Center for Activity Theory and Developmental Work Research

Yrjö Engeström, Professor

Email: yrjo.engestrom@helsinki.fi
Tel.: +358-9-191 44574
Mobile: +358-50-3076300
Fax: +358-9-191 44579

Postal address:
Center for Activity Theory and Developmental Work Research
P.O. Box 26
FIN-00014 University of Helsinki, Finland

Current Activities

I am interested in cultural-historical activity theory and developmental work research in general. Currently, I focus especially on co-configuration as a new way of organizing work, and expansive learning in multi-activity settings.

Short Biography

I am Professor of Adult Education and Director of the Center for Activity Theory and Developmental Work Research at University of Helsinki. I am also Professor of Communication at University of California, San Diego, where I served as Director of the Laboratory of Comparative Human Cognition from 1990 to 1995. I am Honorary Professor in the School of Education at University of Birmingham, UK.

I work within the framework of cultural-historical activity theory. I am known for my theory of expansive learning. I study transformations in work and organizations, combining micro level analysis of discourse and interaction with historical analysis and modeling of organizations as activity systems working through developmental contradictions.

My research groups use intervention tools such as the Change Laboratory, inspired by Vygotsky’s method of dual stimulation, to facilitate and analyze the redesign of activity systems by practitioners. My current research is focused on health care organizations, a bank, and a telecommunications company striving toward new forms of co-configuration and knotworking.

My recent books include Cognition and Communication at Work (edited with David Middleton, 1996), Perspectives on Activity Theory (edited with Reijo Miettinen and Raija-Leena Punamäki, 1999), and Between School and Work: New Perspectives on Transfer and Boundary Crossing (edited with Terttu Tuomi-Gröhn, 2003). I have just finished a new book, Collaborative Expertise: Expansive Learning in Medical Work, to be published by Cambridge University Press.

Documents

		Bibliography 2004 Bibliography_2004.pdf	PDF 199.35 KB
		Johdatus aikuiskasvatukseen Johdatus_aikuiskasvatukseen.ppt	MS PowerPoint 1.17 MB
		Juhani Jukolan lukemaanoppiminen Juhani_Jukolan_lukeminen.pdf	PDF 70.41 KB
		KTTn peruskurssi -04, osa 1 KTT04-osa1.pdf	PDF 1.5 MB
		KTTn peruskurssi -04, osa 2 KTT04-osa2.pdf	PDF 1.88 MB
		KTTn peruskurssi -04, osa 3 KTT04-osa3.ppt	MS PowerPoint 1.05 MB
		Neljäs tuomari NELJAS_TUOMARI.pdf	PDF 115.49 KB
		Object-oriented interagency Collaborative_intentionality.pdf	PDF 172.84 KB
		Process, pipelines and teeming Process.pdf	PDF 31.13 KB
		Prosessi, putket ja kuhina Prosessi.pdf	PDF 30.21 KB
		Research strategy 2006-2011 Strategy.ppt	MS PowerPoint 122.5 KB
		The Landscape of Co-Configuration proposal The_Finnish_proposal.pdf	PDF 195.74 KB
		Values and rubbish paper Values_and_rubbish_paper.pdf	PDF 249.1 KB

Web Links

Slides of Herbert Spencer lecture given at Oxford University (2002)

Video interview at Lancaster University (2002)