Skip to Main Content

Cultural-Historical Psychology
2016. Vol. 12, no. 3, 27–46
doi:10.17759/chp.2016120303
ISSN: 1816-5435 / 2224-8935 (online)

Critical Reflection on the Reception of Vygotsky’s Theory in the International Academic Communities

7429

M. Dafermos

PDF (ENG)
PDF (RUS)
GS
Information
in Google Scholar

Abstract

This paper is an attempt to analyze various types of the reception of Vygotsky’s theory in the international academic communities. The paper develops a critical analysis of three widespread theoretical frameworks of interpretation of Vygotsky’s theory: cognitivism, culturalism, cultural-historical activity theory. It is argues that fragmented readings of particular ideas of Vygotsky, without enough understanding of the theoretical programme in which these ideas have been included dominates in North-Atlantic research. The paper proposes the reconstruction of the theoretical programme of cultural-historical psychology in the social and scientific context of its formation.

General Information

Keywords: Vygotsky, cultural-historical theory, cognitivism, cultural relativism, CHAT, archival revolution

Journal rubric: Problems of Cultural-Historical and Activity Psychology

Article type: scientific article

DOI: https://doi.org/10.17759/chp.2016120303

For citation: Dafermos M. Critical Reflection on the Reception of Vygotsky’s Theory in the International Academic Communities. Kul'turno-istoricheskaya psikhologiya = Cultural-Historical Psychology, 2016. Vol. 12, no. 3, pp. 27–46. DOI: 10.17759/chp.2016120303.

