Paper 1 Eva Ekeblad (Sweden) „Re-centering in virtuality: Arne Raeithel on the XLCHC"

Paper 2 Alfred Lang (Switzerland) „Mach's Hen, Peircean Triadomania, Diagrammatic Enthusiasm, and Possible Futures of Psychological Methodology - Semiotic Ecological Communion with Arne Raeithel"

>>>>>>> Reading List (Alfred Lang)

Paper 3 Yrjö Engeström (Finland / USA) „Coordination, Cooperation and Communication in Work Teams: A Line of Research sparkled by Arne Raeithel"

Paper 4 Christoph Clases (Switzerland) „From theory to practice in applied psychology: Arne Raeithel's concept of cooperative model production"

Paper 5 Christian Dahme (Germany) „An Activity-theoretical Approach - a Way to Useful Software"

Paper 6 David Middleton (U.K.) „Talking matters at work: Arne Raeithal's scholarship and the semiotic regulation of cooperative work"

Paper 1

Eva Ekeblad, Goteborg University, Dept. of Education & Educational Research, Box 1010, S-431 26 Molndal, SWEDEN

Email eva.ekeblad@ped.gu.se

Re-centering in virtuality: Arne Raeithel on the XLCHC

The electronic, serverbased mailinglist is one of the simplest forms of collective computer mediated communication. It has, nevertheless, provided international scholarly communities with a new and different - virtual - space for the exchange and generation of ideas. In an entirely textbased medium the members of the more viable of these scholarly lists develop a communicative culture, which bears some general features of the medium, but which is also local to the online community in question. The local ambience and cohesion in this distributed world of virtual collegia depends entirely on the contributions, cooperation and creativity of community members.

A scholar with such a passionate interest as Arne Raeithel's in the semiotic self-regulation of activity and action, in cooperation and in cybernetics, will find this weaving of virtual place a congenial task: a communicative activity where he can exercise his theoretical reasoning and his creative faculties in an integrated fashion. Arne travelled cyberspace in diverse contexts, but this contribution to his commemoration will be limited to his part in building the culture of the xlists -- the XLCHC and its offspring.

Looking at Arne's postings on the xlists in their context it is clear that he was among the most influential builders of this culture for learning and development. He had the power to put his theories into a fruitful practice, occasionally opening spaces for a collective re-centering. His messages were unmistakably written as contributions in a dialogic exchange, even when long and theoretically elaborate. With great sensitivity to the cognitive quandaries of mailinglist technology he took great care to keep others informed about the state and history of the current conversation. Writing in a language that was not his mother tongue he nevertheless developed a very personal voice for complex reasoning, emotional presence and an ironic sense of humour. His acute sense of the distributedness of the xlist network in combination with a metaphoric imagination made him productive as a painter of the virtual scenery and inventor of simple but effective textual means for and building a sense of co-presence in virtual time and space.

Paper 2

Alfred Lang, University of Bern, Psychology, Unitobler, CH-3000 Bern 9, SWITZERLAND

Email: alfred.lang@psy.unibe.ch

Mach's Hen, Peircean Triadomania, Diagrammatic Enthusiasm, and Possible Futures of Psychological Methodology - Semiotic Ecological Communion with Arne Raeithel

Based on correspondence records and personal reminiscence of encounters with Arne starting in 1991 the author attempts to reconstruct dialogical ramblings and emergences. The focus is on methodology for a culture inclusive psychology or science of the human condition. The dialogues primarily comprise epistemological, philosophy of science, and research procedural themes and involve topics that range from the origin of the mind and cooperative research to the dwelling activity. The red thread running through everything is tied to developing a causation conception more truly suitable for evolutive systems than the contemporary magic mix of causation ideas concocted from traditional physical and spiritual notions.

