[xmca] Re: The Perils of Translation

[mike cole <lchcmike@gmail.com>]

Periodization sounds good to me, Andy.
mike

On Sun, Oct 25, 2009 at 12:22 AM, Andy Blunden <ablunden@mira.net> wrote:

> 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
>>
>>
>> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> xmca mailing list
>> xmca@weber.ucsd.edu
>> http://dss.ucsd.edu/mailman/listinfo/xmca
>>
>
> --
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Andy Blunden http://www.erythrospress.com/
> Classics in Activity Theory: Hegel, Leontyev, Meshcheryakov, Ilyenkov $20
> ea
>
>
_______________________________________________
xmca mailing list
xmca@weber.ucsd.edu
http://dss.ucsd.edu/mailman/listinfo/xmca