Beyond Help by Susan Hansen
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.
Psychology - particularly but not only in its popular guise - must be one of the most successful industries of 'postmodernity'It has become so largely because of an unscrupulous readiness on the part of its practitioners to exploit our all-too-human need to grasp at any straw that promises us relief from pain - Written with an intelligence and depth of thought that demand careful attention, no one with a serious interest in the field weill regret reading this book, even though it may make some pretty uncomfortable. David Smail, Mental Health Today (UK), November 2003. It is an important and stimulating book, which raises fundamental questions about the nature of the therapeutic enterprise. Julia McLeod, Abertay University Dundee (UK), HCPJ July 2003
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9781898059547 |
| ISBN 10 | 1898059543 |
| Title | Beyond Help |
| Author | Susan Hansen |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Paperback |
| Publisher | PCCS Books |
| Year published | 2003-03-01 |
| Number of pages | 256 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |