[Xmca-l] Re: Sad news-- Jerry Bruner has died

Thu Jun 9 15:08:38 PDT 2016

I think one of the few advantages of being dead is that a critical
evaluation of one's work as a complete narrative product then becomes
possible. This is why I think the idea of a memorial issue for Jerome
Bruner makes such great critical sense (and it's also why a memorial issue
for Ruqaiya Hasan, the anniversary of whose death is in two weeks time,
makes sense). Bruner would have welcomed that, not in hubris but in
humility.

I have a rather different interpretation of the email that Rob Lake
circulated: I thought it was a good example of Bruner's humility, not his
hubris. "Scaffolding" was a highly influential metaphor--but I think that
by saying that it was just a labeling intuition out of the blue Bruner was
emphasizing that it was a metaphor. Metaphors are misleading: they tell us
a good deal about the relationship between forces but they tell us fictions
about the nature of the force itself. So for example the "scaffolding" that
Bruner wanted to emphasize was temporary: it was something to be taken
down. But in th einterpretation of "scaffolding" it has become hypostatized
and a permanent fixture of interaction. Worse, it has become identified
with the ZPD, which it resembles not at all.

I would say the same thing about his ideas of narrative. Bruner was prone
to wild enthusiasms, and his enthusiasm for narrative as the very source of
self is one of these. Yes, I suppose the life of Bruner is now a narrative.
But from his point of view ,the really interesting part is what happened
before it became one.

David Kellogg
Macquarie University

On Fri, Jun 10, 2016 at 1:53 AM, Bella Kotik-Friedgut <bella.kotik@gmail.com
> wrote:

