ZPDs, resitance, conflict
Francoise Herrmann (fherrmann who-is-at igc.apc.org)
Thu, 9 Oct 1997 13:16:00 -0700 (PDT)
Hi Jay, Hi Eva, Hi Stephanie, Hi Ana, Hi all, Jays' example of X
and W directions in the ZPD with the more able partner somehow
dropping the W direction for a while to turn to X, and Eva's
response to Jao were somewhere consonant for me with injecting
care into the ZOPED. A feminine way perhaps to walk with the
"cared-for" in contrast to a notion of leading the care-for. (I
also saw recently in Wired Magazine a big ad. that says "Men AND
Women are from EARTH"- thanks for that!). But there is also much
more to inject into the ZPD, in connection perhaps with Mike's
query about play and Ana's story about Giga. I looked back to an
article by Bonnie Litowitz in the old LCHC Newsletter called "Just
say no: Responsability and Resistance" (vol 12(4) 1990). The
additional dimensions that she puts into the ZPD are
indentification and, borrowing from Winnicott the notion of
potential space realized as fantasy and in play. This is the
ominipotent space of what the cared-for imagines being able to do.
This place works two-ways because for the cared-for to feel good
about possible or projected capacities the one-caring also has to
believe it. Play comes into the the picture as both are really
believing something that has not quite yet come into being. Enter
the notion of indentification (leading to necessary resistance and
responsability); identification straight from Freud and Lacan. The
ZPD is fueled by the desire to identity with the one-caring and
such identification can only complete when resistance occurs. FOr
that is the time when the cared-for is ready to take
responsability for the task which hither-to could not be done
solo. I had read about about scaffolding disintegrating as the
house could stand erect, but had missed the part about stepping
into the other's shoes. The issue of course still remains about
negative development (i.e.; may be cases when NO does not mean
that one wants to step into the one-caring's shoes, but quite the
contrary!).
Your turns!
Francoise Francoise Herrmann fherrmann who-is-at igc.apc.org
http://www.wenet.net/~herrmann