Tiny Paper: Projectivity and Cultural Projection

Welcome to the Tiny Paper series. In this episode, we introduce the concept of Projecivity, a core concept of Oliver Ding's 2021 book draft, Project-oriented Activity Theory.

This concept is inspired by the blending of Ecological Psychologist James J. Gibson's Affordance Theory and Andy Blunden's Project-oriented Activity Theory. This tiny paper categorizes Projectivity into three types—Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary—each corresponding to different phases of a project's life cycle and its "sense-makers," such as Events or the Identity of a Project. 

Furthermore, the text connects Projectivity and the related concept of the "Zone of Project" to the ideas of Lev Vygotsky's "ecological mind," referencing his concepts like the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) and Social Situation of Development, while also acknowledging the historical influence of Kurt Lewin on both Vygotsky and Gibson. Ultimately, the article establishes a theoretical framework that integrates ecological and cultural-historical approaches to analyze how people initiate, participate in, and are inspired by collaborative projects.

Check out the original article to explore the full details of this concept.