[Xmca-l] Re: Current takes on the 'later' Vygotsky

Sun Apr 9 16:53:00 PDT 2017

Alfredo, Amelia, and Pablo,

Alfredo,
Your hope that we will cover this ground by reference to a wider literature by ‘expanding ’ the field, may have the unintended consequence of also ‘abbreviating’ the focus on ‘with/out mediation,  at the core of your paper. 

This notion of abbreviation and expansion and when each direction is appropriate. 
This speaks to your article’s notion of “accented”. When contents are accented by some reference [I.e. deictic, body orientation, verbal indication] then, the semantic, sense-giving *field* changes.  The contents no longer have to be said because the presence of the contents in the *field* goes ‘without’ saying, being an aspect of the integral co-inhabited space.

Following this line, I notice Amelia and Pablo’s article explores five usually overlooked aspects of Vygotsky’s work. The first overlooked aspect is:

“the understanding of the mediational system as a trans-organic, EXTENDED branch of the psychological system. 

This first aspect explored by Amelia and Pablo  may or may not share a family resemblance to your and Michael’s exploration of theorizing with/out mediation?

I hope Amelia and Pablo read through your article so that we can read each article through the perspective of the other article thus expanding our notion of ‘mediation’? I am referring to the title of Amelia and Pablo’s article [Vygotsky and beyond: Horizons for the Future of Psychology]. This is a theme of ‘extending’ with/out premature abbreviation. May require a middle path? 

I will re-send your and Michael’s article in the hope of engaging both articles with the potential to  open possible new horizons  through engaging with the ‘later’ Vygotsky [1932-1934] and his re/thinking his life’s work and this new direction’s relevance for our current moment in time. I am referring to the title of Amelia and Pablo’s article 
Also recognizing this is contested ground.

Searching for a new con/sensus

Sent from Mail for Windows 10

From: Alfredo Jornet Gil
Sent: April 9, 2017 10:50 AM
To: lpscholar2@gmail.com; eXtended Mind, Culture, Activity
Subject: Re: [Xmca-l] Current takes on the 'later' Vygotsky

Thank you Larry for sharing your reading of our article, which I think is a very sensible read. I hope that by posting Amelia and Pablo's article, we can cover the ground by reference to a wider literature as well. Obviously, ours is only one among other takes in current literature that point in the similar direction; and there are yet others quiet critical to these 'revisionist' takes. As you anticipate, getting these into dialogue would be a great xmca accomplishment.

Alfredo

From: lpscholar2@gmail.com <lpscholar2@gmail.com>
Sent: 09 April 2017 14:21
To: Alfredo Jornet Gil; eXtended Mind, Culture, Activity
Subject: RE: [Xmca-l] Current takes on the 'later' Vygotsky 

Alfredo,
I have been slowly reading (and digesting) your and Wolff-Michael’s article (Theorizing – with/out mediators) that joins the current ‘takes’ on the later Vygotsky.

My impression (and appreciation) of this emerging tradition is significant as  an enlarging of the scope and ‘re-working’ of the Vygotsky who was known in the process of moving into the West European  and North Atlantic form of theorizing.

I am reading your article in relation to the notion of ‘playworlds’ and ‘spielraum’ (translated playrooms).

A key re-working of (mediation) has to do with re/thinking triangle diagrams as static (with mediation at the apex).
This generates a PREsumption of two variables at the base of the triangle assumed as (elements, essences, things) that inter/act through an ‘intermediary’ third (element, essence, thing).
Your article indicates this is the classical or canonical version of (mediation) as the third thing/element through which the other two things/elements become changed or develop.

Your re-working of (mediation) adds the temporal, duration, and (unit of analysis) and implies it is not the elements or parts that each individually change or develop (classic intermediary model of elements transformed by going through a third element IN a triangle with an apex mediator) 
But rather 
There are only relation of (within UNITS).
When a tool, technique, sign, word, artifact) develops then the ENTIRE UNIT (not elements) develops.

Alfredo, I personally believe your approach (currently re-working classical and Western canonical versions) deserves to have its own (place) as a subsection on the XMCA site. To become more clear on this ‘later’ Vygotsky.
Then a conversation may generate that puts in question this re-working
BUT
In a spirit of ‘play’ in rooms.
A movement back and forth, oscillating, spiralling, developing, and never reaching a determinate conclusion, once and forever.

