Papers by Ole Jacob Madsen
Social norms as solutions
Climate change, biodiversity loss, antibiotic resistance, and other global challenges pose major ... more Climate change, biodiversity loss, antibiotic resistance, and other global challenges pose major collective action problems: A group benefits from a certain action, but no individual has sufficient incentive to act alone. Formal institutions, e.g., laws and treaties, have helped address issues like ozone depletion, lead pollution, and acid rain. However, formal institutions are not always able to enforce collectively desirable outcomes. In such cases, informal institutions, such as social norms, can be important. If conditions are right, policy can support social norm changes, helping address even global problems. To judge when this is realistic, and what role policy can play, we discuss three crucial questions: Is a tipping point likely to exist, such that vicious cycles of socially damaging behavior can potentially be turned into virtuous ones? Can policy create tipping points where none exist? Can policy push the system past the tipping point?
Personal and political action on climate change is traditionally
thought to be motivated by peopl... more Personal and political action on climate change is traditionally
thought to be motivated by people accepting its reality and importance.
However, convincing the public that climate change is
real faces powerful ideological obstacles1–4, and climate change
is slipping in public importance in many countries5,6. Here we
investigate a dierent approach, identifying whether potential
co-benefits of addressing climate change7 could motivate
pro-environmental behaviour around the world for both those
convinced and unconvinced that climate change is real. We
describe an integrated framework for assessing beliefs about
co-benefits8, distinguishing social conditions (for example,
economic development, reduced pollution or disease) and
community character (for example, benevolence, competence).
Data from all inhabited continents (24 countries; 6,196
participants) showed that two co-benefit types, Development
(economic and scientific advancement) and Benevolence (a
more moral and caring community), motivated public, private
and financial actions to address climate change to a similar
degree as believing climate change is important. Critically,
relationships were similar for both convinced and unconvinced
participants, showing that co-benefits can motivate action
across ideological divides. These relationships were also
independent of perceived climate change importance, and
could not be explained by political ideology, age, or gender.
Communicating co-benefits could motivate action on climate
change where traditional approaches have stalled.
Depression is emerging as one of the major threats to public health in the 21st century. Yet, une... more Depression is emerging as one of the major threats to public health in the 21st century. Yet, unexpectedly few studies have looked into how defining features of late modernity, like increased complexity, detraditionalization and individualization, may upset young people’s subjectivation, well-being and mental
health. This study provides qualitative interviews with seven Norwegian young adults between 20 and 31 years that have experienced a bout of depression. The results reveal that failure to live up to perceived standards and ideals of contemporary Western neoliberal culture of the sovereign, self-governing
individual, in total control of all aspects of life, looms large over their heads. However, there were also more personal unique themes about bullying and genetic dispositions for depression that suggest that sociocultural theories about late modern life
as producing conditions for depression must be interpreted in line with more individual biographic and biological factors.
In this article, we explore how the concept of «the best interest of the child» is used by parent... more In this article, we explore how the concept of «the best interest of the child» is used by parents and mediators in mediation talks conducted in accordance with the Act on children and parents. By performing a discourse analysis of transcribed mediation sessions between parents with a high degree of conflict about care scheme, we will show how parents and the mediator define, take on and ascribe positions that provide unequal access to claims to represent the fulfillment of the principle of «the child’s best interest». We conclude that discussions about the «best interest» issue may contribute to escalating conflict, rather than to decrease it. Thus, our conclusions pose a challenge to current practice and research in the custody mediation field in Norway.
Theory & Psychology, 2014
George A. Miller’s presidential address to the American Psychological Association in 1969 urged p... more George A. Miller’s presidential address to the American Psychological Association in 1969 urged psychologists “to give psychology away” in order to solve social problems related to human health and welfare, and has since become a standard reference for calls for social responsibility. But Miller also envisioned a psychological revolution that would ultimately change humankind’s concept of itself. In the decades that followed, according to numerous historical studies, psychology’s influence was vital to the conduct of self-governing that resulted in a globalised therapeutic culture. Yet, professional psychology’s self-perception, in Norway and around the world, continues to rest on the modernist assumption of psychology being something underrepresented and external to society. I argue that the psychological revolution that Miller foresaw should lead responsible professionals to revise the ethical framework; in fact, the moral justice of “taking psychology away” should now be seriously considered.
