Revisionist Revolution in Vygotsky Studies

The State of the Art

René Van der Veer editor Anton Yasnitsky editor

Format:Hardback

Publisher:Taylor & Francis Ltd

Published:22nd Sep '15

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Revisionist Revolution in Vygotsky Studies cover

Revisionist Revolution in Vygotsky Studies brings together recent critical investigations which examine historical and textual inaccuracies associated with received understandings of Vygotsky’s work. By deconstructing the Vygotskian narrative, the authors debunk the 'cult of Vygotsky', allowing for a new, exciting interpretation of the logic and direction of his theory. The chapters cover a number of important themes, including:

  • The chronology of Vygotsky’s ideas and theory development, and the main core of his theoretical writings

  • Relationships between Vygotskians and their Western colleagues

  • The international reception of Vygotskian psychology and problems of translation

  • The future development of Vygotskian science

Using Vygotsky’s published and unpublished writings the authors present a detailed historical understanding of Vygotsky’s thought, and the circumstances in which he worked. It includes coverage of the organization of academic psychology in the Soviet Union, the network of scholars associated with Vygotsky in the interwar period, and the assumed publication ban on Vygotsky’s writings.

This volume is the first to provide an overview of revisionist studies of Vygotsky’s work, and is the product of close international collaboration between revisionist scholars. It will be an essential contribution to Vygotskian scholarship, and of great interest to researchers in the history of psychology, history of science, Soviet/Russian history, philosophical psychology and philosophy of science.

‘An indispensable volume for the intellectual project of coming to terms with Vygotsky’s theory and adapting it to current problems in new contexts’.– Peter Smagorinsky, The University of Georgia, USA

‘Lev Vygotsky is one of those titans of psychology who have been grossly and unfairly misperceived. A subtly cultural and deeply politicized author, Vygotsky creatively combined Freudian and Trotskyite, developmental and linguist influences. This book gives a thorough revision of Vygotsky’s heritage, which is indispensable for everyone who reads and follows Vygotsky the psychologist’. - Alexander Etkind, European University at Florence, Italy

‘Yasnitsky and van der Veer offer a sharp polemic with ‘cultism’ in Vygotsky Studies, rooting their revisionist arguments in an original historical reconstruction and deconstruction of the Vygotskian legacy in the Soviet Union, post-Soviet Russia and the wider world. This collection of studies sheds new light on the history of the reception and promotion of Vygotsky and his ‘school’’. - Andy Byford, Durham University, UK


‘Lev Vygotsky is one of those titans of psychology who have been grossly and unfairly misperceived. A subtly cultural and deeply politicized author, Vygotsky creatively combined Freudian and Trotskyite, developmental and linguist influences. This book gives a thorough revision of Vygotsky’s heritage, which is indispensable for everyone who reads and follows Vygotsky the psychologist’. - Alexander Etkind, European University at Florence, Italy

‘An indispensable volume for the intellectual project of coming to terms with Vygotsky’s theory and adapting it to current problems in new contexts’.– Peter Smagorinsky, The University of Georgia, USA

‘Yasnitsky and van der Veer offer a sharp polemic with ‘cultism’ in Vygotsky Studies, rooting their revisionist arguments in an original historical reconstruction and deconstruction of the Vygotskian legacy in the Soviet Union, post-Soviet Russia and the wider world. This collection of studies sheds new light on the history of the reception and promotion of Vygotsky and his ‘school’’. - Andy Byford, Durham University, UK

"For such a complex topic, the work is surprisingly accessible, making use of clear prose and useful tables and figures to examine the topic. A marvelous complement to Vygotsky’s Mind in Society or Thought and Language or secondary works, such as Luis Moll’s L. S. Vygotsky and Education."
--S. T. Schroth, Towson University,CHOICE, Vol. 54 No. 2

ISBN: 9781138887305

Dimensions: unknown

Weight: 612g

334 pages