Putting in play triangles with mediators at the apex as static diagrams.
More open, fluid, theorizing with ANDA WITHOUT ‘mediators’ as we play with these notions.

I recommend others read the article ‘Theorizing with/out mediators’.
Reading the (/) to mean interval where we tarry awhile in a spirit of re-working theorizing with/out mediators.

I believe we need to create a subsection on XMCA to let these notions percolate and permeate the more classical boundary markers.

My way of saying your article is a pro-found re-working of the notions of (within) and (without) and (mediation) at the core of this re-working PRE-assumptions.

My morning muse

Sent from my Windows 10 phone

From: Alfredo Jornet Gil
Sent: April 8, 2017 10:20 PM
To: eXtended Mind, Culture, Activity
Subject: [Xmca-l] Current takes on the 'later' Vygotsky

Hi Esteban, 

yes, things have been a little quiet lately, but there have been few threads going on, perhaps most importantly the one discussing Jang's (this issue's) paper on multi-ethnic issues on Second Language. 

Other threads have seemed to resonate on recent articles/works attempting to re-work (or work further) some of Vygotsky's key concepts, in particular ZPD and Mediation (with a couple of articles having been circulated).

Connecting to the latter, it seems that several of those efforts are making emphasis on Vygotsky's later period, suggesting that much of the prior and current uptakes have focused almost exclusively on the instrumental aspects that were more salient in his middle period, and not so much on the lines of inquiry that the psychologist was opening never had the chance to pursue.

I attach yet another such work, this time by del Río and Álvarez. Much is being written about how and to what extent Vygotsky was revising his own prior work. This one tells as more about that, and does so both in English and in Spanish.

I wonder how do xmca'ers (who likely are busy reading world news as things are getting more and more perplexing) feel and think about this tendency/prospect in cultural-historical theory literature. 

Alfredo
________________________________________
From: xmca-l-bounces@mailman.ucsd.edu <xmca-l-bounces@mailman.ucsd.edu> on behalf of Helena Worthen <helenaworthen@gmail.com>
Sent: 09 April 2017 03:11
To: eXtended Mind, Culture, Activity
Subject: [Xmca-l] Re: Playworlds, Performance, Perezhivanie,    Apophasis ... and TRUMP'S speech!

Hi, Esteban -

Things have been a little quiet recently. I suspect my co-xmca-ers in the US are either mid-semester or digging in on big projects that will have some significance, hopefully, given what we’re dealing with here.

You may or may not be aware that our new Secretary of Education is the sister of Erik Prince, http://www.ibtimes.com/who-betsy-devos-brother-erik-princes-involvement-blackwater-chinese-money-laundering-2493834

Just a hint of what is happening to education, top to bottom, in the US.

Helena

Helena Worthen
helenaworthen@gmail.com
Berkeley, CA 94707
Blog about US and Viet Nam: helenaworthen.wordpress.com

> On Apr 8, 2017, at 3:15 PM, Stephen Diaz <EDiaz@csusb.edu> wrote:
> 
> Hi Bruce,
> 
> Don't know if you are still the one for xmcc but I am not getting any emails from that list serve.  Can you please check on that.  I still want to continue on it if possible.  Thanks.
> 
> Esteban Diaz
> 
> 
> ________________________________
> From: xmca-l-bounces@mailman.ucsd.edu <xmca-l-bounces@mailman.ucsd.edu> on behalf of Bruce Jones <bjones@ucsd.edu>
> Sent: Sunday, February 5, 2017 3:23 PM
> To: mike cole; Andy Blunden; eXtended Mind, Culture, Activity
> Subject: [Xmca-l] Re: Playworlds, Performance, Perezhivanie, Apophasis ... and TRUMP'S speech!
> 
> On 2/5/17 2:39 PM, mike cole wrote:
>> Bruce's email is not bouncing from san diego.
>> Perhaps there is only one c in unsubscribe?
> 
> Spelling mistakes will not cause bounces.  I do the unsubscribes by hand
> in order to make sure they are removed from the database.
> 
> 
> --
> Bruce Jones
> Sys Admin, LCHC
> bjones@ucsd.edu
> 619-823-8281
> 
> --

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