We had a common basis in an Uexkuellian and Lewinian ecological and evolutive perspective and probably also both basically assented to Lewin's notion of existential genetic series essential in grounding realistic as contrasted to nominalistic science. In addition we consented in a semiotic perspective on the basis of Peircean triadic relatives. The crucial point, however, was to find a way to go beyond the traditional interpretive semiotic with its dualistic touch of "this means or represents that". In other words, how could we conceive of the mediating link between the object and its sign and how could we account of the actual connectedness of objects, mediator and signs in real psycho-socio-cultural systems. In addition, if science was a normal part of culture, semiotic concepts should be descriptive of the cultural process itself as well as the scientific inquiry used to conceive of the cultural process and the living and artefactual structures involved. So our semiotic approach should cover the factual as well as the methodological spheres.

Insofar both the cultural environments and persons in culture are entities mutually constituting each other in open co-evolution, an understanding of semiosis as a generative process was required. Also our notion of semiosis was to account for cultural equivalents of the ideas of variation and of selection known from bioevolution. Semiotic Ecology, as I call the endeavor, has greatly gained from the much too short years of our dialogues.

Paper 3

Yrjö Engeström, The Academy of Finland and University of California, San Diego, USA

Email: engestro@pop.helsinki.fi

Coordination, Cooperation and Communication in Work Teams: A Line of Research sparkled by Arne Raeithel

In his dissertation on activity, work, and practice, Arne Raeithel (1983) elaborated on the Hegelian idea of three levels of refexivity: original centering, decentering, and recentering. Subsequently Bernd Fichtner (1984) connected Arne's ideas to the theory of learning activity. In my own work on interaction in work teams, I translated Arne's conceptual schema into a framework for empirical analysis of team discourse. This framework has been used in a number of studies by developmental work researchers in Finland. Shortly before his death, Arne commented on this development and presented a bold expansion of the framework. In this paper, I will trace the evolution of this set of ideas and propose ways in which Arne's latest expansion may be employed in future analyses.

Paper 4

Christoph Clases, Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule (ETH) Zürich, Institute for Work and Organizational Psychology (IfAP), Nelkenstrasse 11, CH-8092 Zürich, SWITZERLAND

Email: clases@ifap.bepr.ethz.ch

From theory to practice in applied psychology: Arne Raeithel's concept of Cooperative Model Production

Arne Raeithel's theoretical works in Cultural-Historical Activity Theory (CHAT), especially the inspirations he integrated from Peirce's semiotics and the discussions of Wygotsky's understanding of signs (as a specific form of tools) provided a framework for his practical activities in applied psychology. Arne Raeithel investigated in different research methods on subjective object-related domains of meaning (‚subjektive gegenstandsbezogene Bedeutungsräume'). Based on the Repertory Grid Technique (G.A. Kelly) he created a computer software for collecting, analyzing and communicating these domains of meaning.

The methodological concept of the „Cooperative Model Production" is embedded both in activity theory and semiotics. Arne Raeithel describes the interaction between the researcher and her interview partner as a subject-subject relation with different tasks/ roles leading to a result („gegenständliches Modell") being commonly produced. In the computer supported interviews the researcher (or therapist) and her interview partner (or client) are cooperating in a dialogical context. An immediate feedback and dialogue on the outcomes of the interview - and thus a communicative validation - is possible.

The different tools for analysis implemented in the software allow to investigate in the relationship between the subject's individual ways of perceiving her activity in a specific context and to relate these to shared views of joint activity. Therefore the software may serve as a means of orientation for group processes. It provides ways to systematically compare and relate subjective perceptions of different actors on a certain domain of reality. Consensus and dissent may be visualized and communicated. The models may serve as a means for the „symbolic production of social coherence". The software provides a viable and practically effective means for the „semiotic self-regulation" of joint activity. Teams and work groups may enter into the process of „re-centering".

Paper 5

Christian Dahme, Humboldt-Universitaet zu Berlin, Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Fakultaet II, Institut fuer Informatik, Lehr- und Forschungseinheit Informatik in Bildung und Gesellschaft, Sitz: Axel-Springer-Str. 54a, D-10099 Berlin

Email: dahme@informatik.hu-berlin.de

An Activity-theoretical Approach - a Way to Useful Software

How does one achieve a relatively easily communicable, transparent, and easily understood transformation of a set of wishes and a real situation into useful software? Here we present an activity-theoretical approach. In this, software development is understood as part of a transformation process which converts human activity into a machine-based form. The basis for this approach is activity theory, >from which one can also derive the part which is transformable into software. We point out how one comes to the part which is transformable. This approach also enables, among other things, a relatively straightforward transformation into object-oriented software, tools for cooperation (including an understandable language), and one can directly address misunderstandings between those involved in the project. Overall, this approach yields both a framework and a methodological and conceptual tool and support for (cooperative) software development.

