scholarly journals Cultural-Historical Activity Theory Travels to Greece: Actors, Contexts and Politics of Reception and Interpretation

2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 33-41
Author(s):  
M. Dafermos ◽  
A. Chronaki ◽  
M. Kontopodis
Keyword(s):  
Activity Theory ◽  
Constitutional Change ◽  
Current Crisis ◽  
Neoliberal Reforms ◽  
Original Works ◽  
History Of ◽  
Key Dimensions ◽  
Cultural Historical Activity ◽  
University Spaces ◽  
The University

This article explores how socio-cultural, cultural-historical and activity theory approaches to education and psychology have traveled to Greece over the last three decades. It explores the history of introducing these approaches in the Greek context while identifying key dimensions of the process, such as: diverse interpretation of original works, key actors in academic teaching and research and linkages with educational policy and activism beyond the university spaces. Greece with its specific history of military dictatorship, constitutional change, varied struggles for democracy within the university, European integration, and current crisis and neoliberal reforms is seen as a sample case; taking this case as a point of departure, the authors develop a meta-theoretical frame on how to discuss the various ways in which socio-cultural-historical approaches have traveled across socio-cultural, historical, institutional, political, regional, and also, increasingly globalized contexts of education.

scholarly journals Institute of Philosophy of St. Petersburg State University: Pages of History

2021 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 92-99
Author(s):  
S. I. Dudnik
Keyword(s):  
Structural Changes ◽  
Russian Philosophy ◽  
State University ◽  
Philosophical Education ◽  
Peter The Great ◽  
Relative Independence ◽  
Original Works ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Russian Empire ◽  
The University

The article presents a philosophical analysis of the history of the Faculty of Philosophy, starting with Peter the Great’s reforms and ending with its modern state. It is believed that the University of St. Petersburg was organized on the basis of a note by Leibniz to Peter the Great. In fact, there is no direct coincidence, since the university was built and developed in accordance with the capabilities and needs of the Russian Empire. Even at first, the first teachers were not Germans, but the so-called “Rusyns” (Leibniz also had Slavic roots). The example of the professors’ biographies revealed little-known pages of the history of Russian philosophy. Particular attention is paid to the search for a model of philosophical education in the post-revolutionary time. In accordance with the doctrine of the three constituent parts of Marxism, the emphasis was first placed on ideology and dialectic. Then philosophy was used in the struggle for “proletarian science.” In the 60s it gained relative independence, promoted the development of the theory of cognition, sociology and theory of values. The “golden age” of Russian philosophy began in the 90-s thanks to the talented workers of the Faculty of Philosophy, who published many original works that had a significant impact on the worldview of society. The accelerated development of scientific and educational activities has been made possible by adequate structural changes in the institutions of humanities education. The experience of its reforming is also useful in today’s environment.

Why Do We Fight?: Conflict, War, and Peace by N. Walker

2014 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Leslie Aitken
Keyword(s):  
General Nature ◽  
Young Reader ◽  
War And Peace ◽  
School Life ◽  
Current Crisis ◽  
Suez Crisis ◽  
University Of Alberta ◽  
Non Fiction ◽  
History Of ◽  
The University

Walker, Niki.  Why Do We Fight?: Conflict, War, and Peace.  Toronto: Owlkids Books, 2013.  Print.In this work, Niki Walker explores the general nature of conflict.  She relates basic aspects of international politics - the existence of power elites, the formation of alliances, the rise of disputes - to the politics of school life.  Along the way, she defines such terms as “negotiation,” “mediation,” “arbitration” and “sanctions.” She mentions examples of 20th century warfare: the post WWII Cold War, the Suez Crisis, and outlines the history of the current crisis in Afghanistan. The role of the United Nations is discussed.  Most impressive is her insertion of pertinent quotes; for example, the chapter entitled “Cooperation or Combat?” begins with the words of Indira Gandhi: “You can’t shake hands with a clenched fist.”Walker is an experienced writer of non-fiction for children and this work demonstrates her typical proficiency.  The book is well organized with good transitions between successive chapters.  The index is rather brief, but the terms therein are consistent with the text.  There is an informative list of sources.In a departure from her usual literary style, Walker occasionally attempts to use trendy language.  There is a risk here: the vernacular of today’s young reader may be rejected as dated by tomorrow’s.  This quibble aside, the book is highly recommended for use with upper elementary students.  In particular, it could be a useful resource for Remembrance Day activities. Reviewer:  Leslie AitkenHighly recommended: 4 out of 4 starsLeslie Aitken’s long career in librarianship involved selection of children’s literature for school, public, special and university collections.  She is the former Curriculum Librarian at the University of Alberta.

