Product Information
The main contention of this book is that human mental functioning, including all forms of thought and communication, is embedded in cultural, historical and social processes. This thesis contrasts directly with the current popular practice in psychology in which mental processes of the isolated individual are examined before sociocultural influences are considered; it is Professor Wertsch's argument that the individual emerges out of the social. His argument centres on the cultural tools, especially l anguage, which shape both social and individual processes. Drawing on the ideas of two Soviet scholars, Lev Vygotsky and Mikhail Bakhtin, he introduces the concept of the voice of the mind and contends that human speaking and thinking inherently involve the process of ventriloquating through the voices of other, socioculturally-situated speakers. Voices of the Mind breaks new ground in its introduction of an alternative theory of human communication which incorporates both inner and outer speech in its analysis of the psychology of language. It addresses major issues in cognitive development and educational practices and suggests ways of integrating the study of human development with analyses of gender and cultural identity.Product Identifiers
PublisherPearson Education Limited
ISBN-139780745010090
eBay Product ID (ePID)96430802
Product Key Features
Number of Pages220 Pages
LanguageEnglish
Publication NameVoices of the Mind: a Sociocultural Approach to Mediated Action
Publication Year1991
SubjectPsychology
TypeTextbook
AuthorJames V. Wertsch
FormatPaperback
Dimensions
Item Height236 mm
Item Weight397 g
Additional Product Features
Country/Region of ManufactureUnited Kingdom
Title_AuthorJames V. Wertsch