First, what caught me the most about reading the introductions was a style
or approach to research that was alien to me in many ways, but in a positive
way.
I think its common - maybe less so in CHAT inspired work - to have the
references be very contemporary. An assumption - ahistorical - in that
knowledge is built up unquestionably by those who come before us in which
references are often a couple years old at best. My point being that I found
the historical approach useful for a variety of different reasons.
Another aspect that I felt was different was the way quotes were used.
Rather than merely being authorative as in validating ones argument or as a
form of networking, they were considered very much as essential data as in
having a dialougue with the theorist. For me, this difference was seen in
the length of the quotes which in many ways allowed the theorist even when
critiqued to have an opportunity to share his/her view.
Some concepts that came up for me that will no doubt be important as the
text progresses are as follows:
Ascending to the Concrete: My take thus far is this confronts the division
of labor or at least the historical division between theory and practice.
One where history plays a central role - one must historically know the
object, highlight its contradictions before expansive learning can occur.
Yet, this is only part of the process - one must also ascend to the
concrete - which I read as a call for a radical localism.
Contradiction: I am still struggleing with this one a bit. Since "inner
contradictions" are central to change and expansive learning I still find my
self wondering what they look like. In chapter 1 YE points out the
contradictory elements of Gange on problem solving,
"Here we have two assertions. Firstly, great creative achievements are based
on the same kind of inductive, combinatorial problem solving as any common
act of learning by problem solving. Secondly, usual acts of learning by
problem solving have practically nothing in common with truly creative
discoveries because in the latter the 'inductive leap' is so much greater.
In other words, Gagné first denies that creation has anything qualitatively
special in it. Immediately thereafter he points out that creation is indeed
qualitatively special because it transcends the context given."
Now, here contradiction makes sense, but considering its importance in the
overall argument I guess I'm less clear what this would look like in an
Activity - school, workplace etc. And maybe the inner contradiction can not
make sense without some perspective.
Expansive Learning: I also look forward to see this concept in action - YE
critique in Chapter 1 seemed to revolve around the importance of collective
transformation of not only the subject but the material conditions s/he
lives. In particular, I was thinking about this as a different model for a
type of agency. This to me seems like a more complicated notion of agency -
more complicated at least than the notion that the child's active
reproduction is form of construction or Valsiner who seems to think in
"play" material conditions are overturned.
Mainly, though I would find discussion on ascending to the concrete,
internal contradictions, and expansive learning useful since they appear to
be central concepts throughout the book.
Nate
"The individual, when he apprehends himself as such, is social in his
essence. He is social not as a result of external contingencies, but by
virtue of an internal necessity, by virtue of his genesis." Henri Wallon
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