"From mimism to music in the child" : an oral-style contextual reading of the primary learning theory of Marcel Jousse with special reference to Rudolf Laban.

Abstract

In the essay, "From Mimism to Music in the Child" (1935), Jousse, the French linguistic anthropologist, * describes the process whereby instinctive learning takes place and develops into cognitive motor skills in the Child; * traces the connections between the stages of learning and the skills acquired by the Child. These skills include gestural mimic imitation, drawing, listening, speaking, and musical expression; * makes specific recommendations about the process of teaching the Child; * relates the stages in the early learning processes in the Child to the development globally and universally of the anthropos; * demonstrates the relationship between Man and his fellows, both as individuals and as expression of cultural distinction, and between Man and the universe; * comments on the distinction between human and animal learning capacities; * explains the roles of key features in human expression; *explains aspects of cultural and linguistic change; * comments on cultural and linguistic change. In this research-essay, I am * attempting to clarify, in various degrees, all of the above: the learning issues receive more attention than do the rest; * attempting to identify the similarities and differences between the thinking and views on learning of Jousse with those particularly of Rudolf Laban, and incidentally of Montessori and Lenneberg; * demonstrating an 'Oral-Style text'. The Introduction to this research-essay summarises the thinking of Jousse and Laban. The Body of the study: * provides biographical information about Jousse and Laban; * explains the difficulties and problems encountered with the text of the essay "From Mimism to Music in the Child"; * comments on the nature and operation of Oral-Style texts and their cognitive and affective influence upon the reader; * contextualises and interprets the text of the essay, "From Mimism and Music in the Child". The Conclusion adds comments, and suggests areas for further study and investigation.