Review_Author: Hyeon Joo Oh
Book_Author: Lev Vygotsky
Book_Title: Mind in Society: The development of higher psychological
processes
Date: 5/26/99
Time: 11:23:26 PM
Remote Name: 128.175.143.15
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Mind in Society
"Mind in Society" is a representative selection of Vygotsky's theoretical essays. His theory claimed that higher mental processes in the individual have origin in social processes and that mental processes can be understood only if we understand the tools and signs that mediate them. It is helpful to remind that, as Cole mentioned, Vygotsky viewed Marxist thought as a valuable scientific resource, therefore, "a psychologically relevant application of dialectical and historical materialism" would be one accurate summary of Vygotsky's sociocultural theory of higher mental processes.
In the first part, Vygotsky clarified the central role of language and symbolic thought in shaping the structure of higher psychological function which is the combination of tool and sign in psychological activity. Vygotsky believed that children's experience of language is social from the outset. Vygotsky saw the relationship between language and thought as changing over the course of development. Both language and thought develop, and so does the relationship between them. During the first two years of life, language and thought develop along more or less parallel, however, thought and language begin to intermingle from the beginning around 2 years of age. This intermingle fundamentally changes the nature of both thinking and language. Vygotsky concluded that the most significant moment in the course of intellectual development occurs when speech and practical activity converge.
In second part, Vygotsky introduced the idea of the "Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD)" which is the potential for cognitive development. That is, the zone he referred to is the gap between "actual developmental level" which children can accomplish independently and "potential developmental level" which children can accomplish when they are interacting with others who are more capable peers or adults. In Vygotsky's view, interactions with social environment, including peer interaction and/or scaffolding, are important ways to facilitate individual cognitive growth and knowledge acquisition. Therefore, learning presupposes a specific social nature and a process by which children grow into the intellectual life of those around them. Vygotsky proposed that learning awakens a variety of internal developmental processes that are able to operate only when thechild is interacting with people in his environment and in cooperation with his peers. Once these processes are internalized, they become part of the child's independent developmental achievement.
Vygotsky also emphasized the importance of the social nature of imagination play for development. He saw the imaginary situations created in play as zones of proximal development that operate as mental support system. Finally, he argued that natural methods of teaching reading and writing involve appropriate operations on the child's environment. Reading and writing should become necessary for child in her play.
I highly recommend this book because it is very valuable to understand Vygotsky's sociocultural theory although his style is more or less philosophical. However, if we remind his philosophical background roots, it will be easier to read and more helpful to acquire knowledge of his theory.