RE: [xmca] Socio-cultural theories

["Denise Newnham" <dsnewnham@bluewin.ch>]

Dear Mike and Larry, I for one am really interested in others remarks, I
especially would like to read what those categorized would say. Where would
Engestrom. Y place himself. Probably he would say that he is not
interested:) Apparently he is on the opposite end of the continuum to
Valsiner?

Denise


-----Original Message-----
From: xmca-bounces@weber.ucsd.edu [mailto:xmca-bounces@weber.ucsd.edu] On
Behalf Of mike cole
Sent: 21 August 2010 02:00
To: eXtended Mind, Culture,Activity
Cc: Keith Sawyer
Subject: [xmca] Socio-cultural theories

I greatly admire the work of Keith Sawyer, Larry. As I do a large number of
the people
he discussed in the article that Denise distributed. And it is always
interesting to see one's work
compared analytically with those of others. Its also interesting to try to
wrestle with the tangle of inter-related ideas embodied in a variety of
statements abstract from their context and arrayed against each other. I
have always struggled with the idea of inclusive and exclusive
inseparability, to take one example. Barbara opts for real real
inseparability. But she separates perspectives. In doing so, she makes
distinctions that sound a lot like "individual," small group," and "everyone
there." Of course, these are just perspectives on the same flow of activity,
but what principles provide the template to the next person to know how to
make the same separations?

Keiths terrific discussion is a reminder of how difficult it is to be
consistent in this maelstrom of scholarly inquiry, and how statements taken
from different periods, abstracted from their
context (oops, tough word to use, in this... ugh, discussion), afford
setting up a firm category -- like sociocultural theory, or who fits in the
category of socio-cultural theorist. Kind of like distinguishing the dancer
from the dance. Impossible, of course. But somehow we slip into doing it all
the time.

I'll be interested in what others make of these complex issues.


Thanks to Denise for this stimulating read. I'll read with interests what
others think about these
issues.
mike
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