Activity Theory Is a Dead End for Cultural-Historical Psychology
- 1 September 2000
- journal article
- other
- Published by SAGE Publications in Culture & Psychology
- Vol. 6 (3), 353-364
- https://doi.org/10.1177/1354067x0063005
Abstract
In this article, activity theory is analysed. Specific examples for the analysis are taken from Ratner’s (2000) article on emotions. It is concluded that activity theory in general and Ratner’s approach in particular are deficient at three different levels of analysis: from a general theoretical approach to the study of mind to specific details of how particular mental phenomena and their development are studied. Reasons are proposed for why activity theory in principle cannot solve those deficiencies. It is proposed that Vygotsky’s cultural-historical psychology may be more suitable for understanding the human mind and its genesis.Keywords
This publication has 4 references indexed in Scilit:
- Analyzing Emotions as Culturally Constructed ScriptsCulture & Psychology, 2000
- A Cultural-Psychological Analysis of EmotionsCulture & Psychology, 2000
- How Culture Transforms Mind: A Process of InternalizationCulture & Psychology, 1996
- The principles of psychology.Published by American Psychological Association (APA) ,1913