At your first large academic conference, you go to one of the receptions
that some group is organizing. The room is full of groups animatedly
talking but, being new, you don't recognize anyone. However, overcoming
your nervousness, you take a glass of wine and a plate of assorted
veggies, and take up a position on the edge of one of the groups. For a
considerable time you listen, trying to pick up what the conversation is
about and where it seems to be heading. After a while, you feel
confident enough to make a brief response to what someone else has said
about an aspect of the topic on which you have been working. To your
surprise, somebody picks up what you have said and, before long, you are
fully involved in the discussion.
Half an hour later, you look round the group from your position in the
centre of the group and realize that almost all those who were present when
you joined have moved on. The discussion is still just as animated,
although the topic has changed somewhat as a result of the contributions
of others who have joined the group. Finally, you too decide to leave.
But the conversation continues.
I find this captures very well one of the central paradoxes of CHAT: the
activity system both precedes the participation of any particular
individual and provides the context for each individual's appropriation
of the practices and knowledge that constitute the activity and thus
contributes to the formation of his or her identity. At the same time,
the continuity of the activity system as well as its ongoing
transformation is dependent on the contributions of the particular
individuals who are the current participants.
As Eva put it: "same wave, different water molecules."
Gordon Wells, gwells who-is-at oise.utoronto.ca
OISE, Toronto.
P.S. Please note the change in my email address.