Vygotsky at Work and Play

by Lois Holzman

Overview

Vygotsky at Work and Play is an intimate portrayal of the Vygotskian-inspired approach to human development known as ‘social therapeutics’ and ‘the psychology of becoming’. Holzman provides an accessible, practical-philosophical portrayal of a unique performance-based methodology of development and learning that draws upon a fresh reading of Vygotsky.

This expanded edition includes new content dealing with how Lev Vygotsky’s work can be applied to profound social issues of our times, including worsening police/community relations, authoritarianism in schools, the medical-model approach to social/emotional life, and the erosion of play in Western cultures. Holzman also weaves together Vygotsky’s discoveries with qualitative case studies from organizations that practice the approach in psychotherapy offices, classrooms, outside-of-school programs, corporate workplaces and virtual learning environments.

The new edition of Vygotsky at Work and Play poses a practical-critical challenge to more traditional conceptions and methods of psychology and education, introducing performance as a new ontology and the author’s own activist research performance as a new way to do psychology. It is an essential read for researchers and professionals in educational and developmental psychology, psychotherapy, cultural historical activity, social science, performance studies and education.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781317384106
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	12/14/2016
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	204
File size:	740 KB

About the Author

Lois Holzman has helped establish Vygotskian-influenced practices that touch the lives of communities worldwide. She is director of the East Side Institute for Group and Short Term Psychotherapy, USA.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements; Foreword to the First Edition; Preface to the First Edition; Introduction to the Second Edition; 1. Method(s) and Marx(s) 2. Vygotsky in Therapy: Creating Zones of Emotional Development 3. In the Classroom: Learning to perform and performing to Learn 4. Outside of School: Creatively Imitating and Incorporating the Other 5. In scenes: A Response to Police-Community Antagonism 6. At the Workplace: Looking at Ourselves 7. Changing Relationships 8. Creating Stages Everywhere; Appendix; Notes; References; Index

Editorial Reviews

"Holzman skillfully interweaves theory and practice throughout the book’s six chapters ... As a concise volume, it manages to avoid becoming a dry engagement with the subject matter, and, in discussing the wider significance of the Vygotskian approach to education and child development, the book should be of interest to academics from a range of interdisciplinary research areas." - Michael Thomas, Professor, Nagoya University of Commerce & Business, Japan, in British Journal of Educational Technology

"I highly recommend this work to students, educators, and practitioners ... I found this to be a fascinating application of Vygotsky’s theory to the work environment and organizational culture." - Stephanie L. Brooke, Ph.D., in PsycCRITIQUES

"Anyone who has an interest in human learning and development should have this original piece of work on their shelves." – Tania Heap, associate lecturer, The Open University

"Educationalists and Psychologists and all those interested in learning and development in a humane and caring society need to know about this kind of approach. This is a readable and accessible account of many years of interesting work in this tradition." – Brahm Norwich, University of Exeter

From the Publisher