Paper 6

David Middleton, Developmental Studies Group, Department of Human Sciences, Loughborough University, Loughborough, LE11 3TU, England, UK

email: D.J.Middleton@lboro.ac.uk

Talking matters at work: Arne Raeithal's scholarship and the semiotic regulation of cooperative work

This paper takes as its starting point Arne Raeithal's essay "On the ethnography of cooperative work" His discussion of ethnographic studies of work centres some of the characteristic features of semiotic cooperation in cooperative work. In discussing his essay I will illustrate two interdependencies that engage the attention of both analysts and participants in the study of the semiotic regulation of work. Interdependencies between: visibility and learning at work; and improvisation and reasoning at work. My concern with these interdependencies is threefold and reflects the impact of Arne Raeithel's work on my own. First they provide a means of avoiding forms of social reductionism in studies of human action - where the social displaces the individual as the central analytical and theoretical concern. Second, such interdependencies of individual and social action are precisely where the action is for both analysts and participants. For example interdependencies of experience as both individually and collectively relevant is something that is attended to in the sequential organisation and semiotic regulation of work. Finally, examining interpendencies of individual and social action resources a research agenda that has at its centre interdependencies of theory and need.

Reading List (Alfred Lang)

priority items marked *
papers in html-format for inspection or downloading; 
items in English marked $, with abstract in English marked ¢

On general evolution, on action, etc.

Lang, Alfred (1988) Die kopernikanische Wende steht in der Psychologie noch aus! - Hinweise auf eine ökologische Entwicklungspsychologie. Schweizerische Zeitschrift für Psychologie 47 (2/3) 93-108.¢

Lang, Alfred (1998_94) Menschen als Schöpfer und Geschöpfe ihrer Welt der Kultur -- Herders evolutiv-dialogisches Menschenbild. Bern, 2.11.94. Typoscr. Ms. 22 Pp.To be published in Pross, W. (Ed.).

Lang, Alfred (1993) Handeln als Anbieten -- Lesehilfe zur semiotischen Ökologie. Mit Bibliographie. Bern 4 Pp.

Lang, Alfred (1998 (in press)) Transactionalism -- what could it be? (Comment). Pp. 251-259 in: Dietmar Görlitz; Hans-Joachim Harloff; Günter Mey & Jaan Valsiner (Eds.) Children, cities, and psychological theories. Berlin, DeGruyter. $

On the dwelling activity

Lang, Alfred; Bühlmann, Kilian & Oberli, Eric (1987) Gemeinschaft und Vereinsamung im strukturierten Raum: psychologische Architekturkritik am Beispiel Altersheim. Schweizerische Zeitschrift für Psychologie 46 (3/4) 277-289. ¢

Lang, Alfred (1988) Das Ökosystem Wohnen - Familie und Wohnung. Pp. 252-265 in: Lüscher K.; F. Schultheis & M. Wehrspaun (Eds.) Die 'postmoderne' Familie: familiale Strategien und Familienpolitik in einer Übergangszeit. Konstanz, Universitätsverlag. ¢

Lang, Alfred (1990) Bauen und Wohnen psychologisch zu verstehen: drei theoretische Perspektiven. DGfPs. Kiel, 25.9.90. Pp. 401-402 in: Dieter Frey (Ed.) Bericht über den 37. Kongress der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Psychologie in Kiel 1990. Göttingen, Hogrefe.

