Critical Perspectives on Activity: Explorations Across Education, Work, and Everyday Life

doi:10.1017/CBO9780511509568

The last two decades have seen an international explosion of interest in theories of mind, culture, and activity. This unique collection is the first to explicitly reach back to the tradition's original critical impulse within which the writings of Karl Marx played such a central role. Each author pushes this impulse further to address leading contemporary questions. It includes a diverse array of international scholars working from the fields of education, psychology, philosophy, sociology, anthropology, communications, industrial relations, and business studies. Broken into three main sections - education, work, and everyday life - each chapter builds from an analysis of practice and learning as social cultural participation and historical change in relation to the concept of activity, contradiction, and struggle. This book offers insight into an important complex of overlapping practices and institutions to shed light on broader debates over such matters as the 'knowledge economy' and 'lifelong learning'.

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Contents

Frontmatter
pp i-vi
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Contents
pp vii-viii
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List of Contributors
pp ix-x
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Foreword by Seth Chaiklin
pp xi-xiv
- By Seth Chaiklin, Department of Educational Psychology, The Danish University of Education
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Acknowledgements
pp xv-xvi
- By Peter H. Sawchuk, Professor of Sociology & Equity Studies in Education as well as Industrial Relations, University of Toronto, Newton Duarte, Full professor in Philosophy of Education, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP) in Brazil, Mohamed Elhammoumi, Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology, College of Social Sciences, Imam Muhammad Ibn Saud Islamic University in Saudi Arabia
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1 - Introduction: Exploring Activity Across Education, Work, and Everyday Life
pp 1-20
- By Peter H. Sawchuk, Department of Sociology and Equity Studies in Education, University of Toronto, Canada., Newton Duarte, Department of Philosophy of Education, Universidade Estadual Paulista, Brazil., Mohamed Elhammoumi, Department of Psychology, Imam Muhammad Ibn Saud Islamic University, Saudi Arabia.
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SECTION I - CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON THEORY
pp 21-22
- By Peter H. Sawchuk, Professor of Sociology & Equity Studies in Education as well as Industrial Relations, University of Toronto, Newton Duarte, Full professor in Philosophy of Education, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP) in Brazil, Mohamed Elhammoumi, Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology, College of Social Sciences, Imam Muhammad Ibn Saud Islamic University in Saudi Arabia
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2 - Is There a Marxist Psychology?
pp 23-34
- By Mohamed Elhammoumi, Department of Psychology, Imam Muhammad Ibn Saud Islamic University, Saudi Arabia.
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3 - The Cultural–Historical Activity Theory: Some Aspects of Development
pp 35-51
- By Joachim Lompscher, Department of Educational Psychology, University of Potsdam, Germany.
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4 - Epistemological Scepticism, Complacent Irony: Investigations Concerning the Neo-Pragmatism of Richard Rorty
pp 52-72
- By Maria Célia Marcondes de Moraes, Department of Philosophy of Education, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Brazil.
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SECTION II - EDUCATION
pp 73-74
- By Peter H. Sawchuk, Professor of Sociology & Equity Studies in Education as well as Industrial Relations, University of Toronto, Newton Duarte, Full professor in Philosophy of Education,Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP) in Brazil, Mohamed Elhammoumi, Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology, College of Social Sciences, Imam Muhammad Ibn Saud Islamic University in Saudi Arabia
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5 - The Importance of Play in Pre-School Education: Naturalisation Versus a Marxist Analysis
pp 75-88
- By Alessandra Arce, Department of History of Education & Childhood Education, Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil.
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6 - Estranged Labor Learning
pp 89-122
- By Ray McDermott, Department of Anthropology, University of California-San Diego, United States., Jean Lave, Department of Education and Geography, University of Calfornia-Berkeley, United States.
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7 - “Our Working Conditions Are Our Students' Learning Conditions”: A CHAT Analysis of College Teachers
pp 123-142
- By Helena Worthen, Department of Industrial Relations, University of Illinois-Urbana-Champaign, United States., Joe Berry, Chicago Labor Education Program, University of Illinois-Urbana-Champaign, United States.
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SECTION III - WORK
pp 143-144
- By Peter H. Sawchuk, Professor of Sociology & Equity Studies in Education as well as Industrial Relations, University of Toronto, Newton Duarte, Full professor in Philosophy of Education, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP) in Brazil, Mohamed Elhammoumi, Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology, College of Social Sciences, Imam Muhammad Ibn Saud Islamic University in Saudi Arabia
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8 - Contradictory Class Relations in Work and Learning: Some Resources for Hope
pp 145-159
- By D. W. Livingstone, Department of Sociology, University of Toronto, Canada
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9 - From Labor Process to Activity Theory
pp 160-192
- By Paul S. Adler, School of Business, University of Southern California, United states.
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10 - Values, Rubbish, and Workplace Learning
pp 193-208
- By Yrjö Engeström, Department of Adult Education, University of Helsinki Finland.
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SECTION IV - EVERYDAY LIFE
pp 209-210
- By Peter H. Sawchuk, Professor of Sociology & Equity Studies in Education as well as Industrial Relations, University of Toronto, Newton Duarte, Full professor in Philosophy of Education, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP) in Brazil, Mohamed Elhammoumi, Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology, College of Social Sciences, Imam Muhammad Ibn Saud Islamic University in Saudi Arabia
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11 - Education as Mediation Between the Individual's Everyday Life and the Historical Construction of Society and Culture by Humankind
pp 211-237
- By Newton Duarte, Department of Philosophy of Education, Universidade Estadual Paulista, Brazil.
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12 - Activity and Power: Everyday Life and Development of Working-Class Groups
pp 238-268
- By Peter H. Sawchuk, Department of Sociology and Equity Studies in Education, University of Toronto, Canada.
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References
pp 269-292
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Index
pp 293-295
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Critical Perspectives on Activity

Explorations Across Education, Work, and Everyday Life

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Contents

Frontmatter
pp i-vi

Contents
pp vii-viii

List of Contributors
pp ix-x

Foreword by Seth Chaiklin
pp xi-xiv

Acknowledgements
pp xv-xvi

1 - Introduction: Exploring Activity Across Education, Work, and Everyday Life
pp 1-20

SECTION I - CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON THEORY
pp 21-22

2 - Is There a Marxist Psychology?
pp 23-34

3 - The Cultural–Historical Activity Theory: Some Aspects of Development
pp 35-51

4 - Epistemological Scepticism, Complacent Irony: Investigations Concerning the Neo-Pragmatism of Richard Rorty
pp 52-72

SECTION II - EDUCATION
pp 73-74

5 - The Importance of Play in Pre-School Education: Naturalisation Versus a Marxist Analysis
pp 75-88

6 - Estranged Labor Learning
pp 89-122

7 - “Our Working Conditions Are Our Students' Learning Conditions”: A CHAT Analysis of College Teachers
pp 123-142

SECTION III - WORK
pp 143-144

8 - Contradictory Class Relations in Work and Learning: Some Resources for Hope
pp 145-159

9 - From Labor Process to Activity Theory
pp 160-192

10 - Values, Rubbish, and Workplace Learning
pp 193-208

SECTION IV - EVERYDAY LIFE
pp 209-210

11 - Education as Mediation Between the Individual's Everyday Life and the Historical Construction of Society and Culture by Humankind
pp 211-237

12 - Activity and Power: Everyday Life and Development of Working-Class Groups
pp 238-268

References
pp 269-292

Index
pp 293-295

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Critical Perspectives on Activity

Explorations Across Education, Work, and Everyday Life

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