[xmca] critical perspectives

>From: "Peter Sawchuk" <psawchuk@oise.utoronto.ca>
>
>Hi Andy,
>
>I just got a chance to leaf through xmca and, I think I can see why you
>would say that people may be misunderstanding your article somewhat (in
>part because there really isn't much of a focused discussion). The fact is
>I couldnt find a reasonable place to inter-act with the dialogue and the
>issues that I understand to be at hand in your piece [and, of course I
>found in general theres just so many silly off-shoots (about how to
>address people and terms of endearment; but maybe I dont know how to
>search the list properly)].
>
>In any case, I thought I would send you my own reading of it, and why I
>think it will be of value for my students for what it's worth...
>
>By way of background, I dont remember if I mentioned that the course I
>plan to use your article in is entitled Sociology of Learning and Social
>Movementsand I intend it to be a genuine dialogue across social movement
>theoryin sociology (and political science) and CHAT; CHAT being the most
>viable means of thinking about social movements in terms of a human
>developmental process. Your article appears in the latter half of the
>course. By the end students will be asked to apply CHAT to social movement
>research both empirically and conceptually.
>
>Ive planned to have your paper to arrivein our discussions at the point
>when I predict some important discussions will emerge about the nature of
>the subject. I intended to use the paper to give some meat to discussions
>of dialectical approaches to the subject, and this is where I see the core
>value for course discussion.
>
>I feel, as I think somebody else on the xmca remarked, that I may have to
>address the distinction you have between socialand the culturalin class
>discussion. I have to think a bit more about what Ill say on that between
>now and March, but any further, brief comments from you might be helpful
>but dont worry about it if you dont have the time. Also, the statement
>regarding the distinction between material production and inter-subjective
>exchange in Anna's work remains a bit opaque to me.
>
>In any case, I particularly like the posing of the challenge that CHAT
>appropriate social theory critically (including as you say intermediate
>conceptsId say this is a good starting point). This task is monumental,
>and is in fact the subject of a forthcoming paper in MCA by Anna Stetsenko
>and I where we focus on theories of conduct(social action and enactment)
>in the sociological tradition.
>
>I also particularly liked the way you situated CHAT and the ethos of
>progressive communitarianismas not being outmodedin a way that is not
>romanticized; somewhat connected here is the offhand linkage to Regulation
>Theory although I doubt it will emerge in our course discussions which
>reflects my feelings about sociology of work, economy, labour process
>theory, etc. as Ive written them in the past. (I teach courses on
>sociology of work)
>
>A point that is made about the dichotomy between thickand thinethos is an
>extremely interesting one for me as well. Mostly implicitly Ive worked
>with the idea that to understand subordinate social standpoints, in
>addition to lots of other matters, requires special attention to social
>life beginning from what I usually refer to as the cracks and crevicesof
>institutional life; I argue that this is where we are most likely to find
>positive expressions of these standpoints and, something akin to what
>Engestrom called expansive learning. I see that my thinking doesnt match
>with this thick and thin distinction all that well, as I see more intimate
>and developmental relations amongst subordinate social groups in the
>cracks and crevices while the thin ethosas youve defined it seems to be a
>place of anonymity and as you say on p.255 interaction between strangers.
>Perhaps Ill follow up the source documents on this; I have Agnes Heller's
>book on Everyday life and perhaps it's worth revisting.
>
>As I said, however, my main point of interest and congratulations is on
>the matter of dialectics. Dialectics are a fundamental component across
>several of our courses in the stream where I teach. The quick, concise
>review of Hegel is a nice little introduction. Dialectical analysis is
>obviously the key to unraveling the dichotomies you mention in social
>theory as well as CHAT, and the suggestive tracing this similar element
>(e.g. p.258 and then later on) in Vygotsky/Leontiev is highly useful. Im
