Social Therapeutics

31 Jan

Posted at 00:34h in Activity Theory, Culture, Education, Human Development, Learning Environments, Outside of School, Performance Movement, Politics, Psychology of Becoming, Social Therapeutics, Vygotsky, Youth Development

January 30, 2011 “Here is an idea for solving the education crisis in America. What if all the kids currently failing in school pretended to be good learners? What if all the adults – teachers, principals, administrators, parents – played along and pretended that the kids were school achievers, heading for...

18 Jan

Posted at 18:19h in Community Organizing, Culture, Human Development, Performance Movement, Psychology of Becoming, Psychotherapy, Social Therapeutics, Social Therapy

January 18, 2011 If you need a pick-me-up today, something to inspire you, maybe this will do the trick: Ishita Sanyal is founder of the Calcutta-based grassroots mental health group, Turning Point, and an avid promoter and proselytizer on behalf of a social therapeutic approach to mental health. On a subcontinent where...

02 Jan

Posted at 22:16h in Human Development, Philosophy, Politics, Postmodern Marxism, Psychology, Psychology of Becoming, Psychotherapy, Social Therapeutics

January 2, 2011 I had a busy December, highlighted by completing a draft article that will appear in a Chinese language journal and traveling to Serbia (whichI will write about in another post). The article, "Critical Psychology, Philosophy and Social Therapy," will appear in the Register of Social Critical Theories, which comes out...

30 Oct

Posted at 23:31h in Activity Theory, Human Development, Language, Postmodern Marxism, Psychology, Psychology of Becoming, Psychotherapy, Social Therapeutics, Vygotsky

October 30, 2010 I recently finished a revision of a chapter on social therapy, by Fred Newman and me, for a book being put together by Tom Strong (University of Calgary) and Andy Lock (Massey University), two long-time postmodern colleagues of ours. The book, Discursvie Perspectives in Therapeutic Practice, is scheduled...

05 Jun

Posted at 17:49h in Culture, Education, Learning Environments, Performance Movement, Psychology of Becoming, Social Therapeutics

June 5, 2010 "As progressives we have come to believe that if people address the issue of human development—in direct and practical ways—we might indeed change the world." So reads the title page of a booklet the East Side Institute put out several years ago on our history, philosophy and programs. I...

27 May

Posted at 02:53h in Activity Theory, Culture, Education, Learning Environments, Outside of School, Postmodern Marxism, Psychology of Becoming, Social Therapeutics, Vygotsky, Youth Development

May, 2010 I don't know Michael Thomas, Professor at Nagoya University of Commerce & Business in Japan, but I intend to. I want to thank him for the favorable and thoughtful review of Vygotsky at Work and Play that he wrote for the British Journal of Educational Technology.  He says so...

17 Apr

Posted at 18:14h in Community Organizing, Culture, Education, Learning Environments, Outside of School, Psychology, Psychology of Becoming, Social Therapeutics, Youth Development

April 17, 2010 Anyone who knows me and/or visits this site knows I'm an avid supporter of the All Stars Project and have been since it began some decades ago. The All Stars' program are exquisite applications of the social therapeutic approach to human development because they are uniquely suited to...

27 Feb

Posted at 01:34h in Activity Theory, Culture, Education, Learning Environments, Outside of School, Psychology of Becoming, Social Therapeutics, Vygotsky

February 26, 2010 I'm so pleased and honored that my book Vygotsky at Work and Play was nominated for the Eleanor Maccoby Book Award in Developmental Psychology, given by Divison 7 (Developmental Psychology) of the American Psychological Association annually. I just posted the nomination on the Reviews page under Vygotsky at...