This article examines the intersection between the therapeutic and the Christian cultures, and th... more This article examines the intersection between the therapeutic and the Christian cultures, and the common conviction among scholars of the therapeutic, such as Philip Rieff, that the subjective turn eventually will overthrow organized Christianity. The culture clash between secularism and religion is engaged through the Protestant Church of Norway's liturgical reform of the Sunday high mass 2004–2011, which aims to make the liturgical service more relevant. The analysis of both institutional and theological attempts at finding a balance between the old and the new suggests that the authority of the emotive self strongly challenges the truth of God. Still, there are signs of a cultural merger that suggest the Church of Norway will prevail. The outcome, however, will not satisfy conservative theologians and critics of the therapeutic culture, as God, in order to survive, must accept a more subordinate supportive role as an optional remedy for well-being.
This article takes a historical look at abortion in Norway, especially the parliamentary debates ... more This article takes a historical look at abortion in Norway, especially the parliamentary debates and the legislation on selective abortion. By using metaphor theory and discourse analysis we disclose that mental health issues came into practice as a legitimate cause for selective abortion for women in Norway from the 1960s and recur in more recent debates about important amendments in 1996 and 2003. In order to abort, women must simultaneously adopt a psychological means of self-representation. The history of the discourse on selective abortion in Norway thus illustrates the often ambiguous relationship between reproductive policy and ‘psy’. The analysis also shows that a therapeutic discourse today creates a framework of meaning for all political parties in
Norway in the questions regarding abortion, including the Christian Democratic Party traditionally committed to religious motifs. This particular part of the history of abortion in Norway suggests that the psy-sciences and a therapeutic outlook on the self and society came into being in Norway from the 1960s, marking a defining moral shift from the previous religious and moral reasoning to a therapeutic ethos.
This article examines “the therapeutic culture” in contemporary women's magazines. A qualitative ... more This article examines “the therapeutic culture” in contemporary women's magazines. A qualitative content analysis of the leading Norwegian women's magazines KK and Tara reveals how psychological experts, self-help advice, and the presentation of the self reflects a therapeutic ethos which has become a norm for women, offering a manageable way of dealing with individual self-realization. Leading theorists on the modern self argue that therapeutic discourses permeate the cultures of the Western world, and our analysis suggests that therapeutic discourses have succeeded in becoming recognized as cultural resources of selfhood in the local context we examine—Norway. The ideal of the empowered woman who is responsible enough to take care of her self stands at the forefront in these magazines.
This article examines the Norwegian and Danish versions of the reality television series Paradise... more This article examines the Norwegian and Danish versions of the reality television series Paradise Hotel. The reality show emulates what postmodern consumer society wants us to believe in: a kind of “second transgression” for the human being, in which she is both free and without anxiety. The guests (predominantly male in line with prevailing gender norms) at Paradise Hotel may qualify as shameless—after spells of physical and psychological revelations in front of the camera with no visible regrets—still, the price is perhaps the loss rather than the gain of freedom. The medialized shameless self demands the subordination to narrow bodily and emotional standards during filming, which postpones most of the guests’ shame and regrets until after the cameras are turned off. This particular Fall may have unwanted personal consequences that lead to a spiral ascent crueler than Adam and Eve ever underwent.
The paper reflects on the advancement of the psychologisation of Western society through the noti... more The paper reflects on the advancement of the psychologisation of Western society through the notion of «the therapeutic ethos» and discusses political and moral implications of its “triumph”. It is argued that the attempt to exorcise a “therapeutic Zeitgeist” showcases the problems of critique of contemporary culture. The Zeitgeist reveals itself as much in the tools of critique as the objective of critique. I therefore conclude that popular critical methods like discourse analysis have itself become a hegemonic discourse, which rarely equals its philosophical originator Michel Foucault's imaginative radical ambition.
Critical psychologists’ objective is to understand forms of social injustice and inequality, and ... more Critical psychologists’ objective is to understand forms of social injustice and inequality, and ultimately change
conditions to the better. Historically critical psychology evolved from the student revolt in Germany in the late
1960s as a reaction against an unjust capitalistic society, and poor living conditions for students. In recent years
critical psychology appears to have been most prominent in societies in Latin America often characterized by
their endemic poverty and forms of exclusion. What then of one of the wealthiest and well-managed countries in
the world, Norway? In this paper I give a brief discussion of the challenges of doing critical psychology in a state
of affluence. Does critical psychology become redundant? Does critical psychology’s objective change? Or none
of the above, which suggests that critical psychology and its aim, is the same independent of historical and
national context.
