Tasks, Ensembles, and Activity

Written Communication Oct 2003

Robert J. Bracewell McGill University ; Stephen P. Witte Kent State University

Abstract

This article is concerned with characterizing literacy activity as it is practiced in professional workplaces. Its starting point is activity theory, which grew out of the work of Vygotsky and has been subsequently elaborated in Russia and elsewhere. First, the authors propose that existing versions of activity theory are unable to account adequately for practical human activity in contemporary workplaces, and present a revised perspective that opens the way for new theoretical developments. Second, they elaborate two new constructs, task and work ensemble, and apply them to a short collaborative writing sequence collected in the field. Both constructs are seen to account in a substantive way for the structure of the composing activity carried out by the collaborators. They close with a discussion of the complementarity and theoretical advantages of the two constructs.

Journal: Written Communication
Published: 2003-10-01
DOI: 10.1177/0741088303260691
Open Access: Closed
Topics: genre theory

Citation Context

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