Dialogue and Creativity

Activity Theory in the Study of Science, Technology and Innovations

Reijo Miettinen

• Publisher: Lehmanns
• Year: 2009
• Topic: Social Sciences
• eBook ISBN:
  9783865416735
• Subtopic: Sociology
• Index: Social Sciences

This book is a collection of papers in which cultural-historical activity theory (CHAT) is used to study science, technology and innovations. In the 16 chapters of the book an activity theoretical approach is developed through dialogue with the relevant theoretical approaches of science and technology studies, such as actor network theory, symbolic interactionism and Knorr-Cetinas's theory of objectual cultural practice. The book has three parts. The first one comprises empirical studies on creativity and change in research work and innovations. The cases studied include research groups in analytical chemistry, aerosol physics, biotechnology as well as innovations in medical technology by research-based firms. In making sense of the distributed creation, CHAT is put in dialogue with the systemic view of psychology of creativity, the systemic approach in history of technology as well as sociological theories of creativity. The second part compares systematically the similarities and differences between Deweyan pragmatism and CHAT, and shows how they can be used in a complementary way in empirical research. The third part evaluates actor network theory, constructivist conceptions of learning as well as the concept of routine largely used in organizational studies from the position of CHAT. In addition the concept 'object of activity' central in activity theory is discussed and elaborated in two chapters. The autor: Reijo Miettinen is Professor of Adult Education in the University of Helsinki and he was Vice director of the Center for Activity Theory and Developmental Work Research in 1995-2007.

Table of contents

• TITLE
• CONTENTS
• LIST OF THE ORIGINAL PAPERS
• INTRODUCTION: THE ROOTS OF THE DIALOGUE
• 1 LABORATORY WORK IN CHANGING SOCIETY: NEUTRON ACTIVATION ANALYSIS IN A RESEARCH LABORATORY
• 2 DYNAMICS OF CHANGE IN RESEARCH WORK: CONSTRUCTING A NEW RESEARCH AREA IN A RESEARCH GROUP
• 3 ARTICULATING USER NEEDS IN COLLABORATIVE DESIGN: TOWARDS AN ACTIVITY-THEORETICAL APPROACH
• 4 THEORIES OF INVENTION AND AN INDUSTRIAL INNOVATION
• 5 THE PROBLEM OF CREATIVITY IN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY STUDIES: INVENTION AS ARTIFACT CONSTRUCTION AND CULTURALLY DISTRIBUTED WORK
• 6 THE SOURCES OF NOVELTY: A CULTURAL AND SYSTEMIC VIEW OF CREATIVITY AND ITS IMPLICATIONS
• 7 THE CONCEPT OF EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING AND JOHN DEWEY’S THEORY OF REFLECTIVE THOUGHT AND ACTION
• 8 EPISTEMOLOGY OF TRANSFORMATIVE MATERIAL ACTIVITY: JOHN DEWEY’S PRAGMATISM AND CULTURAL-HISTORICAL ACTIVITY THEORY
• 9 ARTIFACT MEDIATION IN DEWEY AND IN CULTURAL-HISTORICAL ACTIVITY THEORY
• 10 PRAGMATISM AND ACTIVITY THEORY. IS DEWEY’S PHILOSOPHY A PHILOSOPHY OF CULTURAL RETOOLING?
• 11 INTEGRATING SCHOOL-BASED LEARNING WITH THE STUDY OF CHANGE AT WORK: THE ALTERNATIVE ENTERPRISE METHOD
• 12 THE RIDDLE OF THINGS: ACTIVITY THEORY AND ACTOR NETWORK THEORY AS APPROACHES TO STUDYING INNOVATIONS
• 13 VERSIONS OF CONSTRUCTIVISM IN EDUCATION. WHERE DO WE STAND?
• 14 OBJECT OF ACTIVITY AND INDIVIDUAL MOTIVATION
• 15 EPISTEMIC OBJECTS, ARTIFACTS AND ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE
• 16 THE ROLES OF THE RESEARCHER IN DEVELOPMENTALLY-ORIENTED RESEARCH
• REFERENCES