Concept Formation in the Wild - Project

The CRADLE has received funding for a new 4-year research project from the Academy of Finland. The title of the project is Concept Formation and Volition in Collaborative Work. The project will generate and test an integrative theoretical framework for the study of concept formation and volition in collaborative work activities. The framework will be developed by comparing, contrasting and hybridizing the theories of Hutchins (2005), Nersessian (2008),  Vygotsky (1987; 1997), and Davydov (1990). The theories will be tested in three settings of collaborative work, namely those of (1) traditional boat building in the coastal bay of Bengal, India, (2) dealing with the whitefly pest among greenhouse tomato growers in Ostrobothnia, Finland, and (3) delivering home care services to elderly patients in the city of Helsinki, Finland.
 
The research will start on 1st September of 2011 and will continue until 31st August 2015. The overall budget of the research will be 724.825 euros. The research is funded by the Academy of Finland.
 
Professor Yrjö Engeström is the Principal Investigator. From September 1, Marco Querol will  work as postdoctoral researcher in the project. Other members of the project group are Anu Kajamaa, Swapna Mukhopadhyay, and Irene Vänninen.