References

  1. Ageyev V.S.. Vygotsky in the mirror of cultural interpretations. In Kozulin A. (eds.) Vygotsky’s educational theory in cultural context. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2003, pp. 432—449.
  2. Allakhverdov V., Ivanov M. In search of a rational an- swer to a postmodernist question. Culture & Psychology, 2008. Vol. 14(1), pp. 71—79.
  3. Barahona M., Mata Benitez M. L., Dafermos M., Hak- karainen P. Moving with and Beyond Vygotsky. Cultural-his- torical psychology, 2014., no. 1, pp. 104—106.
  4. Bruner J. Acts of Meaning. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1990. 181p.
  5. Brushlinskii A.V. Kulturno-istoricheskaia teoriia myshleniia (filosoficheskie problemy psikhologii) [The cul- tural-historical theory of thinking (philosophical problems of psychology)]. Moscow: Vysshaia Shkola, 1968.
  6. Cole M. Cultural psychology: A once and future disci- pline. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1996. 389p.
  7. Cole M., Engeström Y. Cultural-historical approaches to designing for development. In J. Valsiner & A. Rosa (eds.) The Cambridge Handbook of Sociocultural Psychology. Cam- bridge, NY: Cambridge University Press, 2007, pp. 460—483.
  8. Dafermos M. Soviet Psychology. In Teo T. (ed.) Ency- clopedia of Critical Psychology. New York: Springer, 2014, pp. 1828—1835.
  9. Dafermos M. Activity theory. In Parker I. (eds.) Hand- book of critical psychology. London and New York: Routledge, 2015, pp. 261—270.
  10. Dafermos M., Marvakis A. Mediated getting-to-know- the-world- Approaching learning with S.L. Rubinstein. In Stenner P. (eds.) Theoretical Psychology: global transformations and Challenges. Ontario: Cactus Press, 2011, pp. 94—104.
  11. Daniels H. (ed.). Charting the Agenda: Educational Activity after Vygotsky. London: Routledge, 1993. 215 p.
  12. Daniels H. An introduction to Vygotskian theory. In Daniels H. (eds.) Vygotsky and research. London, NY: Rout- ledge, 2008, pp. 1—18.
  13. Daniels H., Cole M., Wertsch J. Editors’ Introduction. In Daniels H. (eds.) The Cambridge Companion to Vygotsky. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2007, pp. 1—20.
  14. Davydov V.V., Radzikhovskii L.A. Vygotsky’s the- ory and the activity—oriented approach in psychology. In Wertsch J. (ed.) Culture,  communication,  and  cognition:  Vygotskian perspectives. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1985, pp. 35—65
  15. Davydov V.V. A new approach to the interpretation of activity structure and content. In Chaiklin S. (eds.) Activity theory and social practice. Aarhus: Aarhus University Press, 1999, pp. 39—50.
  16. Gillen J. Versions of Vygotsky. British Journal of Edu- cational Studies, 2000. Vol. 48 ( 2), pp. 183—198.
  17. Gonzalez Rey F. L., Mitjans Martinez A. Three criti- cal approaches to psychology in Latin America — their rise and fall. Annual Review of Critical Psychology, 2013, no. 10, pp. 642—662.
  18. Elkonin D.B. Ob istochnikakh neklassicheskoi psik- hologii [On the sources of non—classical psychology]. In Elko- nin D.B. Izbrannye psikhologicheskie trudy [Selected psychologi- cal writings]. Moscow: Pedagogika, 1989, pp. 475—478.
  19. Elhammoumi M. Vygotsky’s scientific psychology: Terra incognita. Cultural-historical psychology, 2009, no. 9, pp. 49—54.
  20. Engeström Y. Learning by Expanding: An Activity— Theoretical Approach to Developmental Research. Helsinki: Orienta-Konsultit Oy, 1987.
  21. Engeström Y. Expansive Learning at Work: toward an activity theoretical reconceptualization. Journal of Education and Work, 2001. Vol.14 (1), pp. 133—156.
  22. Engeström Y., Miettinen R., Punamaki R.L. (eds.). Per- spectives on activity theory. Cambridge: Cambridge Univer- sity Press, 1999. 462 p.
  23. Engeström Y., Lompscher J., Rückriem G. (eds.) Put- ting Activity Theory to Work: Contributions from develop- mental work research. Berlin: Lehmanns Media, 2005. 637 p.
  24. Feingenberg I.M. (ed.). L.Vygotsky: the way he start- ed. Jerusalem: Jerusalem Publishing Centre, 1996. 106 p.
  25. Feingenberg I.M. (ed.). From Gomel to Moscow: the Beginning of L.S.Vygotsky’s creative way. S.F. Dobkin’s Mem- oirs L.S.Vygotsky’s Early Essays. New York: The Edwin Mellen Press, 2000. 118 p.
  26. Hakkarainen P. Editor’s Introduction. Challenges of Activity Theory. Journal of Russian and East European Psy- chology, 2004. Vol. 42 (2), pp. 3—11.
  27. Hong J., Yang N., Cheng L. Current Situation and Future Development of Activity Theory in China. Actio: An International Journal of Human ActivityTheory, 2007, no. 1, pp. 115—131.
  28. Hyman L. The Soviet Psychologists and the Path to International Psychology. In Renn J. (ed.) The Globalization of Knowledge in History (pp. 631—668). Berlin: Edition Open Ac- cess series of the Max Planck Research Library for the History and Development of Knowledge Studies, 2012.
  29. Jones P. Rubinshtein and Vygotsky /Leontiev: differ- ences, 2000, Retrieved 10-09-2013.(Accessed 28.2.2013)