* Lang, Alfred (1992) On the knowledge in things and places. Pp. 76-83 in: Mario von Cranach; Willem Doise & Gabriel Mugny (Eds.) Social representations and the social basis of knowledge. Swiss Monographs in Psychology Vol. 1. Bern, Huber. $

Lang, Alfred & Studer, Hubert (1993) Warum wohnen wir eigentlich? -- Zur Psychologie von Bauen und Wohnen. Psychoscope ( 14 Nr. 9 vom November 1993. 13-16 Pp. ¢

Gruppe Umwelt- und Kulturpsychologie Bern -- Daniel Slongo, Marianne Schär Moser, Sabine Schläppi Schreiber, Chantal Billaud und Alfred Lang (1998) Wohnen -- eine kulturpsychologische Perspektive. Ausführlicher Beitragsplan zur Tagung der Gesellschaft für Kulturpsychologie: "Felder kulturpsychologischen Forschens", Erlangen, Mai 1998.

Slongo, Daniel; Schär Moser, Marianne; Richner, Margrit; Billaud, Chantal; Schläppi Schreiber, Sabineet al. (1995) Über die Regulation psycho-sozialer Systeme durch architektonische und alltagsdingliche Kultur - Ansatz, Methodik und erste Ergebnisse deskriptiver Wohnpsychologie. Forschungsberichte, 95-02, Bern, Institut für Psychologie der Universität Bern. 181 Pp.

Slongo, Daniel; Schär Moser, Marianne; Billaud, Chantal; Schläppi Schreiber, Sabine & Lang, Alfred (1996) Über die Regulation psycho-sozialer Systeme durch architektonische und alltagsdingliche Kultur (II) - Weitere Ergebnisse deskriptiver Wohnpsychologie. Forschungsberichte, 96-01, Bern, Institut für Psychologie der Universität Bern. 222 Pp.

On conceptual approaches

Lang, Alfred (1990) Was ich von Kurt Lewin gelernt habe. Pp. 121-135 in: K. Grawe; R. Hänni; N. Semmer & F. Tschan (Eds.) Über die richtige Art, Psychologie zu betreiben. Göttingen, Hogrefe.

Lang, Alfred (1992) Die Frage nach den psychologischen Genesereihen -- Kurt Lewins grosse Herausforderung. Pp. 39-68 in: Wolfgang Schönpflug (Ed.) Kurt Lewin -- Person, Werk, Umfeld: historische Rekonstruktion und Interpretation aus Anlass seines hundersten Geburtstages. Beiträge zur Geschichte der Psychologie Bd. 5. Frankfurt a.M., Peter Lang. ¢

*Lang, Alfred (1994) Lewin [and Vygotsky] -- the radical and promising metatheorists. Ann Arbor, 9.9.94. Typoscr. 8 Pp. 6th International Kurt Lewin Conference, Ann Arbor Mich. 1994.[Vygotsky part still missing] $ (summarizes essential of the Genesereihen paper)

*Lang, Alfred (1993) The "concrete mind" heuristic -- human identity and social compound from things and buildings. Pp. 249-266 in: Dieter Steiner & Markus Nauser (Eds.) Human ecology: fragments of anti-fragmentary views of the world. London, Routledge.$

Lang, Alfred (1994) Auch diese Variante von Psychologie hat wohl nicht "gezündet". Hamburg, 29.9.94. Typoscr. 4 Pp.Deutsche Gesellschaft für Psychologie (Ed.) 39. Kongress der DGP.

Lang, Alfred (1993) Handeln als Anbieten -- Lesehilfe zur semiotischen Ökologie. Bern 4 Pp.

On semiotic ecology

Lang, Alfred (1992) Semiotic tools for an isomorphic conception of perception and action, mind and culture. XXV. International Congress of Psychology, International Union of Psychological Science. Brussels, 19.7.92 Typoscr. 2 Pp. $

Lang, Alfred (1993) Zeichen nach innen, Zeichen nach aussen -- eine semiotisch-ökologische Psychologie als Kulturwissenschaft. Pp. 55-84 in: Peter Rusterholz & Maja Svilar (Eds.) Welt der Zeichen -- Welt der Wirklichkeit. Berner Universitätsschriften. Bern, Paul Haupt. ¢

