Activity Theory as an Activist and Interventionist Theory

Center for Research on Activity, Development and Learning CRADLEUniversity of Helsinki

1

Annalisa Sannino

Center for Research on Activity, Development and Learning(CRADLE)

University of Helsinki

Moscow State University of Psychology and Education, 20-21 October 2009

Activity Theory as an Activist and Interventionist

Theory


2

Examples of critiques of recent activity-theoretical work in the West

The triangular representation of the activity system excludes subjectivity, sensuous experience, emotion and ethico-moral issues (Roth, 2009)

“The contemporary, widely known version of CHAT, related to Yrjö Engeström’s theoretical and empirical work, neglects different aspects of dialectical thinking and consequently narrows its potential to a socio-critical approach to societal practice and human development” (Langemeyer & Roth, 2006, p. 21)

Problematic or erroneous understanding of Leont’ev’s work - with regard to the concept of object (Kaptelinin, 2005), and the concept of task (Bedny & Karwowski, 2004)


3

Two claims, standing out from these examples of critiques

First claim: dominance of collectivity over subjectivity

Second claim: the triangular model distorts the dialectical basis of activity theory


4

Seeing contemporary contributions to activity theory in the perspective of

continuity with the historical lineage


5

Activity theory has the distinctive characteristic of developing as an

integral part of the historical turmoil through which activity theorists have

lived


6

Two main historical phases of turmoil

• the Russian revolution, which triggered the engagement of the founders

• the radical student movement, through which activity theory was rediscovered and further developed in Europe and other parts of the world


7

The historical lineage

Vygotsky’s psychological laboratory at the Gomel Teacher Training School for providing infrastructures for homeless children and for children with special needs (Yaroshevsky, 1984)

Luria and Leont’ ev’s research on emotions which provided criminologists with an early model of a lie detector (Luria, 2005, pp. 34-36)

Luria’s new methods of neuropsychological examinations of patients with brain damages and new treatments for restoring speech (Luria, 2005)


8






9






10

… The historical lineage

Leont’ev’s work with injured solders for the rehabilitation of their lost movement functions, together with Gal’perin, Zaporozhets and Rubinshtein (Leont’ev & Zaporozhets, 1960)

Meshcheryakov (1979) work for educating children with multisensory imparement in the Zagorsk boarding school

Davydov’s (1990) large-scale interventions of developmental teaching covering entire schools and new methods of designing school subjects

The philosopher Ilyenkov grounded his philosophy in the educational practices carried on in the boarding school directed by Meshcheryakov (Levitin, 1982)


11







12







13







14

Two foundational epistemological principles for interventionism in

activity theory 1. Vygotsky’s principle of double stimulation 2. Marx’s principle of ascending from the

abstract to the concrete, explicated by Ilyenkov and put into practice in Davydov’s interventionist work


15

Vygotsky’s principle of double stimulation:

The mechanism with which human beings can intentionally break out of a contradictory situation and change their circumstances or solve difficult problems

The first stimulus: the problem itselfThe second stimulus: an external artifact which subject turns into a sign by filling it with significant meaning With the help of the second stimulus the subject gains control of his/her action and a new understanding of the initial circumstances or problem


16

Ilyenkov/Davydov’s principle of ascending from the abstract to the

concrete

All thinking and learning is abstracting meaning from some initial sensory-concrete diffuse whole

Empirical abstractions, based on classifications of superficial features of phenomenaTheoretical abstractions, based on practical transformations, experimentation and change (neglected in schools)

Theoretical abstractions allow the learner to identify a functional relationship of the reality under scrutiny, also called germ cell


17

Response to the critiques

Taking into account the two interventionist epistemological principles

Subjectivity emerges as an achievement rather than as an assumption

Dialectics is not intrinsic in the triangular model; the model needs to be used in a process of ascending from the abstract to the concrete


18

Focusing on three examples of interventionist methods

developed within the framework of activity theory, namely

the Fifth Dimension, the Change Laboratory and the Clinic of Activity


19

The 5D (Cole, 1996) Activities characterized by the participation of undergraduate students in dyads or in small groups with children and by the use of a rich variety of ICT- based and other artifacts

A maze through which children move according to rules but also independently choosing learning tasks of their interest

Learning tasks: illustrated to children in task cards in which one can select among progressive levels of difficulty

Children are encouraged to communicate by writing with a mysterious figure generally called the Wizard

Envisioned key outcomes: active student participation, horizontal social learning, re-design of learning environments


Change Laboratory (Engeström, 2007)

• Typically conducted in an activity system that is facing a major transformation, often a relatively independent pilot unit in a large organization

• Participants: Working practitioners and managers, together with a small group of interventionist-researchers (when feasible, also clients or patients)

• Sessions: five to ten successive Change Laboratory sessions, often with follow-up sessions after some months

Envisioned key outcomes: collective agency, concept formation and implementation of new practices


21A Change Laboratory in a middle school

Mirror Model and vision

Ideas and tools


22

Interventions as debates between professionals on the basis of jointly produced cross-commentaries of videotaped images which depict daily activities at work

Envisioned key outcomes: individual agency, redesign of work actions, implementation of new professional actions

Clinic of Activity (Clot, 1995)


Cross-commentaries of the videotaped action of stopping the train


24

Characteristics of the 2 principles

Fifth Dimension Change Laboratory Clinic of Activity

Conflictual problem tasks (1st stimulus)

Problem tasks, not necessarily conflictual

Yes, in the mirror material

Yes, in the video excerpts

Use of auxiliary artifact (2nd stimulus)

Yes, with support from undergraduates

Yes, with conceptual models

Yes, with feedback from colleagues

Gained control and new understanding

Yes, of the task Yes, of the activity Yes, of key actions

Experimentation with(in) a problematic situation

Yes, with ‘what if’ questions

Yes, with ‘why’ questions


Identification and modeling of germ cell

Occasional, mainly at the level of action

With a strong focus on activity

With a strong emphasis on action

Testing the germ cell

Possible With a strong focus on activity


Implementing the theoretically –mastered solution


Possible


25


























Possible


26


























Possible


27


























Possible


28


























Possible


29


























Possible


30


























Possible


31


























Possible


32


























Possible


33


























Possible


34


























Possible


35


























Possible


36


























Possible


37


























Possible


38

An agenda for future work and discussions

Opening up a new perspective for activity-theoretical research by drawing on

findings from the Change Laboratory, the Clinic of Activity, the Fifth Dimension and possible other

methods asimplementations of the principles of double

stimulation and ascending form the abstract to the concrete

Activity Theory as an Activist and Interventionist Theory

Documents

Transcript of Activity Theory as an Activist and Interventionist Theory