The reigning global market ideology, frequently referred to as neoliberalism, inherently strives ... more The reigning global market ideology, frequently referred to as neoliberalism, inherently strives for fewer economic regulations in order to create greater wealth for humanity. Whistleblowing, on the other hand, is an action that aims at preserving the conditions and values of the greater common good. Therefore, economic considerations, and human and ethical considerations sometimes collide. In the present globalised economy where neoliberalism endeavours for fewer regulations, workers that oppose wrongdoing at work (i.e. whistleblowers) seem to hold a unique position in-between governmental interference and singular action. Whistleblowers are neither sole state regulators nor grass root activists but attempt to effect change from within the organisation. This paper discusses ways in which neoliberalism can influence the act of whistleblowing.
Within philosophy of science the belief in universal, value-free science has been larg... more Within philosophy of science the belief in universal, value-free science has been largely
abandoned over the recent decades due to the epistemological and moral bias latent in Western “white male” metaphysics (Code, 1991; Lloyd, 1993). However, as this paper will examine,
psychology as an academic discipline may yet have to adapt to this widely accepted theoretical criticism regarding its own underlying presumptions. This suspected neglect is discussed in relation to Sandra Harding’s notion of depoliticisation applied to three cases: (1) A recent debate on caregiving and fatherhood in Norway, (2) a debate on infidelity in a Norwegian newspaper, and (3) the conduct of the research project The Bergen Child Study (2002—). The three case studies illustrate how some psychologists may no longer theoretically embrace universal realism, but in psychological research and in public debate that draws on psychological experts, this ideal of knowledge still persists in all three cases. The explanation for this might be that the psychologists in question in their clinical practice, or their research, are professional representatives of an internal belief system where the psychologist’s role is to uncover and ultimately heal what is really “out there.”
The term psychologisation refers to psychology‘s variegated imprints on late modern Western socie... more The term psychologisation refers to psychology‘s variegated imprints on late modern Western society. In this paper, we argue that over the last few decades, psychologisation
has become such a pervasive phenomenon that it is almost no longer possible to speak of psychologisation as something distinct from other systems of meaning that can be subjected to critique. We draw on the French contemporary author Michel Houellebecq‘s novel Whatever that examines the personal consequences of living under an individualised, psychological regime. To be a human being
today is first and foremost to be a psychological being. A comparison of several influential critics of therapeutic culture leads to a seemingly recurring theme— the
loss of alternatives— which now seems to have become a reality. Psychologisation has, therefore, disappeared in the sense that is has evolved into a monotheistic ontology
of late modernity.
In its effort to understand the individual person, psychology has largely overlooked man’s depend... more In its effort to understand the individual person, psychology has largely overlooked man’s dependency on nature. By taking Irvin D. Yalom’s influential existential psychotherapy as our object of departure, we analyze how his four existential conditions for living – freedom, death, existential isolation and meaninglessness – all fail to reflect on how an intact climate is an unavoidable necessity for all life. Building on insights from ecopsychologists, we reason that a fifth existential condition for living, existential dependency on nature, should be included. Finally, we maintain that all prominent psychological ideas about wellbeing must be brought up to date with the challenge from the looming environmental crisis.
Tidsskrift for Norsk Psykologforening, 2014
Psychology’s «two cultures» often provokes «true» or «false» categorical positions in debates ove... more Psychology’s «two cultures» often provokes «true» or «false» categorical positions in debates over the ontological status of psychiatric diagnosis. Philosopher of science Ian Hacking’s theory on the social dynamics of mental illness is presented as an attempt to offer reconciliation between «the medical model» and «the sociocultural model». «The looping effect of human kinds» challenges both the old correspondence theory of psychiatric diagnosis and the stigma dispute. Ecological niches and vectors represent a valuable tool in order to understand how transient mental illnesses appear, distribute and disappear, as applied to the examples of ADD/ADHD and chronic fatigue syndrome. Hacking consistently rejects typical «Is it real or socially constructed?» questions. Nonetheless, his rich vocabulary helps us think of mental illness as «real» for the sufferers regardless of the answer we may prefer.
Denne artikkelen er en kasusstudie av det norske selvhjelpsskrinet Psykologisk førstehjelp, et ko... more Denne artikkelen er en kasusstudie av det norske selvhjelpsskrinet Psykologisk førstehjelp, et kognitivt psykoedukativt program rettet inn mot barn og unge i alderen åtte til 18 år. Verktøyet har vist seg lovende i arbeidet med psykisk helse hos barn og unge, og er vur- dert som noe alle barn og unge potensielt kan ha nytte av. Med et diskursanalytisk utgangspunkt spør vi i denne artikkelen om hvilke underliggende normer som formidles til barn og unge når prinsipper fra individualpsykologisk praksis tas i bruk som et allment forebyg- gingstiltak. Resultatene av vår diskursanalyse indikerer at skrinene står i fare for å fremme en reduksjonistisk forståelse av emosjoner ved å plassere dem i dikotomiske kategorier. Idealer om positiv tenkning og økt selvkontroll gjenspeiler en tendens i psykologifaget til å fremme en form for instrumentell etikk, som kan stå i fare for å erstatte løs- ninger og forebyggingstiltak av mer relasjonell og samfunnsmessig art. Mer forskning på implementeringen av Psykologisk førstehjelp behøves imidlertid for å undersøke hvordan disse underliggende nor- mene kan gjøre seg gjeldende i praksis.
