I won’t let my LPP stop me from achieving my dreams!

This week we delved into defining what legitimate peripheral participation, LPP, really is by trying to break down the convoluted explanation given by Lave and Wenger. They define LPP as the relationship between newcomers and old-timers, in which a newcomer moves toward full participation in a sociocultural practice in a community through observation and experience (29). Essentially this is the description of how newcomers become experienced practitioners and eventually become old-timers. It represents the framework of how learning happens.

 

My group described LPP through a visual representation of its lifecycle. We had four simplified stages: (1) A young boy watches his father play with a soccer ball, (2) the boy practices playing soccer, asking the father questions when necessary, (3) the boy and father play soccer together, (4) and the boy plays soccer alone. The cycle continues with the boy becoming the father and starting the cycle again. Please note, the boy ages each stage to show the time difference between each stage of learning. As a group we saw LPP as a form of learning that requires every new learner to transform from a newcomer to an old-timer, as long as the learning process is not inhibited by any practice barriers.

 

An example from chapter these possible barriers. Take the example of the apprenticeship of meat cutters. The structural dimensions of the work setting determines how fast a newcomer gains the adequate knowledge and experience to become an old-timer. If the structural dimensions are optimal the newcomer receives adequate training tasks and learns more knowledge needed to advance, but they are not the newcomer can become detached and/or stuck in a single training task for years. The barrier inhibits an optimal LPP experience.
It is important to understand not all LPP is smooth and successful. An optimal PLL experience is dependent on the individual(s) participating in the learning experience, the old-timers ability to communicate the necessary knowledge and skills required of the practice, and the structural dimensions in which the LPP is taking place. LPP does not only take place when families pass down the “family business”, but  also when someone wants to learn a new field of practice outside of their family. Newcomer midwifes and tailors don’t necessary have to come from a family of the same practices. A new world of LPP in evolving before our eyes. Our children have the opportunity to pursue any career they desire as long as they have the qualities needed to acquire the careers knowledge and skill sets.