*Lang, Alfred (1994) Lewin [and Vygotsky] -- the radical and promising metatheorists. Ann Arbor, 9.9.94. Typoscr. 8 Pp. 6th International Kurt Lewin Conference, Ann Arbor Mich. 1994.[Vygotsky part still missing] $

*Lang, Alfred (1994) Toward a mutual interplay between psychology and semiotics. Journal of Accelerated Learning and Teaching 19 (1) 45-66. $

*Lang, Alfred (1997) Thinking rich as well as simple: Boesch's cultural psychology in semiotic perspective. Culture & Psychology 3 (3) 383-394. $

*Lang, Alfred (1997) Non-Cartesian artefacts in dwelling activities -- steps towards a semiotic ecology (Reprint of article 1993). Pp. 185-202 in: Michael Cole; Yrjö Engeström & Olga Vasquez (Eds.) Mind, Culture, Activity -- Seminal papers from the laboratory of compartive human cognition. Cambridge, Cambridge Univ. Press. $

*Lang, Alfred (1998-93) Das Semion als Baustein und Bindekraft -- Zeit aus semiosischen Strukturen und Prozessen. Pp. 73-116 in: Ernest W.B. Hess-Lüttisch & Brigitte Schlieben-Lange (Eds.) Signs & Time -- Zeit & Zeichen. Kodikas/Code Supplement 24. Tübingen, Narr. ¢

On culture-inclusive psychology

*Lang, Alfred (1992) Kultur als 'externe Seele' -- eine semiotisch-ökologische Perspektive. Pp. 9-30 in: Christian Allesch; Elfriede Billmann-Mahecha & Alfred Lang (Eds.) Psychologische Aspekte des kulturellen Wandels. Wien, Verlag des Verbandes der wissenschaftlichen Gesellschaften Österreichs. ¢

Lang, Alfred (1994) ... die sich ihre Umwelt selber schaffen -- historische und aktuelle Ansätze einer kulturbezogenen Psychologie. Abstracts, 39. Kongress der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Pychologie, Kurt Pawlik. Hamburg, 29.9.94. Typoscr. 418-419 Pp.Deutsche Gesellschaft für Psychologie (Ed.) 39. Kongress der DGP. Hamburg, Psychologisches Institut der Universität.

Lang, Alfred (1998_94) Menschen als Schöpfer und Geschöpfe ihrer Welt der Kultur -- Herders evolutiv-dialogisches Menschenbild. Bern, 2.11.94. Typoscr. Ms. 22 Pp.Collegium Generale Universität Bern (Ed.) Kulturhistorische Vorlesungsreihe über Herder und die Entstehung der modernen Wissenschaften vom Menschen.

Lang, Alfred (1994f.) Gedanken zu einem Tätigkeitsprogramm der Gesellschaft für Kulturpsychologie (Teil I + II). Kulturpsychologie Rundbrief 5 (1) + 6 (1), Pp. 2-7 + 3-9 @CuPsy @SciPol

*Gruppe Umwelt- und Kulturpsychologie Bern -- Daniel Slongo, Marianne Schär Moser, Sabine Schläppi Schreiber, Chantal Billaud und Alfred Lang (1998) Wohnen - eine kulturpsychologische Perspektive. Ausführlicher Beitragsplan zur Tagung der Gesellschaft für Kulturpsychologie: "Felder kulturpsychologischen Forschens", Erlangen, Mai 1998.

Lang, Alfred (1997) Denkmäler als Steine zum Anstossen -- Zur Entwicklung sozio-kultureller Systeme. Pp. 57-77 in: Volker Hoffmann (Ed.) Denkmalpflege heute. Bern, Peter Lang.

Lang, Alfred (1998) Dwelling Activity: Cultural Psychology in Semiotic Ecology Perspective (Outline of Presentation or Extensive Abstract at the NORFA Graduate Course/Summer School for the Nordic-Baltic Region, in the Field Of Activity Theory, Tartu, May 9-15, 1998)

More about the ISCRAT Confrence at: http://www.daimi.aau.dk/iscrat98/

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