Communities of Practice

Wenger (1998) writes about a social theory of learning.  All people belong to different communities, regardless of whether or not the membership is formal.  Be it at work, at school, in the neighborhood, or anywhere else, people are involved in communities and have social interactions.  The members are constantly learning.  Participation is crucial - one does not achieve the maximum benefit unless s/he is active.  Learning by doing is a classic example.  This reading also addresses the course theme of identity.  Theories of identity are concerned with the social formation of the person, the cultural interpretation of the body, and the creation and use of markers of membership such as rites of passage and social categories.  They address issues of gender, class, ethnicity, age, and other forms of categorization, association, and differentiation in an attempt to understand the person as formed through complex relations of mutual constitution between individuals and group.  We come to be who we are through our interactions with others and participation in various communities.