Child Development and Everyday Action in Changing Educational Institutions
First International Symposium of Cultural-Historical Anthropology and Cultural-Historical Psychology
December 1–2, 2006, Freie Universität Berlin
Download booklet that includes all information about the 2006 conference (pdf, 666kB, updated)
Both Historical Anthropology and Cultural-Historical Psychology examine the intra- and inter-cultural and historical diversity or universality of human life. In both disciplines the knowledge about the human is represented, mediated and updated. Also, in both of them, central place is given to childhood and youth, with regard to institutional and educational practices, youth collective activities, communicative and semiotic processes, the use of artefacts and technologies etc. Therefore, it is our hope that the potential of “transdisciplinarity” in combining Historical Anthropology and Cultural-Historical Psychology will contribute to achieving a more holistic understanding of the emerging phenomena in the relation between historical-cultural change and the development and action of children and adolescents.
The relation between historical-anthropological approaches and cultural-psychological approaches will be examined on the basis of single research examples, with special emphasis put on such theoretical concepts as a) internalisation/ appropriation, mimesis and participation b) sense and meaning and, c) activity, agency, action and performativity. What will also be investigated is the employment of reconstructive, qualitative methods (video- analysis, picture-analysis, discourse analysis) as common research methodology in both disciplines. Furthermore, educational interventions based on the socio-cultural and activity theory and/or on historical-anthropological approaches to education will be analysed. Theoretical development and research that draws on both disciplines is to be considered as special focus of the Workshop.
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