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[xmca] The Perils of Translation



Mike, there is another translation here which I have never spoken up about. In the quote from Vygotsky on p. 294 we have the word "periodicity." This word has a definite meaning in natural science which makes no sense in this context. There is however a word which is very common in discussions of Marxist analysis of complex processes of development, viz, "periodization."

Now granted, "periodization" refers to a cognitive act by the writer not an immanent process of the subject matter, but I don't know of any word in English which conveys the objective meaning.

I presume that whatever word Vygotsky was using in Russian refers to the characteristic of the process of development to manifest itself in a series of distinct Gestalt stages, in which the passage from one Gestalt to the next is the central focus of analysis. Understanding this is of course crucial to understanding what the objectives of instruction must be. So if there any future translations of Mind in Society, I would recommend "periodization" here.

Andy

mike cole wrote:
Dear Colleagues-
Owing to problems in communicating with Bruce about posting the articles for
discussion polling
booth, which were entirely my fault, my editorial comment was included among
those being voted on. This seems an error to me. I have regretted that those
who read this list and only read the article for discussion posted free
after a vote are missing an essential function of the editorials which is to
raise issues of general concern to the MCA/XMCA community, leading to
restricted discussions on XMCA that could most usefully be general. On the
other hand, the idea of the posting of articles submitted and reviewed in
the journal is to allows as broad an international community of scholars as
possible to have their
work discussed without waiting years for feedback and that idea is not well
served by the editorials.

Consequently, in this case, I have asked that bruce jones re-set the voting
booth and remove my editorial. At the same time. I am attaching the
editorial here for discussion. Perhaps Wolf-Michael or Ray McDermott and
collaborator will wish to do the same, or perhaps others who write
editorials I (the greater variety of voices we all hear, the better!!) will
choose to do so.

My apologies for the inconvenience i have caused. The new polls should be in
place early in the week if not before.

Since it will be a week or so before we have the results of that poll, if
people want to discuss the editorial,
fine. But there is an important discussion going on right now that may
supercede the issues I raise.

mike


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Andy Blunden http://www.erythrospress.com/
Classics in Activity Theory: Hegel, Leontyev, Meshcheryakov, Ilyenkov $20 ea

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