[xmca] A matter of priorities in different models

[Larry Purss <lpscholar2@gmail.com>]

Ana  Mike and David K

The thread that  recently discussed Bahktin's and Vygotsky's alternative
perspectives was thought provoking.
Mike mentioned that we must bracket out some perspectives in order to focus
and elaborate other perspectives. He also mentioned that it's very difficult
to remain self conscious of our biases.

I agree that whenever we bracket out and turn a searchlight on phenomena, we
are going to leave other aspects of the phenomena in darkness. However, it
is possible  to try to become conscious that one is braceting out phenomena
for particular purposes and try to gain insight into the value's implicit in
what is bracketed out.

I'm reposting one particular  paragraph written by Ana that speaks to this
issue of bracketing and hoping for further comments by others.


"Although Vygotsky criticized Gestalt Psychology for the lack of the
dynamic, developmental approach to the relationship between language and
thought, he himself looked at the change of the relationship between
language and thought as a change in structural and functional aspects of
language and thought  -- as decontextualized - synchronic categories. In
addition, although Vygotsky insisted on the unity of the affective and
intellectual aspects of language-thought and on the "union of generalization
and communication", his analysis of communication stayed focussed on
transformations of conceptual categories (generalization) and did not
concern RELATIONAL aspects of communication. Was the relational aspect of
communication somehow there, but just backgrounded? I think it is the matter
of priorities -- not just research priorities, but the priorities IN THE
WHOLE MODEL and the analysis of development." [Ana]

What do others think of Ana's suggestion that  Bahktin's and
Vygotsky's theoretical models focus on different priorities.
A similar question was recently posted by Peter S recently when he asked

"what are the foundational concepts which inform the CHAT perspective?"
when he was opening debate on this month's article.

I personally am attempting  to deepen my understanding of the "intersection"
of these different priorities in a spirit that I believe was reflected in
Ana's thought provoking analysis.

Larry
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