensive comments as much as I do.
> > The
> > >>> > > >one question I have is about the two activity systems and how you
> > see
> > >>> > > >them as operating in the hatchery.
> > >>> > > >
> > >>> > > >I think if you took Marx's Capital, or perhaps rather Klaus
> > >>> > > >Holzkamp's extension of Leont'ev, you would think of one rather
> > than
> > >>> > > >of two systems. As individuals, we expand our own room to
> > maneuver---
> > >>> > > >control over our life situation---if we contribute to the
> > collective
> > >>> > > >control over life conditions. By participating in this or that
> > >>> > > >activity (Tätigkeit, deyatel'nost'), we expand our person
> > control---
> > >>> > > >we buy food, clothing, a roof over our head, etc.
> > >>> > > >
> > >>> > > >Now you COULD see it as two systems, but the second would be an
> > >>> > > >integral and constitutive part of the first, just as Yrjö (1987)
> > >>> > > >cites the GRUNDRISSE, where Marx writes how production can be
> > >>> > > >analyzed in terms of consumption, exchange, distribution, and
> > >>> > > >production; and each of these terms in turn can be analyzed in
> > terms
> > >>> > > >of production, consumption, distribution, and exchange. Thus
> > >>> > > >productive activity, such as working in a fish hatchery, involves
> > >>> > > >exchange processes---but whether these constitute activity
> > >>> > > >(Tätigkeit, deyatel'nost') is another question, which is answered
> > >>> > > >when you ask, so what is societal about this?
> > >>> > > >
> > >>> > > >Thanks again for your careful reading,
> > >>> > > >
> > >>> > > >Cheers,
> > >>> > > >
> > >>> > > >Michael
> > >>> > > >
> > >>> > > >
> > >>> > > >
> > >>> > > >
> > >>> > > >On 1-Aug-07, at 9:20 AM, Helena Harlow Worthen wrote:
> > >>> > > >
> > >>> > > >Hello, xmca --
> > >>> > > >
> > >>> > > >I hope this response is not too late to re-engage in the
> > discussion
> > >>> > > >of Wolf-Michael's paper "Emotion at Work." It always seems to
> > take me
> > >>> > > >a while to work my way through a paper. By the time I get through
> > it,
> > >>> > > >and then read through the discussion, the discussion has started
> > to
> > >>> > > >fade. In addition, I tend to write pretty long responses because
> > I
> > >>> > > >come to these discussions as a labor educator and therefore
> > imagine,
> > >>> > > >rightly or wrongly, that I have to load up my contribution with
> > some
> > >>> > > >explicit explanations. So apologies for the long post and the
> > late
> > >>> > > >contribution, but I'm very interested in hearing anyone's reply.
> > >>> > > >
> > >>> > > >Helena Worthen
> > >>> > > >
> > >>> > > >
> > >>> > > >Comments on Wolf-Michael Roth's paper, Emotion at Work (MCA14,
> > 1-2)
> > >>> > > >
> > >>> > > >
> > >>> > > >
> > >>> > > >Wolf-Michael follows the work experience of two employees at a
> > >>> > > >federal fish hatchery in Canada over a period of five years, with
> > a
> > >>> > > >return visit one year after the five-year period. In this
> > article, he
> > >>> > > >is concerned with investigating the relationship between emotions
> > and
> > >>> > > >motivation and identity for the purpose of incorporating these
> > into
> > >>> > > >activity theory, which he says has tended toward being a theory
> > of
> > >>> > > >"cold cognition." He compares the emotions, motivation and work
> > >>> > > >identities of two employees, Erin and Jack, to show how their
> > >>> > > >feelings about their work relate to their motivation and identity
> > -
> > >>> > > >or more specifically, how their emotions about their expertise at
> > >>> > > >work and the degree to which it is valued in the workplace affect
> > >>> > > >their motivation to do their work and consequently, their
> > identity as
> > >>> > > >workers.
