Re: [xmca] Engeström's theory of expansive learning, views appreciated!

Dima-- There is a lot packed into your note including, crucially, the idea
that a lot of people on XMCA have read the article you refer to. I am
guessing this is an incorrect presupposition.
So, to start with, you might provide a reference to the article.

I do know something about Yrjo Engestrom's intervention studies and in so
far as I understand the following statement/question, I think the answer is
"no" or at least it is not necessarily
true depending upon the participation structure of those involved. You
wrote:

Doesn't intervention relegate the role of the less powerfully-positioned
researchers? Does it not also define the participants as those who are
enabled to act, e.g. 'a head physician' or 'a manager'?

I am really uncertain what you mean in the first question, by the phrase
"relegate the role of the less-powerfully positioned researchers." I do not
believe that the method requires that the participants be head physicians or
managers. This is not the case in some of the research examples with which I
am familiar, but perhaps because I am not familiar enough.

mike.

On Jan 20, 2008 3:16 PM, dima dayoub <ddima@hotmail.com> wrote:

>
> Dear all,
>
> I am a PhD student at the University of Manchester, currently writing up
> my research. I am interested in exploring the adoption experiences of online
> education in the Syrian Virtual University, a new initiative in the region.
>
> I would appreciate any feedback on the following:
>
> I am reflecting on whether Engeström's notion of 'experiencing'
> necessarily implies intervention-mediation. I have read his 2007 article
> 'Enriching the theory of expansive learning: lessons from ourneys towards
> coconfiguration' and I have understood the occuring reflections in the
> variousorganisations studied as an outcome of intervention sessions. In my
> research, I have found that 'experiencing the future' can also be a natural
> way of mentally steering away from current tensions, triggered by great
> disparities between the rhetorical and the real, and verbalised informally
> or in the research context. Such reflections were not necessarily followed
> by action, particulary when the participants were not in a position to act,
> and tensions took the shape of external influences.
>
> Doesn't intervention relegate the role of the less powerfully-positioned
> researchers? Does it not also define the participants as those who are
> enabled to act, e.g. 'a head physician' or 'a manager'?
>
> Any 'corrective' or other interpretations of Engeström, will be truly
> appreciated.
>
> Many thanks in anticipation
> Dima> Date: Mon, 21 Jan 2008 09:26:57 +1100> To: xmca@weber.ucsd.edu>
> From: ablunden@mira.net> Subject: RE: [xmca] Once Again, Learning and
> Development!> > Helena,> Go to the context:>
> http://marx.org/archive/marx/works/1859/critique-pol-economy/appx1.htm#p211>
> Marx deals with your question there, I think.> > Marx is a little ambiguous,
> across his life, on what is included under > "production," but since we are
> talking about whole social formations in > this instance, and taking into
> account other claims in this same work, I > think we can say that he is
> talking about economic production as distinct > from "superstructure".
> Personally, however, I would say that for the > purposes of psychology, it
> is questionable whether "production" can be > conceived in that limited way.
> My point only was that this general approach > to complex human forms of
> development, in the Hegelian/Marxist tradition, > has always had this idea
> about a "leading activity."> > Andy> > At 10:26 AM 20/01/2008 -0600, you
> wrote:> >Andy et al:> >> >What does Marx mean by "production"? What is
> included? Can you give some > >examples of social formations and then
> examples of "production" that are > >specific, of not unique, to each
> formation?> >> >I'm reading John Berger, especially "The Production of the
> World," his > >essay about Van Gogh, but Berger uses the phrase "production
> of the world" > >in other essays, too.> >> >Helena> >>
> >________________________________________> >From:
> xmca-bounces@weber.ucsd.edu [xmca-bounces@weber.ucsd.edu] On Behalf > >Of
> Andy Blunden [ablunden@mira.net]> >Sent: Saturday, January 19, 2008 8:02
> PM> >To: eXtended Mind, Culture, Activity> >Subject: Re: [xmca] Once Again,
> Learning and Development!> >> >There is in every social formation a
> particular branch of production which> >determines the position and
> importance of all the others, and the relations> >obtaining in this branch
> accordingly determine the relations of all other> >branches as well. It is
> as though light of a particular hue were cast upon> >everything, tingeing
> all other colours and modifying their specific features.> >> >Marx,
> <../../1859/critique-pol-economy/appx1.htm#p211>Preface to the> >Critique of
> Political Economy (1859)> >> >> >> >At 08:16 AM 19/01/2008 -0800, you
> wrote:> > >... Actually, I'm not sure if this way of understanding what
> Vygotsky> > >meant by central functions and peripheral functions is right at
> all. It's> > >okay for learning, but it does seem too microgenetic to
> describe> > >development, doesn't it? Perhaps the BEST thing to do is to
> take this back> > >to XMCA and see what others think!> > >> > > David
> Kellogg> > > Seoul National University of Education> >>
> >_______________________________________________> >xmca mailing list> >
> xmca who-is-at weber.ucsd.edu> >http://dss.ucsd.edu/mailman/listinfo/xmca>
> >_______________________________________________> >xmca mailing list> >
> xmca who-is-at weber.ucsd.edu> >http://dss.ucsd.edu/mailman/listinfo/xmca> > Andy
> Blunden : http://home.mira.net/~andy/ <http://home.mira.net/%7Eandy/> tel
> (H) +61 3 9380 9435, > mobile 0409 358 651> >
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Received on Sun Jan 20 21:04 PST 2008