Re: [xmca] Vygotsky on Identity? - LSV never wrote on Identity :)

From: Mike Cole <lchcmike who-is-at gmail.com>
Date: Thu Nov 22 2007 - 09:39:16 PST

Eric-- This is not a case where premature demise is particularly relevant.
Anton and Andy seem
to point to more fruitful lines of research in my view. I find the idea of a
"unified superego" pretty
scary, ditto cult of personality to which I think it is related. But it is
an interesting idea.

Jaan was an Estonian, not a Russian, which may also be relevant here.

In recent years there has been a lot of attention in Russian psychology to
"the subject" or subjectivity.
Perhaps that would be a fruitful line of investigation.
mike

On Nov 22, 2007 9:01 AM, <ERIC.RAMBERG@spps.org> wrote:

>
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> Andy:
>
> I would point out that Vygotsky sadly died before his vision came to
> fruition and Leontiev and Luria forwarded his work but not necessarily how
> Vygotsky would have invisioned. Valsiner writes a great deal on identity
> formation. For that same reason when I read articles in the CHAT
> tradition
> he is rarely cited. He doesn't fit the collective shall we say.
>
> I too am greatly interested in reading what the current Russian scholars
> have to say.
>
> eric
>
> To: "eXtended Mind, Culture, Activity" <xmca@weber.ucsd.edu>
> cc:
> bcc:
> Subject: Re: [xmca] Vygotsky on Identity? - LSV never wrote on
> Identity :)
> Andy Blunden <ablunden@mira.net>
> Sent by: xmca-bounces@weber.ucsd.edu
> 11/22/2007 09:16 PM ZE11
> Please respond to "eXtended Mind, Culture, Activity" <font
> size=-1></font>
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> >From my very superficial search it does seem that we have work by
> "westerners" using basic ideas of cultural-historical activity theory to
> develop a theory of identity construction, and to my eyes this work seems
> to be quite valid so far I can see, but it does seem that Anton is right.
> Could I proffer a suggestion that is somewhat in line with Bella's
> suggestion: in the conditions of late 1920s/early 1930s Soviet Union where
> Vygotsky worked, and Vygotsky's social position dedicated to his role in
> the preparation of the conditions for the construction of the socialist
> future and the new type of human being, there was really no difference
> between growing up to become a citizen of the Soviet Union of good
> character and personality and what we in the late-capitalist world call
> identity? It is the absence of a unitary super-ego and the multiplicity of
> available visions of the good, and conflicting claims upon our loyalty
> which makes the problem of identity-construction such a central problem
> for
> our psychology. There just was no such problem for Vygotsky. The work that
> Eric pointed to about "Defectology" certain gave some hints in the
> direction of a theory of identity and shows Vygotsky's interest in efforts
> to appropriate Adler's individual psychology, but I think I can only see
> hints here, not an actual concept of identity as such.
>
> Does that make sense. Can our Russian comrades tell me that I am quite
> mistaken?
>
> Andy
> At 10:47 AM 21/11/2007 +0200, you wrote:
> >You are right, Anton- there is no exact word in Russian, but there are
> >related terms and themas. When he speaks about the role of
> >national/international culture in upbringing and education is it related
> to
> >identity formation?
> >Bella Kotik-Friedgut
> >
> >
> >On 11/21/07, Anton Yasnitsky <the_yasya@yahoo.com> wrote:
> > >
> > > I would argue Vygotsky never wrote on Identity :) --
> > >
> > > unless anybody points out what Identity might stand for in Vygotsky's
> -
> > > preferably original - texts.
> > >
> > > AY.
> > >
> > >
> > > --- Andy Blunden <ablunden@mira.net> wrote:
> > >
> > > > Can anyone point me to where I should look in Vygotsky for his ideas
> on
> > > > Identity and Identity formation?
> > > > I have the LSV Collected Works.
> > > >
> > > > Andy
> > > >
> > > > _______________________________________________
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> > >
> > >
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> >
> >--
> >Sincerely yours Bella Kotik-Friedgut
> >_______________________________________________
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>
> Andy Blunden : http://home.mira.net/~andy/ <http://home.mira.net/%7Eandy/>tel (H) +61 3 9380 9435,
> mobile 0409 358 651
>
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Received on Thu Nov 22 09:41 PST 2007

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