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Jean Lave

Anthropologist whose theory of situated learning, developed with Etienne Wenger, argues that learning occurs through participation in communities of practice rather than through abstract instruction.

Jean Lave is an anthropologist whose work challenges the assumption that learning is primarily a cognitive process occurring inside individual minds. With Etienne Wenger, Lave developed the theory of situated learning, arguing that learning occurs through legitimate peripheral participation in communities of practice — not through abstract instruction alone.

Core ideas

  • Situated learning: knowledge is inseparable from the social and material contexts in which it is produced and used. Learning to be a tailor, a midwife, or a mathematician means participating in the practices of tailors, midwives, or mathematicians — not absorbing decontextualized rules.
  • Legitimate peripheral participation: newcomers learn by participating at the margins of a community of practice, gradually taking on more central roles as they develop competence through engagement.

Notable works

  • Situated Learning: Legitimate Peripheral Participation (1991, with Etienne Wenger)
  • Cognition in Practice (1988)

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@misc{emsenn2026-jean-lave,
  author    = {emsenn},
  title     = {Jean Lave},
  year      = {2026},
  note      = {Anthropologist whose theory of situated learning, developed with Etienne Wenger, argues that learning occurs through participation in communities of practice rather than through abstract instruction.},
  url       = {https://emsenn.net/library/general/domains/people/jean-lave/},
  publisher = {emsenn.net},
  license   = {CC BY-SA 4.0}
}