Coping with the double bind: Bidirectional learning and development in the zone of proximal development

This article examines the interaction between a tutor and her student as they discuss an essay question from the student's sociology class. Drawing on the theories of Vygotsky and Bakhtin, I explore (a) the conflicts that arose for both tutor and tutee as they grappled with the competing discourses that informed their respective understandings of the essay question and (b) the shifts in tool use that were a result of attempting to cope with...