PSYC 4010 Chapter Notes - Chapter 8: John Dewey, Margaret Mead, Active Minds
15 Apr 2013
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Document Summary
Contextualism is based on assumptions fundamentally distinct from those of the dialectical (organismic) paradigm. Contextualism is based on the idea of the unique historical event. Four themes in contextualism (rosnow and georgoudi): the historic event is the basic unit of analysis with a consequent focus on change and development, the context consists of all the conditions surrounding the event. The sociocultural context in which the event takes place provides meaning to the event: variability and chance are an integral part of contextualism because contexts themselves are ultimately developed and impermanent realities, action and knowledge. James developed his own version of pragmatism; appealed to the practical-minded those interested in using science to solve everyday problems. The mind is seen as constantly engaged in interaction with adaptation to the environment; he emphasized the selective function of consciousness; he argued that thoughts and feelings exist .