> > >>> > > >
> > >>> > > >Bringing emotion into the discussion of the production of
> > knowledge
> > >>> > > >at work is very important, and this ethnographic study provides
> > >>> > > >plenty of material. As someone whose job (labor education)
> > consists
> > >>> > > >of teaching employees about the social relations of employment
> > from
> > >>> > > >the perspective of workers, I appreciate attempts to approach the
> > >>> > > >profoundly important question of how people feel about what they
> > know
> > >>> > > >and how this affects what they learn on the one hand and what
> > they do
> > >>> > > >with what they know on the other hand. Since learning goes on all
> > the
> > >>> > > >time at work, and since the success or failure of both workers
> > and
> > >>> > > >workplaces is tightly related to what is learned and what is done
> > >>> > > >with that knowledge, this is a question of general interest to
> > both
> > >>> > > >employees and management.
> > >>> > > >
> > >>> > > >
> > >>> > > >
> > >>> > > >However, I would argue that Wolf-Michael's study would benefit
> > from a
> > >>> > > >step which would have to be taken early in the analysis. I would
> > like
> > >>> > > >to see the comparison of the emotional valence of Erin and Jack's
> > >>> > > >deployment of their expertise framed in terms of not one activity
> > >>> > > >system but two. First is the activity system of production and
> > second
> > >>> > > >is the activity system of earning a living. Through the division
> > of
> > >>> > > >labor of the first system, Jack and Erin are fish culturists,
> > engaged
> > >>> > > >in fish feeding, ordering feed, cleaning the fishpond and other
> > >>> > > >actions that contribute to the overall activity of fish hatching
> > (p.
> > >>> > > >45). In this first system, their goal-directed actions are
> > consistent
> > >>> > > >with the collective motive of the hatchery: hatching fish. But
> > >>> > > >through the division of labor of the second, they are employees
> > who
> > >>> > > >are trying to earn a living. Not always, but sometimes, these two
> > >>> > > >activity systems conflict, with resulting tensions between the
> > >>> > > >emotions, motivations and identities associated with them. Wolf-
> > >>> > > >Michael notes that Jack and Erin could be doing the same actions
> > in a
> > >>> > > >backyard fish pond, where they would also be engaged in a
> > different
> > >>> > > >activity system (motivated by recreation, not production or
> > earning a
> > >>> > > >living), but he doesn't distinguish between the two activity
> > systems
> > >>> > > >that are taking place at the workplace - fish hatching and
> > earning a
> > >>> > > >living.
> > >>> > > >
> > >>> > > >
> > >>> > > >
> > >>> > > >For example: Wolf-Michael's description of Erin's voice pitch as
> > she
> > >>> > > >analyses the computer generated plot of fish length and weight
> > >>> > > >(rising pitch, positive valence of emotion) is taken from a
> > moment
> > >>> > > >when she is talking about her work in the activity system of fish
> > >>> > > >hatching. He does not provide a description of her voice pitch
> > when
> > >>> > > >she is talking about the changes undertaken by the new management
> > or
> > >>> > > >the impending layoffs, although he does report that at the time
> > when
> > >>> > > >she is being laid off, the emotions expressed through voice pitch
> > (p.
> > >>> > > >50) are wider in range and there are "many more emotional
> > outbursts
> > >>> > > >with large differences" (p 52). I would have said here that we're
> > >>> > > >looking at the emotional tension between Erin's pride in her
> > >>> > > >expertise as a fish culturist and her anger as an employee at
> > being
> > >>> > > >laid off - one activity system (fish culturing) is going well and
> > the
> > >>> > > >other (earning a living) is going badly. If we are looking at two
> > >>> > > >systems, we can understand why Erin, for example, might feel
> > proud
> > >>> > > >and committed with regard to her work as a fish culturist but
> > anxious
> > >>> > > >and even bitter with regard to her job, and that these two
> > emotions
> > >>> > > >would be in tension with each other.
> > >>> > > >
> > >>> > > >
> > >>> > > >
> > >>> > > >Similarly, Wolf-Michael's description of Jack's emotional state
> > could
> > >>> > > >also benefit from being understood as the tension between being
> > >>> > > >engaged in two conflicting activity systems at once. Wolf-Michael
> > >>> > > >gives us more information about Jack. Although he is a gifted and
> > >>> > > >conscientious fish culturist who developed some original
> > experiments
> > >>> > > >and did research that at first got some recognition, the hatchery
> > is
> > >>> > > >now under the new management and support for his professional
> > >>> > > >development has evaporated. He is seeing doors of opportunity
> > >>> > > >closing. He's understandably angry and cuts back on his
> > investment in
> > >>> > > >the fish hatchery beyond what he has to do to earn a living: he
> > re-
> > >>> > > >calibrates his commitment to being just an employee.