scholarly journals Re-Shaping the Faculty: Emergence and Development of “Permanent-Contingent” Roles through the Lens of Cultural-Historical Activity Theory

2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 140 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oleksandr Tkachenko ◽  
Karen Seashore Louis
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Activity Theory ◽  
Research University ◽  
Cultural Historical Activity Theory ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Decision Making Processes ◽  
Change In Higher Education ◽  
Historical Activity ◽  
Cultural Historical Activity ◽  
The University

This study retrospectively examines the emergence and development of a new class of full-time non-tenure track employees in a large land grant research university in the U.S., which created the employment category in 1980. We employ cultural-historical activity theory (CHAT) to explore how this class of employees became institutionalized within the university organizational structure and within the university’s consultative and decision-making processes. The study advances the understanding of how broad academic personnel strategies emerge in higher education. Given that there are few longitudinal studies examining the way personnel strategies are made in higher education, we hope that this paper will provide a useful frame of reference for developing research on institutions of higher education as work environments. By utilizing CHAT in a higher education setting, our inquiry also contributes an alternative perspective to the stream of research on organizational change in higher education. 

scholarly journals Rethinking ‘Current Crisis’ Arguments: Gouldner and the Legacy of Critical Sociology

2009 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 13-25 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Hollands ◽  
Liz Stanley
Keyword(s):  
North America ◽  
Public Sociology ◽  
Current Crisis ◽  
Critical Sociology ◽  
University System ◽  
Professional Sociology ◽  
Contemporary Sociology ◽  
Key Dimensions ◽  
The University

Proclamations of ‘current crisis’ in sociology are long-standing and have recently resurfaced in Britian and North America. This article explores the response of Alvin Gouldner to an earlier 1970s perceived ‘current crisis’. It then discusses some of the key dimensions ascribed to the current ‘current crisis’ – fragmentation, the decline of the intellectual, the need for a higher profile for public and professional sociology - to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of Gouldner's ideas for analysing the situation of contemporary sociology. It concludes that Gouldner's critical sociology provides a useful basis for understanding current debates about fragmentation and public sociology, but less so in explaining the decline of intellectuals. In addition, neither Gouldner nor contemporary thinking about sociology's present-day ‘current crisis’ give much attention to the vastly increased regulation and bureaucratisation of the university system accompanying the expended remit of regulatory government, something we think underlies the discipline's successive perceptions of crisis. The contemporary version of critical sociology, with which this article aligns itself, provides a more structural and less voluntaristic rethinking of ‘current crisis’ arguments.

Competenza ad agire insieme e senso di iniziativa: il tirocinio per attraversare i confini tra studio e lavoro

2020 ◽  
pp. 93-102
Author(s):  
Fabrizio d'Aniello
Keyword(s):  
Professional Growth ◽  
Capability Approach ◽  
Boundary Crossing ◽  
Methodological Framework ◽  
Knowledge Models ◽  
Internship Experience ◽  
Cultural Historical Activity ◽  
The University ◽  
And Training ◽  
The Capability Approach

The pre-eminent motivation behind this contribution lies in the intention to offer students of three-year degree course in education and training sciences and master's degree in pedagogical sciences of the University of Macerata a further support than those already existing, aimed at expanding the educational meaningfulness of the internship experience. The main criticality of such experience is connected with the difficulty in translating knowledge, models, ideas into appropriate activities. This notably refers to the conceptual and educational core of the sense of initiative and entrepreneurship and, consistently, to the skill to act. Therefore, after a deepening of the sense of initiative and entrepreneurship, followed by related pedagogical reflections based on the capability approach, the paper presents an operative proposal aimed at increasing young people's possibilities of action and supporting their personal and professional growth. With regard to this training proposal, the theoretical and methodological framework refers to the third generation cultural historical activity theory and to the tool of the boundary crossing laboratory, variant of the change laboratory

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