The Essential Vygotsky

by Rieber, Robert W.; Robinson, David Keith; Bruner, Jerome S. (COL); Cole, Michael (COL); Glick, Joseph (COL)

• ISBN13: 9780306485527
• ISBN10: 0306485524
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2004-07-31
• Publisher: Plenum Pub Corp

Summary

Seventy years after his death, the visionary work of Lev Semenovich Vygotsky (1896-1934) continues to have a profound impact on psychology, sociology, education, and other varied disciplines. The Essential Vygotsky selects the most significant writings from all phases of his work, and material from all six volumes of his Collected Works , so that readers can introduce themselves to the pioneering concepts developed by this influential Russian therapist, scholar, and cultural theorist, including: a?? The cultural-historical approach a?? The role of language in creating the mind a?? The development of memory and perception a?? Defectology (abnormal psychology/learning disabilities/special education) a?? The Zone of Proximal Development Each section features an insightful introduction exploring relevant aspects of Vygotskya??s life and illuminating the revolutionary historical context in which these writings were conceived. Together, they reflect the studies he was conducting at the time of his death and the pathbreaking clinical observations that made his reputation. For years, these papers were available mainly in hastily translated underground editions; now The Essential Vygotsky distills them into their most accessible form. Readers will be impressed and inspired by his insights, his optimism, his prescience, and his humanity. These papers are particularly relevant for students of developmental psychology, language, special education, and the history of these fields.

Table of Contents

A Dialogue with Vygotsky	1	(8)
Robert W. Rieber
SECTION I: Problems of General Psychology: Thinking and Speech	9	(140)
Jerome Bruner
Robert W. Rieber
The Problem and the Method of Investigation	33	(10)
The Genetic Roots of Thinking and Speech	43	(22)
Thought and Word	65	(46)
Perception and Its Development in Childhood	111	(14)
Emotions and Their Development in Childhood	125	(24)
References and Notes to Section I	138	(11)
SECTION II: Fundamentals of Defectology (Abnormal Psychology and Learning Disabilities)	149	(72)
David K. Robinson
Introduction: The Fundamental Problems of Defectology	153	(24)
The Difficult Child	177	(12)
The Dynamics of Child Character	189	(12)
The Collective as a Factor in the Development of the Abnormal Child	201	(20)
SECTION III: Problems of the Theory and History of Psychology: Crisis in Psychology	221	(124)
Robert W. Rieber
David K. Robinson
The Historical Meaning of the Crisis in Psychology: A Methodological Investigation	227	(118)
SECTION IV: The History of the Development of High Term Mental Functions: Exegesis of Vygotsky's Text	345	(56)
Joseph Glick
The Structure of Higher Mental Functions	359	(16)
Mastering Attention	375	(26)
SECTION V: Child Psychology: Vygotsky's Conception of Psychological Development	401	(100)
Carl Ratner
Development of Thinking and Formation of Concepts in the Adolescent	415	(56)
Dynamics and Structure of the Adolescent's Personality	471	(20)
The Crisis at Age Seven	491	(10)
SECTION VI: Scientific Legacy: Tool and Sign in the Development of the Child	501	(70)
Anna Stetsenko
The Problem of Practical Intellect in the Psychology of Animals and the Psychology of the Child	513	(26)
The Function of Signs in the Development of Higher Mental Processes	539	(12)
Sign Operations and Organization of Mental Processes	551	(6)
Analysis of Sign Operations of the Child	557	(14)
Bibliography of Works about Vygotsky in English	571	(10)
Index	581