Lev Vygotsky

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Lev Vygotsky, the great Russian psychologist, had a profound influence on educational thought. His work on the perception of art, cultural-historical theory of the mind and the zone of proximal development all had an impact on modern education. This text provides a succinct critical account of Vygotskys life and work against the background of the political events and social turmoil of that time and analyses his cross-cultural research and the application of his ideas to contemporary education. Ren van der Veer offers his own interpretation of Vygotsky as both the man and anti-man of educational philosophy, concluding that the strength of Vygotskys legacy lies in its unfinished, open nature.

Reviews

In this concise intellectual biography of L. S. Vygotsky, eminent Vygotskian authority Ren van der Veer has written an accessible account of the major periods of Vygotskys career, reviewing the development of Vygotskys thinking in plain and often witty language, a service of immeasurable importance, given Vygotskys notorious indifference to his readers sensibilities... This volume is straightforward and edifying enough for undergraduates, and stimulating and informative enough for those who have been immersed in Vygotskian scholarship for many decades. -- Peter Smagorinsky, The University of Georgia, USA

Author Bio

Ren van der Veer is Casimir Professor of the History of Education at Leiden University, Netherlands. He is the author of articles and books about the history of developmental psychology and education. His current fields of interest include attachment theory, parenting advice and cultural-historical theory. Among his major books are Understanding Vygotsky (1991, with J. Valsiner), The Vygotsky Reader (1994, with J. Valsiner), The Social Mind (2000, with J. Valsiner) and The Cambridge Handbook of Cultural-Historical Psychology (2014, with A. Yasnitsky and M. Ferrari).