Critical Realist Activity Theory: An engagement with critical realism and cultural-historical activity theory

152 Pages·2013·0.75 MB·English

by  Iskra Nunez

Critical Realist Activity Theory
Critical Realist Activity Theory provides an exemplary contribution to
the New Studies in Critical Realism and Education series by showing
how the nature of learning is tantamount to the critical realist notion of
the dialectic. The science of learning is too important to leave solely to
the sciences; it needs philosophy as well. The task of this book is to take
a further step and clear the conceptual fi eld for an ontologically grounded
view of the science of learning through critical realism, making use of
dialectical critical realism and the philosophy of meta-reality, as well as
basic critical realism.
The objective of the book is neither to accommodate the nature of
learning to strategies and techniques, nor to adjust to the demands of
institutions and authorities. Its key goal is to explain how the very nature
of learning constitutes itself; that is, its aim is to explain how a stratum
of learning emerges out of the need to absent something that has been
left out in human reality. In this precise sense, the book does much more
than simply reveal the aspects of reality that have been omitted from the
conceptualization of learning, it helps to reformulate a proper under-
standing of the nature of learning. An implication of this understanding
of learning is that it begins to advance the fundamental question of what
it means to be a human being.
Iskra Nunez completed her Ph.D. at the Institute of Education, University
of London in April 2012. Her research interests lie in the areas of
philosophy, learning sciences, and mathematics. She holds an M.S. in
applied mathematics from the University of Iowa and a B.S. in mathematics
from the University of Texas-El Paso.
New Studies in Critical Realism and Education
Other titles in this series:
A Critical Realist Perspective of Education
Brad Shipway
Why Knowledge Matters in Curriculum
A social realist argument
Leesa Wheelahan
Knowledge and Knowers
Towards a realist sociology of education
Karl Maton
Strong and Smart – Towards a Pedagogy for Emancipation
Education for fi rst peoples
Chris Sarra
Imagining the University
Ronald Barnett
Critical Realist Activity Theory
An engagement with critical realism and
cultural-historical activity theory
Iskra Nunez
Critical Realist
Activity Theory
An engagement with critical
realism and cultural-historical
activity theory
Iskra Nunez
Routledge
Taylor & Francis Group
LONDON AND NEW YORK
First published 2014
by Routledge
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Simultaneously published in the USA and Canada
by Routledge
711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
© 2014 Iskra Nunez
The right of Iskra Nunez to be identifi ed as author of this work has been
asserted by her in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the
Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or
utilized in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now
known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in
any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing
from the publishers.
Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or
registered trademarks, and are used only for identifi cation and explanation
without intent to infringe.
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Nunez, Iskra.
Critical realist activity theory : an engagement with critical realism and
cultural-historical activity theory / Iskra Nunez.
pages cm. – (New studies in critical realism and education)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-0-415-81031-9 (alk. paper) – ISBN 978-0-203-79898-0
(ebk : alk. paper) 1. Learning–Philosophy. 2. Critical realism. I. Title.
LB1060.N86 2013
370.15(cid:2)23—dc23
2013004968
ISBN: 978-0-415-81031-9 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-0-203-79898-0 (ebk)
Typeset in Sabon
by Refi neCatch Limited, Bungay, Suffolk
To my mother
This(cid:2)page(cid:2)intentionally(cid:2)left(cid:2)blank
Contents
Preface ix
Acronyms xv
Introduction xvii
1 Learning as product and learning as process 1
What type of social structures must be in place for
learning to be possible, comprehensive, fruitful
and ongoing? 1
Exemplifying 1M: learning as product 4
Exemplifying 2E: learning as process 7
Pluralistic account of learning as a fourfold
MELD polysemy 9
Hermeneutical research of small-group learning via
the four components of action 11
Summary of chapter 21
Notes 23
2 Learning as process-in-product 26
Exemplifying 3L: learning as process-in-product 26
Putting critical realism to work as under-laborer
for activity theory 31
Isolating the omitted element: an immanent critique 34
The patch 41
Unpatching the implicit ontology: an omissive critique 44
Transcending dualisms: a proto-explanatory critique 47
Summary of chapter 57
Summary of the dualisms of AT and their CR resolution 58
Notes 58
viii Contents
3 Learning as product-in-process 62
Exemplifying 4D: learning as product-in-process 62
Bhaskarian versus Engeströmian interpretations 64
The Eleatic and Ionian strands 65
Bhaskar on Marx 68
Discovering the Hegelian rational kernel within
the mystical shell 83
Summary of chapter 88
Notes 89
4 Learning as re-enchanted commons 91
Exemplifying 5A, 6R, and 7Z/A5 91
Applied critical realism and activity theory:
open learning environment 97
Exploring conditions for successful critical realist
research into interdisciplinary runaway objects 119
Summary of chapter 122
Notes 122
Index 126
Preface
This book provides an exemplary contribution to the Routledge series
New Studies in Critical Realism and Education by showing how the
nature of learning is tantamount to the critical realist notion of the
dialectic. The science of learning is too important to leave solely to
the sciences; it needs philosophy as well. The task of this book is to take
a further step and clear the conceptual fi eld for an ontologically grounded
view of the science of learning through the philosophy of critical realism
(CR), making use of dialectical critical realism (DCR) and some con-
cepts of the philosophy of meta-reality (PMR), as well as basic critical
realism (BCR).
Roy Bhaskar is the principal creator of the philosophical system en-
titled critical realism. The main concern of this philosophical project
deals with ‘the natures of, and prospects for, human emancipation’.1
Critical realism takes the idea of philosophy as under-laborer of science
by making reference to the philosopher John Locke, i.e., under-laborer
as remover of the rubbish that obstructs the path to knowledge.
The commonwealth of learning is not at this time without masters-
builders, whose mighty designs, in advancing the sciences, will leave
lasting monuments to the admiration of posterity: but everyone
must not hope to be [that] . . . and in the age that produces such
masters . . . it is ambition enough to be employed as an under-laborer
in clearing the ground a little, and removing some of the rubbish
that lies in the way of knowledge.2
As the critical realist project continues its under-laboring in the sciences,
many other authors continue to contribute to it; e.g., Margaret Archer3
coins a ‘morphogenetic approach’ for social theory, Tony Lawson4 adds
a critical realist view to the fi eld of economics, and Andrew Collier5
draws upon critical realism to make a non-reductionist contribution to