> > >>> > > >
> > >>> > > >
> > >>> > > >
> > >>> > > >Separating out these two activity systems early in the analysis
> > >>> > > >allows us to see how the knowledge or expertise produced within
> > each
> > >>> > > >of them becomes charged with emotional valence. Wolf-Michael
> > proposes
> > >>> > > >"positive" and "negative" labels for this valence, which we might
> > >>> > > >expand by proposing pride, enthusiasm, elation, curiosity,
> > anxiety,
> > >>> > > >disappointment, fear, anger, bitterness, etc - some of these are
> > Wolf-
> > >>> > > >Michael's. This separation would open the door in two directions.
> > >>> > > >In one direction we would look outward to the pressures on that
> > >>> > > >workplace from society which are typically transmitted through
> > >>> > > >management into a workplace. In the other direction we would look
> > to
> > >>> > > >see the relationship between individual workers and the
> > collective of
> > >>> > > >workers. Activity theory helps us hold these two perspectives
> > steady
> > >>> > > >while we investigate what is going on in each of them.
> > >>> > > >
> > >>> > > >
> > >>> > > >
> > >>> > > >Looking outward, in order to really understand the social
> > >>> > > >relationships of a workplace and thereby to interpret how people
> > are
> > >>> > > >behaving and feeling, we need to be explicit about the industrial
> > >>> > > >relations system within which that workplace is operating. We
> > need to
> > >>> > > >look closely at the concrete reality of the division of labor
> > that
> > >>> > > >has sorted some people into management, others into employees (or
> > in
> > >>> > > >this case, two people into management, five into fish
> > culturalists,
> > >>> > > >two into maintenance/administrative assistant staff workers, and
> > >>> > > >perhaps thirty into seasonal employees). Looking inward, we need
> > to
> > >>> > > >understand what kind of solidarity (Michael's word in page 59,
> > >>> > > >although he notes it as something that "fuels invidiaul short-and
> > >>> > > >long-term emotional states") is available to the employees. These
> > two
> > >>> > > >dimensions, both easily approached through activity theory, will
> > give
> > >>> > > >us the concrete reality of the kind of control that the managers
> > have
> > >>> > > >(or don't have) over the work done by Jack, Erin and the other
> > >>> > > >employees. How was this division of labor established and how is
> > it
> > >>> > > >maintained? What are its edges and limits? What are the resources
> > of
> > >>> > > >the employees? The answers to these questions would provide the
> > >>> > > >framework, or matrix, within which the emotions that Wolf-Michael
> > is
> > >>> > > >writing about are generated.
> > >>> > > >
> > >>> > > >
> > >>> > > >
> > >>> > > >
> > >>> > > >
> > >>> > > >Wolf-Michael tells us a few things about the concrete social
> > >>> > > >relationships of the hatchery, so that we can extrapolate what is
> > >>> > > >probably going on. There are 18 federal fish hatcheries in this
> > >>> > > >province and this one employs 2 managers, 5 culturists, a
> > maintenance
> > >>> > > >person and an administrative assistant, and up to 30 seasonal
> > temps.
> > >>> > > >This means that there are not a lot of alternative jobs for fish
> > >>> > > >culturists (especially for one like Jack who has only a high
> > school
> > >>> > > >education) so that keeping one's job is very important. There is
> > new
> > >>> > > >management and thus probably new employment practices on the
> > agenda.
> > >>> > > >Costs are closely watched to the point of choosing what kind of
> > feed
> > >>> > > >to give the fish and whether to drive 50 kilometers to exchange a
> > set
> > >>> > > >of keys, and the survival of hatchery is always in question (p.
> > 53).
> > >>> > > >We can't tell much more than this, except that "collectively,
> > then,
> > >>> > > >there was a sense that things were going from bad to worse" (p.
> > 56).
> > >>> > > >It would help if we knew what the overall agenda of the new
> > >>> > > >management was with regard to budget and target number of
> > employees;
> > >>> > > >that, after all, is the overarching framework of the social
> > >>> > > >relationships of the workplace which are being experienced by the
> > >>> > > >employees. If we were looking at this material as an activity
> > system
> > >>> > > >in which managers were trying to manage a workplace during a
> > period
> > >>> > > >of budget cuts and downsizing, and employees were trying to earn
> > a
> > >>> > > >living and protect or improve working conditions (including job
> > >>> > > >security and earnings) at that same workplace, we could
> > understand
> > >>> > > >the emotional valence in which the knowledge of how to do these
> > >>> > > >complementary and conflicting activities becomes charged.
