Thwarted activity in geriatric care: The uncertain development of a profession

Work and mental health: clinical approaches

“…Enfin, l'instance personnelle comprend toute la dimension subjective et personnelle d'un sujet engagé dans une activité : son histoire personnelle, en particulier son histoire professionnelle, qu'il cherche à rejouer. À condition, pourrait-on dire, qu'elle soit discordance créatrice, c'est-à-dire qu'elle soit ressource dans la situation (Litim, Kostulski, 2008), la discordance entre ces quatre instances comme au sein de chacune d'elles, est l'occasion d'un développement pour le sujet. Quand il n'y a plus d'espace ouvert à la controverse professionnelle, la querelle entre personnes prend le dessus.…”

“…Sylvie Esman, Jean-Luc Nimis, et Pascale Molinier relatent le cas d'une décompensation psychiatrique survenant chez une aide-soignante lors de l'annonce d'une mise à pied expéditive pour « maltraitance » des patients dans un service de long séjour (Esman et al, 2009). L'analyse psychodynamique de la situation qui interviendra ultérieurement met en évidence l'existence d'un conflit non résolu portant sur la division du travail entre infirmières et aides-soignantes dans un contexte organisationnel instable (sur ce thème, voir aussi Litim, Kostulski, 2008).…”

Development of activity through reflection: the case of the public prosecutor'slapsus linguae

“…Therefore, this approach follows the developmental research tradition of activity theories (Engeström, 2005, 2006; Virkkunen, 2005; Sannino, 2008; Kostulski, 2009). The approach to an intervention is accomplished by seeking ways to set the profession in movement (Clot, 2008; Litim and Kostulski, 2008). This approach, which aims to transform the work activity through reflective analysis, is based on a conceptualization of the work activity which attempts to take into account its obstacles as well as its potential for development.…”

“…Observing a public prosecutor in his office quickly leads to the conclusion that this profession requires the development of subjective techniques to make it possible to tolerate the ceaseless interruptions on one hand, and on the other to take up the suspended tasks at the exact point where they were interrupted. Based on the effects of thwarted or hindered activities (Litim and Kostulski, 2008), one could conclude that the public prosecutor must be exhausted or risks becoming exhausted. But the profession has a very strong talent for response – a strong vitality.…”

“…Several papers dealing with this methodology have been published (Clot et al , 2002; Clot, 2009; Litim and Kostulski, 2008; Clot and Kostulski, 2010) illustrating the approach in different professional settings. Our aim here is to show how a micro‐event in work activity can be analyzed using this reflective methodology, and what this analysis provides for the professionals concerned, as well as for the researchers' understanding of that professional activity.…”