> I am now in Portugal at EVC 4 Vygotsky conference. I shared with the
> audience my memories of J.Bruner's visit to Moscow. It was more than
> obituary: I wanted in a way celebrate his beautiful life full with
> discoveries and a lot of personal light he transmitted to people on his
> way. When Alexander Romanowich asked me to stay in Moskow ( I just defended
> my theses ans had to go to Rostov university for my first job) he said "
> you will not regret" I think I was blessed with this opportunity and
> enjoyed to be his  guide and secretary for this week. Let his memory be
> blessed.
>
>
>
> On Thursday, June 9, 2016, Lplarry <lpscholar2@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > Jessica,
> > This testament to how you have been deeply moved by Robert’s question and
> > Bruner’s answer gesturing to how the concept *scaffolding* was forming
> *as*
> > a labelling intuition opens up a field of *depth* inquiry asking where
> > these intuitions *arise* or *awaken* from as they enter into history and
> > culture.
> > For example, is there a living *presence* that is at this moment moving
> > through us within the *person* of Jerome Bruner? This is a notion of
> > *person* that has a continuing *existence* tingbeyond Bruner’s physical
> > death. This is also a labelling intuition.
> > Could this living *presence* (imaged as person) be a source of
> > *intuitions* that arise or awaken within our own sense of living
> *presence*.
> > Is this *presence* that generates *intuitions* located internally or is
> > this presence located externally, or is there a location where intuitions
> > arise or awaken in a third location that is permeable to both internal
> and
> > external presence?
> >
> > Others will  offer different images and words to locate where intuitions
> > originate. Is the image of labelling intuitions as  *seeds* forming an
> apt
> > metaphor?
> > The term *scaffolding* that is generating *deep* dialogue within our
> > questions and answers within particular communities which some call
> > *learning* communities.
> >
> > In this thread James Ma shared a link to his article that I have
> > downloaded from academia.edu. in which he proposes a deep sense that
> > *learning* generates what is *worthwhile* as advocated by the living
> > presence of the Confucian Classics. In particular learning that is
> > worthwhile develops “culture, conduct, conscientiousness, and good
> faith”.
> > The living presence of this ideal has *inspired* devotees and activists
> > throughout history to pursue truth (about) *learning* which James says
> > aligns with intellectualism.
> > James describes intellectualism as being *for* the virtues and ideals
> that
> > guide human participation in civilization.
> > I would add that this intellectual guidance often arises or awakens
> > through intuitions in the form of *guises* (living presences) as persons.
> >
> > Jerome Bruner in his life and in his death continues to exist within this
> > living presence *who* exemplifies learning and intellectualism that
> guides
> > our own learning and intellectual virtues and ideals.
> > Bruner would label this a hypothesis.
> > Larry
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Sent from my Windows 10 phone
> >
> > From: Kindred, Jessica Dr.
> > Sent: June 8, 2016 8:30 PM
> > To: eXtended Mind, Culture, Activity
> > Subject: [Xmca-l] Re: Sad news-- Jerry Bruner has died
> >
> > Robert, I have read this email exchange that you had with "jb" over and
> > over and find myself so moved by the idea of scaffolding as "just one of
> > those 'labeling intuitions' that came out of the blue". This very
> phrasing
> > and sense of how ideas emerge is so important as we think about thinking
> > and culture and how they influence each other in such profound and
> > spiralling ways. I love this and I thank you for sharing it. What a
> > wonderful contribution to the biography of an idea that has so influenced
> > us all. I recently read a 1981 paper that Bruner wrote about education in
> > which he used the word mindfulness in such an in-passing way that I
> almost
> > wonder naively if his use of it as a labelling intuition then might help
> to
> > account for its huge status in the cultural landscape of education now...
> > in any case, great thanks for sharing.
> >
> > And yes, Leif, it is wonderful to remember his keynote at Iscrat 98 in
> > Arhus!
> >
> > Thanks to him and to all of you for sharing your actual minds toward
> > possible worlds.
> >
> > Jessie Kindred
> > ________________________________________
> > From: xmca-l-bounces@mailman.ucsd.edu <javascript:;> [
> > xmca-l-bounces@mailman.ucsd.edu <javascript:;>] on behalf of Helena
> > Worthen [helenaworthen@gmail.com <javascript:;>]
> > Sent: Monday, June 6, 2016 6:23 PM
> > To: eXtended Mind, Culture, Activity
> > Subject: [Xmca-l] Re: Sad news-- Jerry Bruner has died
> >
> > Nice, Robert!!!
> >
> > Helena
> >
> > > On Jun 6, 2016, at 11:05 AM, Robert Lake <boblake@georgiasouthern.edu
> > <javascript:;>> wrote:
> > >
> > > *Hi Everyone,**Below is a record of my email correspondence** wi**th
> > Jerome
> > > Bruner w*
> > > *hile I **was writing **an introductory book for educators about
> > Vygot**sky
> > > and a second  email about the coining of the phrase "scaffolding" *
> *It*
> > > * starts from the bottom up.*
> > > *Robert Lake*
