Intersubjectivity

The title is a difficult concept to grasp indeed. When I read my note on intersubjectivity, the definition given in class was 'context where learning from teaching occurs resulting in common understanding of something subjective.' Then , I read again and again while trying to figure out the examples in context of my own learning. Frustrated... I left the concept unattended until Dr Tee brought the title again in class last week on the 5th Feb. He knew that the concept did not transpired in our cognitive domain since nobody wrote about it in our reflection. I couldn't agree more...

So in this entry, I decided to explore the topic of intersubjectivity. Wikipaedia explains it as 'the sharing of subjective states by two or more individuals which is used in 3 ways: when it refers to agreement between people; when it refers to common sense shared by people; when it refers to share divergences of meaning'. Hmm... complicated?

I kept on browsing, then I found this definition of intersubjectivity under social constructivism: 'Intersubjectivity is a shared understanding among individuals whose interaction is based on common interests and assumptions that form the ground for their communication (Rogoff, 1990)'. The article further explains 'Intersubjectivity not only provides the grounds for communication but also supports people to extend their understanding of new information and activities among the group members (Rogoff, 1990; Vygotsky, 1987)'. My understanding of intersubjectivity becomes clearer after I read this explanation: 'The construction of knowledge is also influenced by the intersubjectivity formed by cultural and historical factors of the community (Gredler, 1997; Prawat & Floden, 1994). When the members of the community are aware of their intersubjective meanings, it is easier for them to understand new information and activities that arise in the community'.

Let me put it in a situation based on real life context. For example, when I meet teachers from other school, we share common grounds. We could talk about students, education system, pedagogical problems and so forth since we have shared understanding of the matter discussed. On the other hand, if I were to meet a lawyer, singer, politician and the like, I could not share my thoughts, opinions or feelings toward the education system as a whole since there is no common grounds or understanding but if I talk to them (as a parent) about the issue on parenting, we might be able to share our worries and concerns about the our children and this involve intersubjectivity.