This paper seeks to further develop and refine a theory of the ways in which artefacts created by humans direct and deflect the attention of groups and individuals as they act in specific institutional settings. It draws on the writings of Basil Bernstein and Lev Vygotsky. These are two bodies of theory that have strengths which, to some extent, address the weaknesses of the other. It is argued that taken together they will provide a strong base for further extension and refinement in order to provide a coherent account which encapsulates the espoused but not yet fully realised ambitions of both theoretical traditions. A sociological focus on the rules which shape the social formation of discursive practice will be brought to bear on those aspects of psychology which argue that cultural artefacts, such as pedagogic discourse, both explicitly and implicitly mediate human thought and action.