Mutually Constituting, Fractal: Individual and Cultural Aspects of Holistic Process

Abstract

This chapter suggests that individual and cultural/contextual contributions to learning and development can be understood as mutually constituting aspects of a holistic fractal process flowing across generations. To examine specific aspects of the dynamic mutually constituting process, the chapter suggests foregrounding or focusing on one aspect of the process and keeping others in the background for particular analyses. The chapter treats learning/development as a dynamic process in which individuals and generations transform their participation in ongoing endeavors and in so doing, create and innovate context and culture. The mutually constituting approach changes research questions and reorients methods for understanding human learning and development.