[Xmca-l] Re: Form, Function, and Hope

[Helena Worthen]

Thanks for this, Robert. Good collection of thoughts and references about prolepsis.

H

Helena Worthen
helenaworthen@gmail.com

On Feb 17, 2015, at 8:38 AM, Robert Lake wrote:

> Hi again Everyone!
> I recognize that most of what I write here is redundant and part of the
> given history of XCMA, but I think we need to continually renew our
> metalanguage by spelling out key concepts  for newcomers and of course  our
> own students. Otherwise we could end up like the prisoners on Alcatraz that
> had been so long together that they knew all  knew each other's jokes, so
> all they needed to say was "number 39 ha, ha ". "Well number 6 back to you".
> 
> In terms of the praxis of hope and being within the zpd, I love Michael
> Cole's (1996) notion of prolepsis which is predicated on  LSV's concept of
> budding .Prolepsis is the perception of an anticipated or future condition
> of development before it actually exists as an internalized state of being.
> "The zone of proximal development defines those functions that have not yet
> matured but are in the process of maturation, functions that will mature
> tomorrow but are currently in an embryonic state. These functions could be
> termed the “buds” or “flowers” of development rather than the “fruits” of
> development.” (Vygotsky, 1978, p.86)" *So hope of further **development** is
> based on present "being".* For example  at some point in life , probably
> all of us were  told that we had real potential as a scholar or teacher .
> Prolepsis is a rare and extremely valuable tool in education if teachers
> and mentors can use it realistically as a means to help students move into
> spaces that are truly within their grasp through interaction with those who
> see can look at the bud and see the fruit until prolepsis becomes
> internalized by the student themselves. Boris Meshcheryakov (2007) calls
> this transition a process of moving from “heteroprolepsis” to
> “autoprolepsis” (p.166).
> 
> An example of each would be when a parent hears their child humming on key
> or reproducing entire tunes in various levels of complexity, they will of
> course, under normal conditions, encourage their offspring toward some
> future musical activity by reporting their performance to them with
> something like “when you were two, you could hum all the notes to that song
> and I know you will do quite well with piano lessons”.Meshcheryakov goes on
> to relate an example of autoprolepsis in children’s role playing when the
> child imagines “him or herself in various adults’ roles (hunter, mother,
> teacher, etc.), imitating the elements of cultural forms of behavior” (p.
> 167). Many future and present teachers for example can recall a time when
> they used to pretend teach their siblings or maybe even their stuffed
> animals. But this role-play does not cease as we grow out of childhood.
> Student teaching, apprenticeships, GA's  could all be zpd spaces with the
> potential of  moving from heteroprolepsis to autoprolepsis.
> 
> 
> Cole, M.,(1996). *Cultural psychology: A once and future* *discipline.*
> Cambridge, MA. Harvard University Press.
> 
> 
> Meshcheryakov, B. G. (2007). Terminology in L. S. Vygotsky’s writings. In
> Daniels, H., Cole, M., Wertsch, J. V. (Eds.)  *The Cambridge companion to
> Vygotsky*. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press.
> 
> 
> Vygotsky, L.S. (1978). *Mind in society*. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University
> Press.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> On Tue, Feb 17, 2015 at 10:27 AM, Larry Purss <lpscholar2@gmail.com> wrote:
> 
>> The theme [sense] of hope within an atmosphere [mood] of despair, dread,
>> and cynicism has been referred to as "blues hope".
>> The question of "being" in the present moment and only from this moment can
>> we act is presented as a relation with blues hope.
>> This "being" which sociocultural themes indicate "carries" form which
>> develop in particular practices of creating "collectives".
>> So where do we situate Bloch's notion of "hope" within these "forms" as
>> cultural-historical embedded practices.
>> 
>> Athanasios Marvakis answer [page 2] is:
>> 
>> "The 'utopian' is not located - as a speculation - in a transcendent and
>> separate realm else-where or else-when.  Utopianism AS future orientedness
>> - is immanent in the present, and the issue IS [LP - being] to detect,
>> recognize, and discern, rather than to criticise, the blurred and fuzzy
>> MANIFESTATIONS of hope - AS the emotional energizing ground [LP - coming
>> into form] of utopianism - that EXIST [LP - have their being] within
>> everyday life."
>> 
>> I would say this is one "theme" or sense that can be "generated" to
>> Annalisa's question on only being in the present moment "exists"
>> 
>> Larry
>> 
> 
> 
> 
> -- 
> 
> *Robert Lake  Ed.D.*Associate Professor
> Social Foundations of Education
> Dept. of Curriculum, Foundations, and Reading
> Georgia Southern University
> Secretary/Treasurer-AERA- Paulo Freire Special Interest Group
> P. O. Box 8144
> Phone: (912) 478-0355
> Fax: (912) 478-5382
> Statesboro, GA  30460