Just as fish have trouble seeing water, Overworked humanoid types =
like me sometimes take for granted that our assumptions are shared by =
everyone. Since way back in the dark ages of the early nineties =
(before halogen lamps! :-), I've carried a sort of "folk myth" about =
the historical roots of socio-cultural-historical theory. Don't ask =
me how, but I'll been happily communicating to this group assuming =
everyone else had this myth. High time I explain the myth don't you =
think?
The flowery/romantic version is that socio-cultural-historical theory =
is the union of two threads going back to Marx. There is an Eastern =
thread going through Vygotsky, Luria, Leontiev, and then spreads out =
West through folks like Engestr=F6m, Rosenthal, and Cole. The =
Western thread wanders through folks like Sartre (with a pothole at =
Heidegger :-), moves into Bourdieu, and finally emerges in Lave and =
Wenger (and other spots.)
Now what to call these two threads? Having never seen the myth =
clearly myself, I've always used Activity Theory has a general term =
for the Eastern thread (even if I sensed that was a stretch.) For =
the Western branch I've borrowed Jean Lave's term Social Practice =
Theory (although that doesn't cover that thread either.)
First observation is that I've caused incredible confusion in my =
unconscious perversion of the term Activity Theory. Oops! :-( :-( =
You would think the puzzled replies would have finally run a bell, =
but I guess I get it some things as slowly as I answer email. :-( So =
a Trillion Apologizes to all (inflation :-), especially Mike who was =
struggling as a very stretched boundary object.
Observation two is golly, is there any value to this myth? I've =
gotten a lot of mileage out of it - but the durability of a myth does =
not imply anything about its truth! I think at the time of its =
creation (back as a grad student,) it did help me sort out the broad =
trends in the field. At first glance there seems some truth to it, =
and it certainly has the mythical appeal of a simple explanation. =
What's the consensus? Any value beyond helping graduate students =
find their way?
Peace, Edouard
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: Edouard Lagache, Lecturer :
: Department of Communication (0503) :
: University of California, San Diego :
: 9500 Gilman Drive :
: La Jolla, CA, 92093-0503 Voice: (619) 534-7192 :
: elagache who-is-at netcom.com FAX: (619) 534-7315 :
: http://members.aol.com/EdLagache/home_page.html :
:...................................................................:
: The Lagache maxim on the fate of traditions: :
: 50% of the world's problems are caused by the abandoning :
: of meaningful traditions. :
: The remaining 50% of the world's problems are caused by :
: refusal to get rid of meaningless traditions :-) :
: 1982 :
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