Beyond Help: A Consumer's Guide to Psychology - Softcover

Hansen, Susan; McHoul, Alec; Rapley, Mark

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1898059543 ISBN 13: 9781898059547

Publisher: PCCS Books, 2003

Synopsis

The version of human experience promoted by psychology defines twenty-first century western culture. That a way of understanding ourselves unheard of 100 years ago now dominates the 'helping' professions and the common sense of everyday conversation, TV talk-shows and magazine problem pages, is remarkable. This book examines how this knowledge of ourselves is produced, packaged and marketed. We demonstrate how the psychological professions sell themselves as the authority of human nature, and on appropriate forms of 'help' for personal distress. That is, we show the methods by which psychology - as a self-conscious social, cultural and entrepreneurial project - both defines an ever-increasing range of human experience as needing its expertise, and then markets proprietary solutions to ordinary people, aspiring professionals and other disciplines.

About this title

Review

This may not be want psychology wants to hear about itself, but it is essential reading. -- Professor Mary Boyle, University of East London

About the Author

Susan Hansen has very nearly finished her PhD on the new 'clinical disorder' of internet addiction and the commercialisation of psychology. She works with the Centre for Social and Community Research at Murdoch University, Western Australia.

Alec McHoul is Professor of Communication and Cultural Studies at Murdoch University. He has published in the areas of discourse analysis, cultural theory, literary studies and technology. His most recent books are How to Analyse Talk in Institutional Settings (Continuum; edited with Mark Rapley); Popular Culture and Everyday Life (Sage; with Toby Miller); and Semiotic Investigations (Nebraska). His current research projects include a reconsideration of the meanings of the concepts of culture and representation.

Mark Rapley is Associate Professor of Psychology at Murdoch University. His work applies discursive psychology to questions of power, in particular examining the interactional and rhetorical production of persons with intellectual disabilities, the 'mentally ill' and Aboriginal Australians. His most recent books are Quality of Life Research: A Critical Introduction (Sage; 2003) and, with Alec McHoul, How to Analyse Talk in Institutional Settings: A casebook of methods (Continuum, 2002). His new book Re-inventing the Feeble Mind: The social construction of intellectual disability, is published by Cambridge University Press.

Edition details

• Publisher: PCCS Books
• Publication date: 2003
• ISBN 10: 1898059543
• ISBN 13: 9781898059547
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 256