Lara,
But doesn't the trouble become that once we posit a fiction it can't
help but become a functional instrument. Once we posit an intra aren't
we positing a differentiation in not only the way people think but the
knowledge they hold inside their head. Once we admit to knowledge
inside the head aren't we heading towards the idea that some people hold
greater or superior knowledge to other people? Once we do that aren't
we heading towards a natural idea of expertise, and the idea that
experts should tell us what to do and that we should listen to them so
that we can benefit from knowledge? Once we do this, how short a jump
is it from the idea that people function within nature to people can
step outside nature, observe it, take knowledge from it, and then use
that knowledge to control it? How easy is it once we posit dualisms as
a simple instrument simply to study individual development (which means
of course that we have to posit individual development is important to
study - and I am a Developmental Psychologist - or used to be) that we
become controlled by this idea of dualisms? Dewey said we are drawn to
dualist propositions so easily because it gives us a false sense of
security and control. How do we escape that?
Michael
-----Original Message-----
From: xmca-bounces@weber.ucsd.edu [mailto:xmca-bounces@weber.ucsd.edu]
On Behalf Of Lara Beaty
Sent: Tuesday, November 21, 2006 11:30 AM
To: eXtended Mind, Culture, Activity
Subject: Re: [xmca] New Valsiner SEmiots paper on MCA website at lchc
If I may intrude on the issue of dualisms, I'm intrigued by Latour's
critique of the "modern constitution," which I read as saying that the
dualities have never existed (were never truly believed) but that they
serve
an analytical purpose. I share others' uneasiness with Valsiner's
emphases,
but as someone who is primarily a developmental psychologist, I'm not
sure
there is a language that can focus on the important differences
indicated by
inter/intra without sliding into a fictive duality. If it can get us
somewhere with our data, then can't we turn around and remember the
fictions
we employed?
What do you think?
Lara
_______________________________________________
xmca mailing list
xmca@weber.ucsd.edu
http://dss.ucsd.edu/mailman/listinfo/xmca
_______________________________________________
xmca mailing list
xmca@weber.ucsd.edu
http://dss.ucsd.edu/mailman/listinfo/xmca
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Wed Jan 03 2007 - 07:14:21 PST