> > >
> > > ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> > > From: Jerome S Bruner <jsb3@nyu.edu <javascript:;>>
> > > Date: Wed, Oct 6, 2010 at 2:05 PM
> > > Subject: Re: Sketch about how you were introduced to Vygotsky
> > > To: Robert Lake <boblake@georgiasouthern.edu <javascript:;>>
> > >
> > >
> > > Just one of those "labelling inuitions" that came out of the blue!
>  jb
> > >
> > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > From: Robert Lake <boblake@georgiasouthern.edu <javascript:;>>
> > > Date: Saturday, October 2, 2010 4:17 pm
> > > Subject: Re: Sketch about how you were introduced to Vygotsky
> > > To: jsb3@nyu.edu <javascript:;>
> > >
> > >
> > >> Thank-you Dr. Bruner.
> > >> It really does help.
> > >>
> > >>
> > >> When did you first come up with the notion of scaffolding? Was it
> > >> connected to an observation out of your own experience in research or
> > >> a personal experience?
> > >>
> > >>
> > >> Thanks again for responding. You made my day.
> > >>
> > >>
> > >> Robert Lake
> > >>
> > >>
> > >  Jerome S Bruner  10/02/10 4:04 PM >>>
> > >> As I recall, my introduction to Vygotsky came when Eugenia Hanfmann
> > >> was working on a translation of what was to be Vygotsky's first book
> > >> in English, THOUGHT AND LANGUAGE, published in 1962 by MIT Press.
> > >> You'll recall that I wrote an Introduction to that book.  I had
> > >> earlier become acquainted with Vygotsky's work through Alexander
> > >> Romanovich Luria who was the Professor of Psychology at  Moscow with
> > >> whom I visited in Moscow on several occasions.  He was a great admirer
> > >> of Vygotsky and his work and felt strongly that my own work on
> > >> perception and cognition generally were very much in the Vygotskian
> > >> mode.  For my part, I felt in those days that Vygotsky was an
> > >> important corrective to the Piagetian culturally-blind approach to
> > >> child development.  I think that it was that aspect of my own work
> > >> that led to my being asked to write an introduction to the Vygotsky
> > >> volume.
> > >>
> > >> Does that help?
> > >>
> > >> All best wishes.
> > >>
> > >>         Jerome Bruner
> > >>
> > >> ----- Original Message -----
> > >> From: Robert Lake
> > >> Date: Friday, October 1, 2010 2:40 pm
> > >> Subject: Sketch about how you were introduced to Vygotsky
> > >> To: jerome.bruner@nyu.edu <javascript:;>
> > >> Cc: carol.feldman@nyu.edu <javascript:;>
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>> Dear Dr. Bruner,
> > >>> I  am now beginning chapter one of a primer on Vygotsky and
> > >>> education. Actually I already signed a book contract. One of the
> > >> areas
> > >>> I am covering is a brief introduction to some of LSV's academic
> > >>> "family". I have sources for M. Cole, S. Scribner, A. Kozulin, L.
> > >>> Holtzman, J.Wersch, E. Kravtsova, Y. Engstrom ,D.Robbins and L.
> > >> Moll,
> > >>> but  I am not able to find anything in the way of  historical
> > >>> biography about your connection to his work. Is  there anything
> > >>> written anywhere about how you were introduced to your Vygotsky?
> > >>> If not, may I call you and ask a few questions?
> > >>>
> > >>> Thank-you for all you have imparted to our generation.
> > >>
> > >
> > > On Mon, Jun 6, 2016 at 10:26 AM, Helena Worthen <
> helenaworthen@gmail.com
> > <javascript:;>>
> > > wrote:
> > >
> > >> Andy, thank you for finding this!!!
> > >>
> > >> Helena
> > >>
> > >>> On Jun 5, 2016, at 8:56 PM, Andy Blunden <ablunden@mira.net
> > <javascript:;>> wrote:
> > >>>
> > >>> https://vimeo.com/groups/chat/videos/56737069
> > >>>
> > >>> ------------------------------------------------------------
> > >>> Andy Blunden
> > >>> http://home.mira.net/~andy
> > >>>
> http://www.brill.com/products/book/origins-collective-decision-making
> > >>> On 6/06/2016 10:38 AM, David H Kirshner wrote:
> > >>>> My condolences, Mike.
> > >>>> A huge loss to all of us.
> > >>>> Perhaps sometime you can share with us some of your personal
> > >> experiences with him.
> > >>>> David
> > >>>>
> > >>>> -----Original Message-----
> > >>>> From: xmca-l-bounces@mailman.ucsd.edu <javascript:;> [mailto:
> > >> xmca-l-bounces@mailman.ucsd.edu <javascript:;>] On Behalf Of mike
> cole
> > >>>> Sent: Sunday, June 05, 2016 6:37 PM
> > >>>> To: eXtended Mind, Culture, Activity
> > >>>> Subject: [Xmca-l] Sad news-- Jerry Bruner has died
> > >>>>
> > >>>> At the age of 100 it cannot be unexpected, but  I have just heard
> > from
> > >> a colleague that Jerry Bruner has died.
> > >>>> Its difficult to lose a colleague and friend who had a fundamental
> > >> influence on my own life trajectory.
> > >>>> mike
> > >>>>
> > >>>
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>
> > >
> > >
> > > --
> > > Robert Lake  Ed.D.
> > > Associate Professor
> > > Social Foundations of Education
> > > Dept. of Curriculum, Foundations, and Reading
> > > Georgia Southern University
> > > P. O. Box 8144, Statesboro, GA  30460
> > > Secretary/Treasurer-AERA- Paulo Freire Special Interest Group
> > > Webpage: https://georgiasouthern.academia.edu/RobertLake*Democracy
> must
> > be
> > > born anew in every generation, and education is its midwife.* John
> > > Dewey-*Democracy
> > > and Education*,1916, p. 139
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
>
> --
> Sincerely yours Bella Kotik-Friedgut
>