Some Thoughts on Valsiner (2003) and Wagner (2003)
Thalia Magioglou
Fondation Maison des sciences de l’homme, Paris, France
Papers on Social Representations, Volume 12, p. 11.1-11.3 (2003)
Abstract
Social Representation’s theory is a social psychological theory; Valsiner’s (2003) theory is a contribution from the perspective of cultural and developmental psychology that insists on the dynamic aspect of social representations. My main interest when I read both Jaan Valsiner’s (2003) “theory of enablement” and W. Wagner’s (2003) comment, was in their possible contribution to a “societal” political psychology, with an approach of the political that: 1. goes beyond the institutional dimension, and focuses on the ways individuals, groups and collectivities construct/ deal with conflicts and decide about their common future 2. pays particular attention to the analysis of the everyday, ‘ordinary’ citizens and common sense thinking.