Re: [xmca] Soft Power and Collective Sense Making

[Larry Purss <lpscholar2@gmail.com>]

Further reflections on semiotic means for exploring development.
Bert ores edited a book *the transformation in learning advances in
cultural-historical activity theory*.
A chapter in this book by Rene van der veer explores two distinct ways of
reflecting on the method of double stimulation.one way is using material
external objects as mediational tools as a step in the process towards
*internalization* [leontiv's experiments were reviewed].
The other interpretation prioritizes semiotic preverbial mediation. Rene
references Rodrigues work on double stimulation with 7, 10, and 13 month
old babies. Their model prioritizes *showing* and *demonstrating* as
mediating processes prior to *pointing* or * verbal* GESTURES to develop
babies conventionalized enculturation.

Contrasting material object mediation with semiotic dialogical mediation
[as a triad of infant mother and task] takes a *position* on the centrality
of *gestures* semiotically mediating enculturation processes as modeling
cultural conventions.

Ines langemeyer suggests vygotsky excavated 3 dimensions of mediational
process [use of sign, use of tool, and social cooperation] [reference is
"is cultural-historical activity theory threatened to fall short of its own
principles and possibilities as a dialectical social science"
rene's article gives a concrete example of the play among these 3
dimensions of mediational means.

Langemeyer [and wolff-michael Roth] also explores the understanding of
dialectical movement within cultural historical theories. Dialectics is NOT
an *instrument* to overcome the shortfalls of traditional forms of
investigation. This would misunderstand dialectics as merely a method that
can be *applied* like a tool.
Instead dialectical *thinking* becomes a challenge to constantly QUESTION a
variety of presuppositions concerning practices.
Langemeyer writes, "This questioning is paramount when a critical approach
is elaborated and when scientific thinking is developed as a practice of
emancipatory intervention."
To return to David eddy spicer's  introduction to his article exploring the
apparent opposition between an *emphasis* on the sign-mediated semiotic
nature of collective meaning making [including proverbial conventional
gesturing] and the *emphasis* on object-oriented  *activity* the two
articles I reference explore the dialectical relationship [as questioning
presuppositions] that may bring together semiotic and activity based
analyses.

larry purss
Ps langemeyer's article is published in the journal *outlines* which can be
freely downloaded



On Mon, May 13, 2013 at 7:46 AM, mike cole <lchcmike@gmail.com> wrote:

> Everything is related to everything else, Larry. Still, if we simply
> engage in Vygotskian chaining, it makes more effective concept development
> a little iffy.  :-)
>
> I think your question is related to Martin's regarding power and
> positive/negative
> effects. I found David ES who is cc'ed on this note. Like more than a few
> of us,
> this is a busy time of year for him, but he has been on xmca before and
> hopefully
> will join the conversation. If we are lucky we might get Harry to
> participate as well -- as I said, the discussion of Bernstein is important,
> and, I might add, of Hasan and Halliday as well. But first, Spicer Eddy!
>
> g'day!
> mike
>
>
>
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