Kirjahaku

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 volume will give voice to the critique of individualism, but its major thrust is to develop and illustrate a far more radical and potentially exciting landscape of relational thought and practice that now exists. Most existing attempts to build a relational foundation remain committed to a residual form of individualist psychology. The present work carves out a space of understanding in which relational process stands prior to the very concept of the individual. More broadly, the book attempts to develop a thoroughgoing relational account of human activity. In doing so, Gergen reconstitutes 'the mind' as a manifestation of relationships and bears out these ideas in a range of everyday professional practices, including family therapy, collaborative classrooms, and organizational psychology.

Relational Being first builds on the broad discontent with the individualist tradition in which the rational agent, or autonomous self, is considered the fundamental atom of social life. Speaking to scholars and social practitioners, the work sets out to develop and illustrate a far more radical and potentially exciting landscape of relational thought and practice. It carves out a space of understanding in which relational process stands prior to the very concept of the individual. More broadly, the book attempts to develop a thoroughgoing relational account of human activity. As Gergen proposes, all meaning grows from coordinated action, or coaction, and thus, all that we hold to be real, rational, and valuable depends on the well-being of our relationships. Gergen reconstitutes "the mind" as a manifestation of relationships and bears out these ideas in everyday life and professional practices, including psychotherapy, collaborative classrooms, and organizational development. He questions the idea of mental illness, and focuses on therapy as a means of fostering relational recovery. Gergen also explores the ways in which what we call "knowledge" issues from communities, rather than from individual minds. The volume concludes with an innovative exploration of moral action and spirituality.

Today's ever-expanding communications technologies force us to relate to more people and institutions than ever before, challenging the way we view ourselves and our relationships. This powerful and provocative book draws from a wide range of disciplines,from anthropology to psychoanalysis, from film and fiction to literary theory,to explore these profound changes in our understanding of self-identity and their implications for cultural and intellectual life.

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.

This latest book by one the world's leading protagonists in the field will be welcomed not just by psychologists but by students, academics and professionals interested in social constructionism across a wide range of subjects. Social Construction in Context explores the potentials of social constructionist theory when placed in diverse intellectual and practical contexts. It demonstrates the achievements of social constructionism, and what it can now offer various fields of inquiry, both academic, professional and applied, given the proliferation of the theory across the social sciences and humanities. First order issues of concern within the academic world, objectivity, truth, power and ideology, are now being augmented by widespread developments in practice - therapeutic, pedagogical, organizational and political. This book looks closely at these developments and examines both the positive potentials and limitations of social constructionist theory when applied to a variety of domains. It has been written in an accessible and scholarly manner making it suitable for a wide-ranging readership.

This latest book by one the world's leading protagonists in the field will be welcomed not just by psychologists but by students, academics and professionals interested in social constructionism across a wide range of subjects. Social Construction in Context explores the potentials of social constructionist theory when placed in diverse intellectual and practical contexts. It demonstrates the achievements of social constructionism, and what it can now offer various fields of inquiry, both academic, professional and applied, given the proliferation of the theory across the social sciences and humanities. First order issues of concern within the academic world, objectivity, truth, power and ideology, are now being augmented by widespread developments in practice - therapeutic, pedagogical, organizational and political. This book looks closely at these developments and examines both the positive potentials and limitations of social constructionist theory when applied to a variety of domains. It has been written in an accessible and scholarly manner making it suitable for a wide-ranging readership.

Critical resistance to traditional empirical methods and the quest for foundational knowledge of human action is widespread. Recognition of theoretical and methodological inadequacies has sparked a search for a more robust conception of human science. This fascinating and carefully reasoned book develops the argument for human science as social construction. Demonstrating that descriptions of human action can neither be derived from nor corrected by scientific observation, Gergen provides a bold interdisciplinary challenge to traditional views, thus clearing the way for significant alterations in scientific practice. In the preface to the Second Edition, Gergen describes the major movements taking place since the First Edition was published over a decade ago.

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.

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.

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.

Hemos entrado en la era de lo desconocido. La imprevisibilidad y la fragilidad en todo lo que nos rodea se han convertido en nuestra nueva normalidad. Las realidades globales se modifican a una velocidad sin precedentes, de forma disruptiva e incontrolable. Los conflictos son incesantes y est n cada vez m s polarizados. La emergencia clim tica y la propagaci n de enfermedades mortales son una amenaza creciente para un mundo globalizado. Adem s, el individualismo y el ego smo parecen haberse instaurado como un mantra incuestionable en occidente.En este contexto, c mo podemos seguir adelante? Una cosa est clara: en estas condiciones peligrosas es imperativo trabajar juntos. Como avanza Gergen en esta obra clara e inspiradora, una colaboraci n exitosa exige una transformaci n radical de nuestra forma de entender las relaciones. Mientras nos aferremos a la idea de que las relaciones est n formadas por entidades separadas -personas, comunidades, organizaciones o naciones-, los senderos hacia un futuro caracterizado por el bienestar ser n abruptos. Por el contrario, la mirada de Gergen propone invertir esta concepci n: los procesos relacionales son los que constituyen las entidades y su car cter, y no a la inversa.Bajo este nuevo paradigma, el cuidado de las entidades debe sustituirse por el cuidado del proceso relacional. Esta breve introducci n a la perspectiva relacional est profusamente ilustrada con pr cticas innovadoras en educaci n, sanidad, desarrollo organizativo, consolidaci n de la paz y otros mbitos. Todas resultan muy tiles para mejorar el bienestar, tanto local como global, a trav s del proceso relacional.

Lettilgængelig og grundig indføring i teorien bag og praksis af socialkonstruktionisme. Med et væld af gode tankeprovokerende hverdagseksempler og anskueliggørende billedmateriale inviterer Kenneth J. Gergen os til at reflektere over, hvordan vi sammen gennem vores relationer og det sprog, vi anvender, konstruerer, hvad vi forstår ved virkeligheden og os selv. En invitation til social konstruktion argumenterer veloplagt for, hvorfor og hvordan ideerne og dialogerne om social konstruktion finder anvendelse inden for så forskellige områder som: Undervisning, organisationsforandring og ledelse, konfliktmægling og socialt arbejde, terapi samt forskning. Med hovedfokus lagt på praksis vil især professionelle faggrupper såsom lærere, terapeuter, konsulenter, ledere og konfliktløsere have glæde af de illustrative beskrivelser af, hvordan man samskaber ønskede sociale verdener. Bogen kan anvendes som lærebog lige fra gymnasiet til universitetsuddannelserne.

Vi går en usikker fremtid i møde, hvor globale vilkår i etstadig hastigere tempo ændrer verden på uforudsigeligeog ukontrollerbare måder. Vi ser dødbringende konflikter,uretfærdighed, global opvarmning og pandemiskesygdomme.Den amerikanske socialpsykolog og filosof Kenneth J.Gergen spørger i denne hans seneste bog: Hvordan skalvi komme videre i en sådan verden?En ting er klar: Under sådanne vilkår er det bydendenødvendigt at arbejde sammen. Et vellykket samarbejdefordrer ifølge Gergen en radikal ændring i vores forståelseaf relationer. Så længe vi holder fast i den opfattelse,at relationer består af uafhængige enheder – personer,fællesskaber, organisationer eller nationer – vil voresoverlevelse være truet.Denne korte introduktion til et relationelt perspektiv,en relationel etik om man vil, har et rigt reservoir afforslag til relationelle praksisser inden for uddannelse,sundhedsvæsen, organisationsudvikling og konflikthåndtering.Det er samtidig en kortere og mere lettilgængeliggennemgang af hans tanker om relationelværen og tilblivelse.