Vygotsky S Sociohistorical Psychology And Its Contemporary Applications

The social character of psychological phenomena has never been easy to comprehend. Despite the fact that an intricate set of social relations forms our most intimate thoughts, feelings, and actions, we believe that psychology originates inside our body, in genes, hormones, the brain, and free will. Perhaps this asocial view stems from the alienated nature of most societies which makes individual activity appear to be estranged from social relations. One might have thought that the emergence of scientific psychology would have disclosed the social character of activity had overlooked. Unfortunately, a century and a which naive experience half of psychological science has failed to comprehend the elusive social character of psychological phenomena. Psychological science has evi dently been subjugated by the mystifying ideology of society. This book aims to comprehend the social character of psychological functioning. I argue that psychological functions are quintessentially so cial in nature and that this social character must be comprehended if psychological knowledge and practice are to advance. The social nature of psychological phenomena consists in the fact that they are constructed by individuals in the process of social interaction, they depend upon properties of social interaction, one of their primary purposes is facili tating social interaction, and they embody the specific character of his torically bound social relations. This viewpoint is known as sociohistorical psychology. It was artic ulated most profoundly and comprehensively by the Russian psycholo gists Lev Vygotsky and Alexander Luria during ,the 1920s and 1930s.

The seminal work of Russian theorist Lev Vygotsky (1896–1934) has exerted a deep influence on psychology over the past 30 years. Vygotsky was an educator turned psychologist, and his writings clearly reflected his pedagogical concerns. For Vygotsky, schools and other informal educational situations represent the best cultural laboratories to study thinking. He emphasized the social organization of instruction, writing about the 'unique form of cooperation between the child and the adult that is the central element of the educational process'. Vygotsky's emphasis on the social context of thinking represents the reorganization of a key social system and associated modes of discourse, with potential consequences for developing new forms of thinking. This volume is devoted to analyzing Vygotsky's ideas as a means of bringing to light the relevance of his concepts to education. What does Vygotsky's approach have to offer education? Distinguished scholars from various countries and representing several disciplines discuss the essence and significance of Vygotsky's work, analyze the educational implications of his thoughts, and present applications in practice, addressing educational issues such as school organization, teacher training, educational achievement, literacy learning and development, uses of technology, community-based education, and special education.

Vol. 2 translated and with an introduction by Jane E. Knox and Carol B. Stevens.

Edited by Mark R. McMinn and Timothy R. Phillips, this collection of essays is a multidisciplinary dialogue on the interface between psychology and theology that takes seriously the long, rich tradition of soul care in the church.

Seventy years after his death, the visionary work of Lev Semenovich Vygotsky (1896-1934) continues to have a profound impact on psychology, sociology, education, and other varied disciplines. The Essential Vygotsky selects the most significant writings from all phases of his work, and material from all six volumes of his Collected Works, so that readers can introduce themselves to the pioneering concepts developed by this influential Russian therapist, scholar, and cultural theorist, including: • The cultural-historical approach • The role of language in creating the mind • The development of memory and perception • Defectology (abnormal psychology/learning disabilities/special education) • The Zone of Proximal Development Each section features an insightful introduction exploring relevant aspects of Vygotsky’s life and illuminating the revolutionary historical context in which these writings were conceived. Together, they reflect the studies he was conducting at the time of his death and the pathbreaking clinical observations that made his reputation. For years, these papers were available mainly in hastily translated underground editions; now The Essential Vygotsky distills them into their most accessible form. Readers will be impressed and inspired by his insights, his optimism, his prescience, and his humanity. These papers are particularly relevant for students of developmental psychology, language, special education, and the history of these fields.

In this volume, readers are introduced to Vygotsky's argument for a theoretical and methodological approach to differentiate A "higher" mental functions from the more basic brain processes that other theorists believed were at the center of the psychological apparatus. The famed Soviet psychologist's view of developmental issues as an intricately woven tapestry of functions includes analyses of: - the development of speech and written language - the mastering of attention and mnemonic skills - self-control and the higher, more cultivated forms of behavior - the cultural age, personality, and world view of children.