ABSTRACT

In this theoretical review article I discuss the relationship of dialectic materialism, Cultural Historical Activity Theory (CHAT) and analyses of work, learning and political economic consciousness. The purpose is to help researchers reflect on how they might be more effective in their analytic work. Specifically, its goal is to help expand the comprehensiveness and recognition of the dynamism of phenomena of work and learning, and to support the claim of political economic consciousness as inherent to them. To do this I introduce and describe the purposes and meaning of dialectical materialist methodology. I then discuss practical procedures (‘intentional dialectics’: Ollman [(1993). Dialectical Investigations. New York: Routledge] and the ordering of these procedures (‘systematic-categorial dialectics’: Smith [(1993) Dialectical Social Theory and its Critics: From Hegel to Analytical Marxism and Postmodernism. Albany, NY: SUNY Press] in the treatment of empirical research on work and learning. Framing those discussions is a rationale for a robust appreciation of variation, heterogeneity and particularities in dialectical analysis of emergent work and learning dynamics which draws on what Adorno [(1973/2003). Negative Dialectics. London: Routledge] refers to as ‘negative dialectics’. No matter how effectively grasped, however, I maintain that dialectical materialist methodology requires suitable, substantive theory – or rather an intermediate science – such as CHAT in order to realise its full value in analyses of work, learning and political economic consciousness.

摘要

在这篇理论综述文章中，我讨论了辩证唯物主义，文化历史活动理论（CHAT）的关系以及对工作，学习和政治经济意识的分析。目的是帮助研究人员思考他们如何在分析工作中更有效。具体而言，其目标是帮助扩大对工作和学习现象的活力的全面性和认识，并支持对其固有的政治经济意识的主张。为此，我介绍并描述了辩证唯物主义方法论的目的和意义。然后，我讨论了实用的程序（“故意辩证法”：Ollman [（1993）。辩证调查。纽约：Routledge]和这些程序的顺序（“系统分类辩证法”：Smith [（1993）辩证社会理论及其批评：从黑格尔到马克思主义分析主义和后现代主义。奥尔巴尼，纽约：纽约州立大学出版社）在工作和学习。成帧这些讨论的实证研究是变化，异质性和应急工作的辩证分析的特殊性和学习动力的强劲升值的理由借鉴了什么阿多诺[（2003分之1973）。否定的辩证法。伦敦：Routledge]被称为“否定辩证法”。但是，无论如何有效地把握，我都坚持辩证唯物主义方法论需要适当的，实体的理论，或者更像是中间科学，例如CHAT，以便在工作，学习和政治经济意识的分析中实现其全部价值。