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This book builds on two current developments in psychology scholarship and practice. The first centers on broad discontent with the individualist tradition in which the rational agent, or autonomous self, is considered the fundamental atom of social life. Critique of individualism spring not only from psychologists working in the academy, but also from communities of therapy and counseling. The second, and related development from which this work builds, is the search for alternatives to individualist understanding. Thus, therapists such as Steve Mitchell, along with feminists at the Stone Center, expand the psychoanalytic tradition to include a relational orientation to therapy. The present...
Recent attempts to challenge the primacy of reason--and its realization in foundationalist accounts of knowledge and cognitive formulations of human action--have focused on processes of discourse. Drawing from social and literary accounts of discourse, Kenneth Gergen considers these challenges to empiricism under the banner of "social construction." His aim is to outline the major elements of a social constructionist perspective, to illustrate its potential, and to initiate debate on the future of constructionist pursuits in the human sciences generally and psychology in particular.
"...Provides a brief introduction to social construction, and then illuminates the landscape of change. Special emphasis is given to topics of therapeutic communication, narrative, and therapeutic practices both traditional and contemporary. Critical chapters focus on the oppression of psychodiagnostic categories and the neuro/biological and pharmaceutical investments that support them..."--back cover.
This fully updated fourth edition of Gergen’s An Invitation to Social Construction introduces you to a key theoretical movement in contemporary social science through a wide range of multidisciplinary examples. The fourth edition includes: wider consideration of contemporary global challenges, increased coverage of media, digital culture, and relevant political issues, updated real-world examples of social constructionist theory in action, in research, education, therapy, organizations, and peace building. This book brings together complex theories that inform and critically build upon social constructionism, such as narratology, deconstruction, dialogism, positivism, and post-structuralism, in a way that is accessible for students and researchers alike. It is a vital resource for those studying social psychology and critical social psychology who are looking for a comprehensive guide to one of the core topics in the field. Kenneth J Gergen is Senior Research Professor in Psychology at Swarthmore College, and the President of the Taos Institute.
Distilling decades of work spanning their prestigious careers, Mary M. and Kenneth J. Gergen make a strong case for enriching the social sciences through performative work. They present a unique exploration of the origins of performative social science and provide an intellectually rich overview of its significance in the field, as well as its evolving potential. Many of their own performance pieces are included in the volume. The authors envision a broadening of the social sciences, making it more accessible to non-experts and opening up new dialogues between society and science—and changing the world in the process. Social scientists and researchers will gain a valuable new perspective from this insightful tome.
This new edition of Kenneth J. Gergen’s celebrated text An Invitation to Social Construction is now even more accessible for students, offering a clear and thorough introduction to one of the most significant movements in contemporary social science. The Third Edition includes: updates reflecting the many new developments in theory, research, and practice a more student-friendly, personal writing style three new chapters on education, and therapy and health care, and organizations key insights into how social construction can help support you in your research projects, from start to finish. An Invitation to Social Construction is the must-read text for all social science students, academics and practitioners wishing to learn about social constructionism, along with the forms of inquiry and practice central to its impact.
Drawing on a range of disciplines, from anthropology to psychoanalysis, this book explores the way we view ourselves and our relationships.
We enter an era of the unknown - global conditions move with unprecedented speed, unpredictably, disruptively, and uncontrollably. Conflict is unceasing and increasingly polarized. Global warming and the spread of deadly diseases are a threat to all. How are we to go on? One thing is clear: in these perilous conditions working together is imperative. As Gergen advances in this clear and compelling work, successful collaboration requires a radical transformation in our understanding of relationships. So long as we cling to the view that relationships are made up of separate entities - persons, communities, organizations or nations - our survival will be threatened. Rather, as Gergen proposes, we must reverse our understanding: it is out of the process of relating that emerge what we take to be the entities and their character. Care for the entities must be replaced by care for the process. This brief introduction to a relational perspective is bountifully illustrated with innovative practices - in education, healthcare, organizational development, peace building and more. All function to enhance well-being through relational process.
This reader introduces a number of important viewpoints central to social constructionism and charts the development of social constructionist thought.
The vast majority of research in social psychology focuses on momentary events: an attitude is changed, dissonance is reduced, a cognition is primed, and so on. Little attention is a paid to the unfolding of events over time, to social life as an ongoing process in which events are related in various ways as life unfolds. Originally published in 1984, Historical Social Psychology opens a space for theory and research in which temporal process is central. Contributors to this broad-ranging work provide a rich range of perspectives, from the theoretical to the methodological, from micro-sequences to the life-span, and from contemporary history to the long durée. Together, these authors set the stage for a major shift in the focus of social psychological inquiry.