Theory of Subjectivity from a Cultural-Historical Standpoint: González Rey’s Legacy

This book examines key ideas related to the Theory of Subjectivity within a cultural-historical approach. It brings together the intellectual contributions made by Professor Fernando González Rey (1949-2019) towards understanding human subjectivity, and emphasizing their unfolding in different fields and contexts.

The book addresses the genesis and development of González Rey’s work, articulating this discussion with the author’s biography. González Rey’s main scientific contribution is the Theory of Subjectivity in a cultural-historical perspective, which is inseparable from Qualitative Epistemology and from its constructive-interpretive methodological expression. The book presents and discusses González Rey’s contributions to different contexts and fields, such as psychological research, education, cultural-historical psychology, human development, motivation, human health and psychotherapy. This book brings together examples of how these ideas have been employed and developed in different fields and contexts.

Daniel Magalhães Goulart is Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Education of the University of Brasilia. He completed his Ph.D. at the Faculty of Education of the University of Brasilia. His research interests focus on psychology and education from the cultural-historical approach of subjectivity in the fields of critical mental health care, subjective development and education. His latest books are: (1) Subjectivity and Critical Mental Health: Lessons from Brazil (2019, Routledge); (2) Subjectivity within Cultural-Historical Approach: Theory, Methodology and Research (Ed., 2019, Springer); (3) Saúde mental, desenvolvimento e subjetividade: da patologização à ética do sujeito [Mental health, development and subjectivity: from pathologization to the ethics of the subject] (2019, Cortez).

Albertina Mitjáns Martínez is research professor of the Faculty of Education at the University of Brasilia, Brazil. She obtained her Ph.D. qualification in psychological sciences at the University of Havana, Cuba, and concluded post-doctoral studies at the Faculty of Psychology of the Autonomous University of Madrid. Her research interests focus on education and psychology from a cultural-historical approach in three specific fields: (1) creativity and innovation in education (2) subjectivity in human development and learning; (3) disabilities and school inclusion. Her latest books are: (1) Subjectivity within cultural-historical approach: theory, methodology and research (Ed., 2019, Springer); (2) Subjetividade: teoria, epistemologia e método [Subjectivity: theory, epistemology and method (Alínea, 2019); (3) Psicologia, educação e aprendizagem escolar [Psychology, educacion and school learning] (Cortez, 2019).
Megan Adams is a senior lecturer of Inclusion at Monash University, Melbourne, Australia. She obtained her PhD qualifications in Education at Monash University. Her main research interests are focused on education from a cultural-historical approach using subjectivity to investigate (1) families with young children moving countries (2) identity, curriculum and pedagogy (3) preservice teacher’s perceptions about working with students displaying challenging behaviours in classrooms.