>not quite convinced that Hegel is the first cultural-historical activity
>theoristsince there are a variety of matters to be debated regarding the
>meaning of the state in Hegel and of course his attention to materiality,
>etc. just harkening back to Marxist critique of which youre well aware Im
>sure; but its worth arguing, and of course I havent dug into Hegel for
>almost ten years now so this is refreshing. I actually remember Seth
>Chaiklin arguing something similar to me in some emails that eventually
>led to him writing the foreword for a book I did with Newton Duarte and
>Mohamed Elhammoumi. What is clear to me is that the dialectic remains an
>under-appreciated and certainly under-utilized method for understanding
>the complex dynamics that constitute activity and it is at the core of
>what I hope students will take from the article& Its application brings
>the boundaries between individual bodies and, for example, an institution,
>under the yoke of a method of analysis; a method that allows, among other
>things, for social scientists to put flesh on the bone of the oft-cited
>notion of "historicity" which to my mind is echoed in your comments on
>p.260-263.
>
>Anyways, that's my two cents worth.
>
>Best wishes - Peter
>
>
>Peter Sawchuk writes:
>Okay. I'll see if I can't find some time between xmas and new year to go
>into xmca - p
>
>Andy Blunden <ablunden@mira.net> writes:
>Wow! Spooky.
>If you're including it in your graduate course, that's a nice positive mark
>for the article. I fear it is going to die on xmca. It is not being
>understood. If you have a chance to drop in a message to xmca that would be
>nice.
>Anyway, thanks for your work, and some time later I may have something more
>to say. Digestion takes time.
>
>Andy
>At 02:00 PM 20/12/2007 -0500, you wrote:
> >Well this is pretty spooky. I literally just one minute ago finished
> >taking notes on your recent MCA article which I shall be including in a
> >new graduate course I'm pulling together for January entitled 'Sociology
> >of learning and social movements'.
> >
> >In any case, glad you liked that chapter (haven't heard much from anybody
> >about it). I do go onto xmca now and again, but I usually don't feel I
> >have the energy to do the discussion justice. I saw they're discussing
> >this paper of yours now; hope that goes well.Thanks for the comment.
> >Cheers - Peter
> >
> >Andy Blunden <ablunden@mira.net> writes:
> >Just read your article in "Critical Perspectives on Activity." Very nice
> work.
> >You don't participate in the xmca listserv?
> >
> >Andy Blunden
> >
> >
> > Andy Blunden :
> <<http://home.mira.net/~andy/>http://home.mira.net/~andy/>http://home.mira.net/~andy/
>
> > tel (H) +61 3 9380 9435,
> >mobile 0409 358 651
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >_______________________
> >Peter H. Sawchuk, PhD
> >Associate Professor
> >Sociology and Equity Studies in Education
> >Ontario Institute for Studies in Education
> >University of Toronto
> >252 Bloor Street West
> >Toronto, Ontario, Canada
> >M5S 1V6
> >(t) 416-978-0570
> >(e) psawchuk@oise.utoronto.ca
> >(f) 416-926-4751
> >
> >To find out about the Learning & Work Graduate Studies Program at OISE/UT:
> ><<http://www.learningwork.ca/courses>http://www.learningwork.ca/courses>h
> ttp://www.learningwork.ca/courses
>
> Andy Blunden : <http://home.mira.net/~andy/>http://home.mira.net/~andy/
> tel (H) +61 3 9380 9435,
>mobile 0409 358 651
>
>
>
>
>_______________________
>Peter H. Sawchuk, PhD
>Associate Professor
>Sociology and Equity Studies in Education
>Ontario Institute for Studies in Education
>University of Toronto
>252 Bloor Street West
>Toronto, Ontario, Canada
>M5S 1V6
>(t) 416-978-0570
>(e) psawchuk@oise.utoronto.ca
>(f) 416-926-4751
>
>To find out about the Learning & Work Graduate Studies Program at OISE/UT:
><http://www.learningwork.ca/courses>http://www.learningwork.ca/courses
>
>
>
>
>_______________________
>Peter H. Sawchuk, PhD
>Associate Professor
>Sociology and Equity Studies in Education
>Ontario Institute for Studies in Education
>University of Toronto
>252 Bloor Street West
>Toronto, Ontario, Canada
>M5S 1V6
>(t) 416-978-0570
>(e) psawchuk@oise.utoronto.ca
>(f) 416-926-4751
>
>To find out about the Learning & Work Graduate Studies Program at OISE/UT:
><http://www.learningwork.ca/courses>http://www.learningwork.ca/courses

  Andy Blunden : http://home.mira.net/~andy/ tel (H) +61 3 9380 9435,
mobile 0409 358 651

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Received on Thu Jan 3 15:26 PST 2008