[Xmca-l] The Passing of Peeter Tulviste

[mike cole]

Dear Colleagues -

News has arrived of the death of Peeter Tulviste. After a career in
psychology, Peeter became an active member of the Estonian Parliament and
continued to be an active political participant to the end of his life.

Here is the note I wrote in response to news of his death to those who had
forwarded the information.

Darn. :-(
mike
----------------
I am deeply saddened by your news, Jim. Peeter was an important person in
my life even though we have had little contact in recent years. As a
graduate student he was a "go between" in my dialogue with Alexander
Romanovich about interpreting cross cultural research. ARL and I tried to
make it possible for Peeter to come to Liberia to do research, but it was
not possible, even with ARL's political clout at the time. So Peeter did
his dissertation in the far East.

I believe his formulation of a cultural-historical approach that
simultaneously incorporates the concept of activity (a necessity
politically because Leontiev's approach was dominant, but also very
productive) provides a powerful way to think about education in
socio-historical circumstances.

Peeter lives on in my thoughts whenever they turn to wondering about the
process of human development. That he lived his principles as a public
figure as well as a social scientist is particularly admirable in the dark
times through which Estonia passed.

mike