> > >>> > > >
> > >>> > > >
> > >>> > > >
> > >>> > > >It's within the workforce, obviously, not between the two
> > managers,
> > >>> > > >that the "sense that things were going from bad to worse" is
> > >>> > > >generated. Wolf-Michael notes this: "Interactions with the new
> > >>> > > >managers were laden with conflict" (p. 57). We are now looking at
> > >>> > > >Jack as a member of the workforce, and Erin as a member of the
> > >>> > > >workforce - them as employees, not as fish culturists. Not
> > >>> > > >surprisingly, Jack - who as an older employee (he was in fact
> > once
> > >>> > > >Erin's mentor) has fewer options in case he is laid off - resorts
> > to
> > >>> > > >his knowledge of how to behave as just an employee - not someone
> > who,
> > >>> > > >as a fish culturist, gives 300%, but someone who as an employee
> > >>> > > >calculates how to invest the least effort for the highest return.
> > He
> > >>> > > >works to rule and minimizes contact with the new management.
> > >>> > > >
> > >>> > > >
> > >>> > > >
> > >>> > > >Finally, in the absence of making the distinction between the two
> > >>> > > >activity systems that are going among the workers at the fish
> > >>> > > >hatchery at the same time (hatching fish and earning a living),
> > we
> > >>> > > >have a hard time making sense of what we're reading on several
> > >>> > > >accounts. The fish hatchery is referred to as a "collective."
> > >>> > > >Although we are not told much about the collective solidarity of
> > the
> > >>> > > >workforce, it sounds as if Jack is pretty isolated in his
> > withdrawal
> > >>> > > >into work to rule. When we get to the final section on page 59
> > where
> > >>> > > >Wolf-Michael is talking about the phenomenon of collective
> > emotion
> > >>> > > >and its connection to individual emotion,it sounds as if he's
> > saying
> > >>> > > >that everyone who works at the fish hatchery, the new management
> > >>> > > >included, is part of the collective. I would argue that the
> > >>> > > >collective is not the whole hatchery including the new
> > management,
> > >>> > > >but that it's the employees for whom the hatchery is a way to
> > earn a
> > >>> > > >living. This essence, which can be left in the background when
> > >>> > > >budgets are generous and jobs are secure, jumps into the
> > foregrand
> > >>> > > >during a period of layoffs and budget cuts, which is what is
> > >>> > > >happening in this fish hatchery.
> > >>> > > >
> > >>> > > >
> > >>> > > >
> > >>> > > >
> > >>> > > >
> > >>> > > >Helena Worthen
> > >>> > > >
> > >>> > > >University of Illinois Labor Education Program
> > >>> > > >
> > >>> > > >Institute of Labor and Industrial Relations
> > >>> > > >
> > >>> > > >hworthen@uiuc.edu
> > >>> > > >
> > >>> > > >
> > >>> > > >
> > >>> > > >_______________________________________________
> > >>> > > >xmca mailing list
> > >>> > > >xmca@weber.ucsd.edu
> > >>> > > >http://dss.ucsd.edu/mailman/listinfo/xmca
> > >>> > > >
> > >>> > > >
> > >>> > > >_______________________________________________
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> > >>> > > >http://dss.ucsd.edu/mailman/listinfo/xmca
> > >>> > > >
> > >>> > > >
> > >>> > > >
> > >>> > > >---------------------------------
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> > >>> > >
> > >>> > > Andy Blunden : http://home.mira.net/~andy/ tel (H) +61 3 9380
> > 9435,
> > >>> > AIM
> > >>> > >identity: AndyMarxists mobile 0409 358 651
> > >>> > >
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> > >>> > _______________________________________________
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> > >>
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> > >
> > >--
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> > storm.
> > >-- Johann Wolfgang Goethe
> > >
> > >Emily Duvall
> > >Doctoral Candidate (ABD) / Graduate Assistant-Instructor
> > >Language and Literacy Education (LLED)
> > >Department of Curriculum and Instruction
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Received on Mon Aug 6 11:50 PDT 2007