Denne artikkelen gir en oversikt over kritisk psykologi sin historiske utvikling, utbredelse i na... more Denne artikkelen gir en oversikt over kritisk psykologi sin historiske utvikling, utbredelse i nåtiden og utfordringer for framtiden ut fra dens overordnede mål om å utfordre og foran- dre mainstream psykologi. Marx og Foucault presenteres som de to filosofiske gigantene fra det 18. og 19. århundret med størst innflytelse på utformingen av kritisk psykologi. Til tross for en rekke ulike skoler og tradisjoner i dag, så forenes kritiske psykologer likevel rundt et felles etisk-politisk mål om å bekjempe un- dertrykkelse og fremme sosial rettferdighet. Selv om framtiden unektelig ser lys ut for kri- tisk psykologi, gitt at mainstream psykologi ser ut til å fortsette sin ekspansjon, så ligger det likevel potensielle konflikter mellom dens ideologiske-marxistiske arv og kritisk tenkning som må løses. Kritisk psykologi sitt prosjekt må til stadighet tas opp til kritisk vurdering for å unngå de abstrakte, tilstivnede reifikasjonene bevegelsen i utgangspunktet ønsker å motvirke.
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Papers by Ole Jacob Madsen
thought to be motivated by people accepting its reality and importance.
However, convincing the public that climate change is
real faces powerful ideological obstacles1–4, and climate change
is slipping in public importance in many countries5,6. Here we
investigate a dierent approach, identifying whether potential
co-benefits of addressing climate change7 could motivate
pro-environmental behaviour around the world for both those
convinced and unconvinced that climate change is real. We
describe an integrated framework for assessing beliefs about
co-benefits8, distinguishing social conditions (for example,
economic development, reduced pollution or disease) and
community character (for example, benevolence, competence).
Data from all inhabited continents (24 countries; 6,196
participants) showed that two co-benefit types, Development
(economic and scientific advancement) and Benevolence (a
more moral and caring community), motivated public, private
and financial actions to address climate change to a similar
degree as believing climate change is important. Critically,
relationships were similar for both convinced and unconvinced
participants, showing that co-benefits can motivate action
across ideological divides. These relationships were also
independent of perceived climate change importance, and
could not be explained by political ideology, age, or gender.
Communicating co-benefits could motivate action on climate
change where traditional approaches have stalled.
health. This study provides qualitative interviews with seven Norwegian young adults between 20 and 31 years that have experienced a bout of depression. The results reveal that failure to live up to perceived standards and ideals of contemporary Western neoliberal culture of the sovereign, self-governing
individual, in total control of all aspects of life, looms large over their heads. However, there were also more personal unique themes about bullying and genetic dispositions for depression that suggest that sociocultural theories about late modern life
as producing conditions for depression must be interpreted in line with more individual biographic and biological factors.
Norway in the questions regarding abortion, including the Christian Democratic Party traditionally committed to religious motifs. This particular part of the history of abortion in Norway suggests that the psy-sciences and a therapeutic outlook on the self and society came into being in Norway from the 1960s, marking a defining moral shift from the previous religious and moral reasoning to a therapeutic ethos.
conditions to the better. Historically critical psychology evolved from the student revolt in Germany in the late
1960s as a reaction against an unjust capitalistic society, and poor living conditions for students. In recent years
critical psychology appears to have been most prominent in societies in Latin America often characterized by
their endemic poverty and forms of exclusion. What then of one of the wealthiest and well-managed countries in
the world, Norway? In this paper I give a brief discussion of the challenges of doing critical psychology in a state
of affluence. Does critical psychology become redundant? Does critical psychology’s objective change? Or none
of the above, which suggests that critical psychology and its aim, is the same independent of historical and
national context.