  30. Keiler P. Lev Vygotskij — ein Leben für die Psycholo- gie. Weinheim, Basel: Beltz, 2002. 484 p.
  31. Keiler P. Cultural-Historical Theory” and “Cultural— Historical School”: From Myth (Back) to Reality. Dubna Psy- chological Journal, 2012, no. 1, pp. 1—33.
  32. Kellogg D., Yasnitsky A. The differences between the Russian and English texts of Tool and Sign in Child Develop- ment. Supplementary and analytic materials. PsyAnima, Dub- na Psychological Journal, 2011. Vol. 4(4), pp. 98—158.
  33. Kozulin A. Vygotsky’s Psychology: A Biography of Ideas. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1990. 296 p.
  34. Leontiev A.N., Luria, A.R. Vygotsky’s psychological views. In L.S. Vygotskii Selected psychological works. Moscow: Academia Pedagogisheskih nauk, 1956, pp. 4—36.
  35. Leontiev A.N., Luria A.R., Teplov B.M. Predislovie [Foreword]. In Leontiev A.N. (eds.) L.S. Vygotskii, Razvitie vysshikh psikhicheskikh funktsii. Iz neopublikovannykh trudov [Development of the higher psychical functions. From non—pub- lished works]. Moscow: Academia Pedagogisheskih nauk, 1960, pp. 3—10.
  36. Lima E.S. Vygotsky’s Cultural—Historical Theory of Human Development: An International Perspective. Anthro- pology & Education Quarterly, 1995. Vol. 26 (4), pp. 443—457.
  37. Lima E.S. Vygotsky in the International Scene: a brief Overview. Anthropology & Education Quarterly, 1995. Vol. 26(4), pp. 490—499.
  38. Lifanova T. M. L. S. Vygotsky’s works bibliography in Russian and foreign languages. Voprocy Psychologii, 1996, no. 5, pp. 137—157.
  39. Martin—Baro I. Writings for a liberation psychology. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 1994. 256 p.
  40. Martins J.B. Notes on the relationship between Vy- gotsky and Leontiev: The “troika”, did it ever exist? Dubna Psychological Journal, 2013, no. 1, pp. 84—94.
  41. Matusov E. Applying a sociocultural approach to Vygotskian academia: ‘Our tsar isn’t like yours, and yours isn’t like ours’. Culture & Psychology,  2008.  Vol.  14(1), pp. 5—35.
  42. McLeod S. ZPD, 2012. [Electronic resource]. URL: http://www.simplypsychology.org/Zone-of-Proximal-Devel- opment.html (Accessed 10.09.2013)
  43. Miller R. Vygotsky in Perspective. Cambridge: Cam- bridge University Press, 2011.
  44. Newman F., Holzman, L. Lev Vygotsky: Revolutionary Scientist. London, New York: Routledge, 1993, pp. 252.
  45. Olson D.. Education: The Bridge from Culture to Mind. In Bakhurst D. (eds.) Jerome Bruner: Language, Culture, Self. London: Sage, 2001, pp. 104—115.
  46. Papadopoulos D. Observations on Vygotsky’s recep- tion in academic psychology. In Tolman C.W. (ed.) Problems of theoretical psychology. North York, Ontario: Captus Press, 1996, pp. 145—155.
  47. PsychAnima. PsyAnima Полное собрание сочинений Выготского [Electronic resource] [PsyAnima Complete Vy- gotsky], 2012. URL: http://psyanimajournal.live—journal. com/3526.html. (Accessed 15.09.2013)
  48. Radzikhovskii L. A. Analysis of L.S. Vygotsky’s leg- acy by Soviet psychologists. Voprosy psikhologii, 1979, no. 6, pp. 58—67.
  49. Robbins D. Prologue. In Richer R. (eds.) The collect- ed works of Vygotsky. New York: Plenum Press, 1999. Vol. 6, pp. v—xxii.
  50. Robbins D. Critical Review of Sociocultural Theory, Cognitivism, Postmodernism: Redefining L.S. Vygotsky’s Non—Classical Psychology. Journal of Intercultural Pragmat- ics, 2007. Vol. 4 (1). Available at: URL: http://faculty.ucmo. edu/drobbins/pdf/110%20Intercultural%20Prag.%202007. pdf (Accessed 28.2.2013).
  51. Rogoff B. The Cultural Nature of Human Develop- ment. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2003. 448 p.
  52. Rückriem G. Digital  Technology  and  Mediation: A Challenge to Activity Theory In Sannino A. (eds.) Learn- ing and Expanding with Activity Theory. Cambridge University Press, 2009, pp. 88 —111.
  53. Said E.W. Traveling Theory. In Said E.W. The World, the Text,  and  the  Critic.  Cambridge:  Harvard  UP,1983, pp. 226—247.
  54. Sawchuk P.H., Duarte N., Elhammoumi M. Critical Per- spectives on Activity. Explorations Across Education, Work, and Everyday Life. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2006.
  55. Stetsenko A., Arievitch I.M. Vygotskian collaborative project of social transformation History, politics, and practice in knowledge construction. International Journal of Critical Psychology, 2004a, no. 12(4), pp. 58—80.
  56. Stetsenko A., Arievitch I.M. The self in cultural—his- torical activity theory: Reclaiming the unity of social and indi- vidual dimensions of human development. Theory & Psychol- ogy, 2004. Vol. 14(4), pp. 475—503.
  57. Takaya K. Jerome Bruner’s Theory of Education: From Early Bruner to Later Bruner. Interchange, 2008. Vol. 39(1), pp. 1—19.
  58. Toulmin S. The Mozart of Psychology. New York Re- view of Books, 1978. September 28, pp. 51—57.
  59. Toomela A. Activity Theory Is a Dead End for Cul- tural-Historical Psychology. Culture & Psychology, 2000. Vol. 6(3), pp. 353—364.
