Modernity, the Individual, and the Foundations of Cultural–Historical Activity Theory
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 18968535 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Andy Blunden (0000-0001-7122-5811, Research Network (United States), corresponding author) |
| Year | 2007 |
| Volume | 14 |
| Issue | 4 |
| Pages | 253-265 |
| Publication date | 2007-10-11 |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Mind Culture and Activity (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1074-9039 • E-ISSN: 1532-7884 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/10749030701623722 |
| OpenAlex | W2075788700 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 5 |
| References cited | 8 |
It is argued that the problem of individual agency in relation to social institutions can be resolved within Cultural–Historical Activity Theory (CHAT) by the use of the “subject ” as a unit of analysis. Such an approach implies a reaffirmation of the fundamental tenets of CHAT but also a critique of the concepts of society and culture, which are appropriated by psychology. A successful critique of objectivist conceptions of society and culture requires an appropriate framing of the concept of subject. Two recent articles published in Mind, Culture, and Activity (Billett, 2006; Stetsenko, 2005) touched on the issue of the need for psychology in general, or Cultural–Historical Activity Theory (CHAT) in particular, to better reflect the capacity of individuals to exercise genuine agency alongside larger social forces. Stetsenko, for example, aimed to reveal: (a) individual and collective processes as being interrelated and co-evolving levels of activity, and (b) the practical relevance of human subjectivity alongside the human relevance of material practices. (p. 70) These writers observed, and rightly, that although the internalization of norms and discourses by individuals is well described by psychology in general, and CHAT in particular, the way in which individuals modify and create social rules, institutions, and ideology, and thereby exercise
Culture theory · Epistemology · Modernity · Objectivism · Social science · Sociology · Anthropology · Innovative Education and Learning Practices · Philosophy · Social Representations and Identity · Sociology and Education Studies
Hegel's Science Of Logic Volume One
Identity and Agency in Cultural Worlds
The Philosophical Discourse of Modernity
Relational Interdependence Between Social and Individual Agency in Work and Working Life
Activity as Object-Related
System of Ethical Life and First Philosophy of Spirit
The philosophical discourse of modernity
| Citations per year | 0.36 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2012 - 2025 (14) |
| Highly cited | No |