A very good question, Bill, one that I've been thinking about lots of
time--maybe folks here can fill me in regarding refs. on any
Vygotskyan/sociocultural discussions of topics like (embodied) agency and
how the Vygotskyan subject differs from the Cartesian subject on the one
hand (this part is easier), and the Existentialist, Satrian subject on the
other; Judith Butler was talking about "embodied agency", and perhaps that
offers a middle way out?
Best,
Angel
At 10:36 PM 1/24/02 -0500, you wrote:
>Bill,
>
>I don't think that you can pose the question like that: development is
>first on the social plane and than on the individual. Don't forget that for
>Vygotsky individual development is MEDIATED by the socially produced TOOLS
>(of communication and material technologies). Individual and social are not
>separate but always in interaction as two aspects of the same process or
>two inseparable parts of one and the same machine. If you want to use a
>modern day metaphor: maybe you can say that the development of computer
>hardware is driven by the development of computer software and the other
>way around. (it is just a very rough metaphor I admit).
>If you can characterize Vygotsky's thinking into a definite method of
>thinking, than it is not a determinism at al - it is dialectical thinking.
>
>
>At 03:58 PM 1/24/2002 -0800, you wrote:
>>Folks,
>>
>>Many of you have probably discussed this before, so I'm turning to you as
sort
>>of brain-trust. Vygotsky saw development occuring on the social plane,
before
>>that on an individual plane == then is his work an enviromental determinism?
>>
>>Thanks in advance for any comments and refernces in this direction.
>>
>>
>>
>>=====
>>Bill Barowy
>>
>>"Everything is a becoming, without beginning or end"
>>
>>__________________________________________________
>>Do You Yahoo!?
>>Great stuff seeking new owners in Yahoo! Auctions!
>>http://auctions.yahoo.com
>
>
***************************************************************
Angel Lin, Ph.D.(Ontario Institute for Studies in Education,
University of Toronto)
Assistant Professor, Department of English and Communication
City University of Hong Kong
Tat Chee Ave., Kowloon, Hong Kong
Fax: (852) 2788-8894; phone: (852) 2788-8122
E-mail: enangel@cityu.edu.hk
http://www.cityu.edu.hk/en/staff/angel/angel.html
http://www.tesl-hk.org.hk
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