Subjectivity, Learning and Work: Sources and Legacies

Abstract

Indiv iduals ’ disposit ions have long been held to direct and energise cognit ion in ways that shape how they experience and respond to events in the social world. Therefor e, a consi derat ion of these dispo sitions is likely to be helpful in unders tanding the inter-psychological proces ses betwe en indi vidual and social world that frame contempora ry socio-cultural ac counts of learn ing. Here, the specific concern is to elabor ate the sources, legacies and po tency of individua ls ’ dispositions in the learn ing of occupa tional practice throug h these proces ses. Havi ng reviewed ideas about the dispo sitional underpi nnings of individua ls ’ const rual and construc-tion of the know ledge requi red for wor k, these concept ions are exerci sed throu gh illumin ating the roles dispo sitions play in the proces s of const ructing the knowledge requi red for an occupat ional practice (i.e. haird ressing). The study report ed here combi nes workplace ethnography and probl em-so lving tasks to ident ify the source of these subje ctivities, how they shape indi viduals ’ cognitive processes at wor k tasks and their learning throu gh participa tion in vocati onal pract ice. In all, it ident ified ho w i ndiv idua ls ’ dis pos itions a r ise t hrou gh socia lly-s hap ed life histo ries or ontogenies, a lbeit in p er son- de pe ndent ways. The participa nts ’ conceptions , prefer ences and procedu res that shape their learning and the enactm ent of their pract ice wer e found to be product s of earlie r socia lly-deri ved experienc es, there by makin g them person ally -subjecti ve. The se person ally -subjecti ve dispo sitions were identifi ed as shapi ng how these indi viduals engage in work, learn ing and the ongoin g rema king of wor k acti vities, because they influence inte r-psychological proces ses that compr ise the immedi ate exp eriences that constitu te the enactm ent of these activities. So, this sugges ts that the sociogeneses o f knowledge and learning likely incl udes personally unique social contr ibutions that aris e through ontoge ny