Overview

This collection introduces Activity Theory to the current generation of theorists and researchers. Originating in early Soviet psychology, suppressed by Stalin, and later rediscovered, this rich theoretical tradition and intellectual movement proliferated globally and developed in different directions across a variety of disciplines. However, until recently it remained ""the best-held secret of academia"" (Engeström 2009). Activity Theory presents a unique approach to studying the nature, origin, and development of human subjectivity. Its core proposition is that the mind cannot be reduced to individual brain or body functions, nor can be understood as a discursive or cultural phenomenon. Instead, Activity Theory posits that the mind emerges and develops inter-subjectively, and is internalized by individuals always embedded, along with their culture and language, in the context of object-oriented social practices. By refocusing the lens of inquiry from the individual onto the patterns of activity in which they move, this method illuminates a special reality-the materiality of human practice, which shapes the subject in ways that biological and cultural explanations cannot fully capture. This volume assembles current scholarship from prominent figures across diverse fields who share the Activity Theory approach. It presents their findings and reflects on Activity Theory's history, significance, and prospects. With contributions by David Bakhurst, Andy Blunden, Mikael Brunila, Juliano Camillo, Seth Chaiklin, Michael Cole, Brecht De Smet, Yrjö Engeström, Cathrine Hasse, Alex Levant, Miriam McSweeney, Cristiano Mattos, Kyoko Murakami, Bonnie Nardi, Vesa Oittinen, Juhana Rantavuori, André Machado Rodriguez, Annalisa Sannino, Anna Stetsenko, Katsuhiro Yamazumi.

Full Product Details

9783838216508

Table of Contents

Reviews

This book is a timely and highly relevant contribution to psychology and associated fields, offering an excellent, comprehensive, and long-awaited introduction to Activity Theory. By bridging past and present and connecting theory with practical applications, it demonstrates the scope and rich potential of Activity Theory as a theoretical framework for the challenges and complexities of the human lifeworld in the 21st century. It is a brilliantly orchestrated book with lots to offer for the newcomer to Activity Theory as well as the experienced theorist or practitioner. —Sofie Pedersen, Department of People of Technology, Roskilde University, Denmark Structured in multiple parts to address the rich and lengthy history, the current trends, and possible futures—this collection has a great deal to recommend for both those new to and already familiar with the trans-disciplinary study of human activity. Introduced from the beginning by the editors’ framing of a human activity as a developmental dialectic of ideal and material, inherently social, and yet hidden in plain sight all around us, the contributors expertly explain the many ways this is so. Indeed, having gathered together so many of the international figures who have led or otherwise contributed to the varied perspectives that constitute the study of activity today, the volume offers a timely staging ground for yet another round of expansion and creativity. —Peter H. Sawchuk, Department of Leadership, Higher and Adult Education, University of Toronto, Canada This book presents a comprehensive and insightful collection of contributions authored by well-recognized and respected scholars known for their substantial advances in the realm of studying and implementing Activity Theory. Within its pages, the historical background to the emergence of Activity Theory comes to light, accompanied by its profound theoretical underpinnings. The volume goes on to highlight the diverse applications of Activity Theory across a wide range of disciplines, while also considering potential avenues for its future development. In doing so, it encourages critical reflection on the potential effectiveness of Activity Theory in addressing the pressing societal challenges of our time. —Manolis Dafermos, Professor of Epistemology of Psychology, University of Crete, Greece This book brings together chapters from some of the foremost scholars working within a broad understanding of Activity Theory. The collection combines insights arising in detailed theoretical approaches with examples of how people’s use of Activity Theory can lead to radical societal change. It particularly showcases some fascinating recent developments in the theory, making it an important contribution to the field. —Anne Edwards, Professor Emerita, University of Oxford Activity Theory — An Introduction, edited by Alex Levant, Kyoko Murakami, and Miriam Sweeny, takes on the ambitious task of providing an overview of a field that is now more popular but also more heterogeneous than ever. For those more familiar with the tradition, the volume offers an overview of current fields of application as well as some interesting historical and conceptual details. However—and this does not count against the volume—it also highlights the fact that there is still a lot of theoretical work to be done if activity theory is ever to be a more or less unified and philosophically sophisticated approach to human development, learning, and education. —Theo Hickfang, Wolfson College, Oxford, United Kingdom

