"A possible answer would be, that "internalization" of concepts is in fact
"fictionalization" of joint mediational tools, i.e. it is an activity of
transformation of actual mediational tools into fictional mediational tools.
Once freed from the actual situation, these mediational tools can be used in
previously impossible ways (although, like in any play, not entirely without
rules!!)."
In part, I would agree with that solution, in that what is suggested is that
re-contextualization is one source of novelty in learning and always involves
some kind of transformation of the mediational means employed within
activity.
Jim Wertsch (1995) via Bakhtin (1986) makes a similar point in arguing that
all action involves a tension between those "repeatable" or stable moments of
action and the "unrepeatable" or centrifugal, unstable moments of action
(often having to do with changed contexts of use). In other words, uses of
mediational means require both stability of some sort (communities
artificially fix meanings of certain words such as 'hammering' to be
recognized by others to coordinate activity) and instability or novelty (a
hammer could afford play as a 'horse' as in Jay's example).
But there are additional ways, I think, that new learning and new objects get
constructed. One is by _bricolage_, a concept de Certeau (1984) uses to
discuss how mediational means are _combined_ in novel ways in activity to
transform activities. Even in solo activity, there is typically a form of
bricolage that takes place, one that does not require that the tools belong
to imaginary social activities that pre-exist for the actor.
Think of a "recipe" metaphor for action where only the ingredients are given
and the narrative is missing, and you must re-construct how to combine the
foods at what time and do what to them. You will base your timing and
combination in part on what you've done in the past or observed others doing
(a form of joint activity), but you will in all likelihood do so by combining
the sociocultural givens (foods) in ways quite different from another person
in a different situation with different environmental (ovens, kitchen size)
and individual-biographical (personal trajectory of cooking experience)
features.
There are other examples I can think of, but this is getting too long!
References:
Bakhtin, M.M. (1986). _Speech genres and other late essays_. Austin: U of
Tex. Press.
de Certeau, M. (1984). _The practice of everyday life_. Berkeley: U of Cal.
Press.
Wertsch, J.V. (1995). The need for action in sociocultural research. In
J.V. Wertsch, P. del Rio, & A. Alvarez (Eds), _Sociocultural studies of mind_
(pp. 56-74). NY: Cambridge UP.
Bill Penuel
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PreventionInventions
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