  60. Toomela A. Vygotskian Cultural—Historical and So- ciocultural Approaches Represent Two Levels of Analysis: Complementarity Instead of Opposition. Culture Psychology, 2008. Vol. 14, pp. 57—69.
  61. Valsiner J. Developmental Psychology in the Soviet Union. Brighton, Sussex: Harvester Press, 1988. 398 p.
  62. Van der Veer R., Valsiner J. Introduction. In Van der Veer R. (eds.) The Vygotsky Reader. Cambridge, Massachu- setts: Blackwell Publishers, 1994, pp. 1—9.
  63. Van der Veer R., Valsiner J. Understanding Vygotsky: A quest for synthesis. Oxford: Blackwell, 1991. 450 p.
  64. Van der Veer R., Yasnitsky A.. Vygotsky in English: What Still Needs to Be Done. Integrative Psychological & Be- havioral Science, 201. Vol. 45(4), pp. 475—493.
  65. Varela F., Thompson Rosch E. The embodied mind. Cambridge: The MIT Press, 1993. 308 p.
  66. Veresov N. Undiscovered Vygotsky: Etudes on the Prehistory of Cultural—historical Psychology. Frankfurt am Main: Peter Lang, 1999. 281p.
  67. Veresov N. Marxist and non-Marxist aspects of the cul- tural-historical psychology of L.S. Vygotsky. Outlines, 2005. Vol. 1, pp. 31—49.
  68. Veresov N. Forgotten Methodology. Vygotsky’s case. In Toomela A. (eds.) Methodological Thinking in Psychology: 60 Years Gone Astray? Charlotte, NC.: Information Age Publish- ing, 2009, pp. 267—295.
  69. Vygotsky L.S. The problem of the cultural develop- ment of the child, II. Journal of Genetic Psychology, 1929. Vol. 36, pp. 414—434.
  70. Vygotsky L.S. The Historical Meaning  of  the  cri- sis of psychology. In Rieber R. (eds.) The Collected works of
  71. L.S. Vygotsky. New York, London: Plenum Press, 1997. Vol. 3, pp. 233—344.
  72. Vygotsky L.S. Consciousness as a problem in the psy- chology of behavior. In Rieber R. (eds.) The Collected works of
  73. L.S. Vygotsky. New York, London: Plenum Press, 1997. Vol. 3, pp. 63—79.
  74. Vygotsky L.S. The history of the development of high- er mental functions. In Rieber R. (eds.) The Collected works of
  75. L.S. Vygotsky. New York: Plenum, 1997c. Vol. 4, pp. 1—252.
  76. Vygodskaya G.L., Lifanova T.M. Lev Semenovich Vy- gotsky. Life. Work. Brush Strokes of the Portrait. Moscow: Smysl, 1996. 420 p.
  77. Wertsch J. Voices of the Mind A Sociocultural Ap- proach to Mediated Action. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1991. 169 p.
  78. Yamagata-Lynch L.C. Activity Systems Analysis Methods. Understanding Complex Learning Environments. New York: Springer, 2010. 148 p.
  79. Yaroshevsky M.G., Gurgenidze G.S. Epilogue. In Rieber R. (eds.) The Collected works of L.S.Vygotsky. New York, London: Plenum Press, 1997. Vol. 3, pp. 345—370.
  80. Yasnitsky A. “Archival Revolution” in Vygotskian Studies? Uncovering Vygotsky’s Archives. Journal of Russian and East European Psychology, 2010. Vol. 48 (1), pp. 3—13.
  81. Yasnitsky A. Vygotsky Circle as a Personal Network of Scholars: Restoring Connections Between People and Ideas. Integrative Psychological & Behavioral Science, 2011. Vol. 45, pp. 422—457.
  82. Zavershneva E. Zapisnye knizhki, zametki, nauchnye dnevniki L.S. Vygotskogo: rezul’taty issledovaniya semejnogo arkhiva [Notebooks, notes, scientific diaries of L.S. Vygotsky: the results of the investigation of the family archive, part 1]. Voprosy psikhologii, 2008, no.1, pp. 132—145.
  83. Zavershneva E. Zapisnye knizhki, zametki, nauchnye dnevniki L.S. Vygotskogo: rezul’taty issledovaniya semejnogo arkhiva [Notebooks, notes, scientific diaries of L.S. Vygotsky: the results of the investigation of the family archive, part 2]. Voprosy psikhologii, 2008. Vol. 2, pp. 120—136.
  84. Zavershneva E. Issledovanie rukopisi L.S. Vygotskogo “Istoricheskii smysl psi—khologicheskogo krizisa” [An investi- gation of the manuscript of L.S. Vygotsky’s “Historical mean- ing of psychological crisis”]. Voprosy psikhologii, 2009. Vol. 6, pp. 119—137.
  85. Zavershneva E. The Vygotsky family archive (1912— 1934). New findings. Journal of the Russian and East European Psychology, 2010, no. 48(1), pp. 14—33.
  86. Zavershneva E. The Vygotsky family archive: new findings. Notebooks, Notes, and Scientific Journals of L.S. Vy- gotsky (1912—1934). Journal of the Russian and East European Psychology, 2010. Vol. 48 (1), pp. 34—60.
  87. Zavershneva E., Osipova M. E. Osnovnye popravki k tekstu “Istoricheskii smysl psikhologicheskogo krizisa”, opub- likovannomu v sobranii sochinenii L.S. Vygotskogo (1982— 1984) [Main corrections to the text of “Historical meaning of psychological crisis” published in the collected works of
  88. Vygotsky (1982—1984)]. Voprosypsikhologii, 2010. Vol. 1, pp. 92—102.

Information About the Authors

Manolis Dafermos, PhD in Philosophy, Professor of Epistemology of Psychology, Department of Psychology, School of Social Sciences, University of Crete, Crete, Greece, ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7321-8145, e-mail: mdafermo@uoc.gr

Metrics

Views

Total: 4514
Previous month: 69
Current month: 22

Downloads

Total: 7429
Previous month: 45
Current month: 7