Structured in multiple parts to address the rich and lengthy history, the current trends, and possible futures--this collection has a great deal to recommend for both those new to and already familiar with the trans-disciplinary study of human activity. Introduced from the beginning by the editors' framing of a human activity as a developmental dialectic of ideal and material, inherently social, and yet hidden in plain sight all around us, the contributors expertly explain the many ways this is so. Indeed, having gathered together so many of the international figures who have led or otherwise contributed to the varied perspectives that constitute the study of activity today, the volume offers a timely staging ground for yet another round of expansion and creativity.--Peter H. Sawchuk, Department of Leadership, Higher and Adult Education, University of Toronto, Canada This book brings together chapters from some of the foremost scholars working within a broad understanding of Activity Theory. The collection combines insights arising in detailed theoretical approaches with examples of how people's use of Activity Theory can lead to radical societal change. It particularly showcases some fascinating recent developments in the theory, making it an important contribution to the field.--Anne Edwards, Professor Emerita, University of Oxford This book is a timely and highly relevant contribution to psychology and associated fields, offering an excellent, comprehensive, and long-awaited introduction to Activity Theory. By bridging past and present and connecting theory with practical applications, it demonstrates the scope and rich potential of Activity Theory as a theoretical framework for the challenges and complexities of the human lifeworld in the 21st century. It is a brilliantly orchestrated book with lots to offer for the newcomer to Activity Theory as well as the experienced theorist or practitioner.--Sofie Pedersen, Department of People of Technology, Roskilde University, Denmark This book presents a comprehensive and insightful collection of contributions authored by well-recognized and respected scholars known for their substantial advances in the realm of studying and implementing Activity Theory. Within its pages, the historical background to the emergence of Activity Theory comes to light, accompanied by its profound theoretical underpinnings. The volume goes on to highlight the diverse applications of Activity Theory across a wide range of disciplines, while also considering potential avenues for its future development. In doing so, it encourages critical reflection on the potential effectiveness of Activity Theory in addressing the pressing societal challenges of our time.--Manolis Dafermos, Professor of Epistemology of Psychology, University of Crete, Greece

Author Information

Dr. Alex Levant is a lecturer in the Department of Communication Studies at Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, Canada. He specializes in critical media theory and emerging/future technologies. He is co-editor (with Vesa Oittinen) of Dialectics of the Ideal (Brill, 2014). His papers have been published by, among other outlets, Historical Materialism, Stasis, Critique, Educational Review, and Mind, Culture and Activity. Dr Kyoko Murakami is a lecturer in psychology at the Department of Psychology, the University of Westminster, London and an honorary research fellow at the University of Bath. UK. Previously, she held an associate professorship in psychology at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark. Her research topics include social remembering, reconciliation, learning in collaboration, dialogism and ageing. She is an executive committee member of the International Society for Theoretical Psychology and a member of the editorial board of Culture & Psychology. Her previous books include Discursive Psychology of Remembering and Reconciliation (Nova, 2012) and Dialogic Pedagogy (Multilingual Matters, 2016). Her papers have been published by Culture & Psychology, Memory Studies and Learning, Culture and Social Interaction among other journals. Email: k.murakami@westminster.ac.uk Dr. Miriam McSweeney is a lecturer in the Business School at the Galway Campus of the Atlantic Technological University in Ireland. She has also worked as a software engineer in the Telecommunications Industry. Her research focuses on the social aspects of learning. She is particularly interested in the social and psychological impacts of learning environments in tertiary education. She has investigated how management might be supported to understand the use of learning technologies by academic staff.

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