Introduction

Abstract

Activity theory is a commonly accepted name for a line of theorizing and research initiated by the founders of the cultural-historical school of Russian psychology, L. S. Vygotsky, A. N. Leont'ev, and A. R. Luria, in the 1920s and 1930s. The approach has been elaborated further by a large number of contemporary scholars both in the former socialist countries and in the West. Although certain key works of Vygotsky and Luria are widely accessible and have become classic references in behavioral sciences (e.g., Vygotsky, 1978; Luria, 1976), the bulk of more recent activity-theoretical publications remain scattered and often difficult to obtain.