Let me suggest that we learn our cultural rituals as every day concepts.
Meaning they are part of our every day activity. This becomes our knowledge
base, the frame of our future activity. This is not done consciously, but
is the result of individuals in society being presented with certain
instruments (conceived in its broadest sense) in certain situations,
causing the individuals to understand the world in terms of the use of
those instruments. It is not important in this type of "cultural"
education for the individual to understand the relationship of the
instrument use to the larger social motivation. When the individual
reaches a certain level of experience (Vygotsky seemed to use adolescence
as a marker), he or she is ready to learn that there is an abstract
relationship between motivations, goals, and what it is you actually do.
This abstract relationship can be taught using any material, any instruments.
What is important, I think, is the recognition of the abstract relationships.
This recognition allows the individual to then return to his or her
every day knowledge base and examine the abstract relationships that lie
behind both the action and the larger activity of the cultural rituals.
So it is the realization of abstract relationships between activity and
action that I would think allows for this leeway and passing that you
talk about. This all hooks in to a discussion on every day and scientific
concepts that I believe we had last year on this network.
Michael Glassman
University of Houston