abandoned over the recent decades due to the epistemological and moral bias latent in Western “white male” metaphysics (Code, 1991; Lloyd, 1993). However, as this paper will examine,
psychology as an academic discipline may yet have to adapt to this widely accepted theoretical criticism regarding its own underlying presumptions. This suspected neglect is discussed in relation to Sandra Harding’s notion of depoliticisation applied to three cases: (1) A recent debate on caregiving and fatherhood in Norway, (2) a debate on infidelity in a Norwegian newspaper, and (3) the conduct of the research project The Bergen Child Study (2002—). The three case studies illustrate how some psychologists may no longer theoretically embrace universal realism, but in psychological research and in public debate that draws on psychological experts, this ideal of knowledge still persists in all three cases. The explanation for this might be that the psychologists in question in their clinical practice, or their research, are professional representatives of an internal belief system where the psychologist’s role is to uncover and ultimately heal what is really “out there.”
has become such a pervasive phenomenon that it is almost no longer possible to speak of psychologisation as something distinct from other systems of meaning that can be subjected to critique. We draw on the French contemporary author Michel Houellebecq‘s novel Whatever that examines the personal consequences of living under an individualised, psychological regime. To be a human being
today is first and foremost to be a psychological being. A comparison of several influential critics of therapeutic culture leads to a seemingly recurring theme— the
loss of alternatives— which now seems to have become a reality. Psychologisation has, therefore, disappeared in the sense that is has evolved into a monotheistic ontology
of late modernity.
thought to be motivated by people accepting its reality and importance.
However, convincing the public that climate change is
real faces powerful ideological obstacles1–4, and climate change
is slipping in public importance in many countries5,6. Here we
investigate a dierent approach, identifying whether potential
co-benefits of addressing climate change7 could motivate
pro-environmental behaviour around the world for both those
convinced and unconvinced that climate change is real. We
describe an integrated framework for assessing beliefs about
co-benefits8, distinguishing social conditions (for example,
economic development, reduced pollution or disease) and
community character (for example, benevolence, competence).
Data from all inhabited continents (24 countries; 6,196
participants) showed that two co-benefit types, Development
(economic and scientific advancement) and Benevolence (a
more moral and caring community), motivated public, private
and financial actions to address climate change to a similar
degree as believing climate change is important. Critically,
relationships were similar for both convinced and unconvinced
participants, showing that co-benefits can motivate action
across ideological divides. These relationships were also
independent of perceived climate change importance, and
could not be explained by political ideology, age, or gender.
Communicating co-benefits could motivate action on climate
change where traditional approaches have stalled.
health. This study provides qualitative interviews with seven Norwegian young adults between 20 and 31 years that have experienced a bout of depression. The results reveal that failure to live up to perceived standards and ideals of contemporary Western neoliberal culture of the sovereign, self-governing
individual, in total control of all aspects of life, looms large over their heads. However, there were also more personal unique themes about bullying and genetic dispositions for depression that suggest that sociocultural theories about late modern life
as producing conditions for depression must be interpreted in line with more individual biographic and biological factors.
Norway in the questions regarding abortion, including the Christian Democratic Party traditionally committed to religious motifs. This particular part of the history of abortion in Norway suggests that the psy-sciences and a therapeutic outlook on the self and society came into being in Norway from the 1960s, marking a defining moral shift from the previous religious and moral reasoning to a therapeutic ethos.
conditions to the better. Historically critical psychology evolved from the student revolt in Germany in the late
1960s as a reaction against an unjust capitalistic society, and poor living conditions for students. In recent years
critical psychology appears to have been most prominent in societies in Latin America often characterized by
their endemic poverty and forms of exclusion. What then of one of the wealthiest and well-managed countries in
the world, Norway? In this paper I give a brief discussion of the challenges of doing critical psychology in a state
of affluence. Does critical psychology become redundant? Does critical psychology’s objective change? Or none
of the above, which suggests that critical psychology and its aim, is the same independent of historical and
national context.
abandoned over the recent decades due to the epistemological and moral bias latent in Western “white male” metaphysics (Code, 1991; Lloyd, 1993). However, as this paper will examine,
psychology as an academic discipline may yet have to adapt to this widely accepted theoretical criticism regarding its own underlying presumptions. This suspected neglect is discussed in relation to Sandra Harding’s notion of depoliticisation applied to three cases: (1) A recent debate on caregiving and fatherhood in Norway, (2) a debate on infidelity in a Norwegian newspaper, and (3) the conduct of the research project The Bergen Child Study (2002—). The three case studies illustrate how some psychologists may no longer theoretically embrace universal realism, but in psychological research and in public debate that draws on psychological experts, this ideal of knowledge still persists in all three cases. The explanation for this might be that the psychologists in question in their clinical practice, or their research, are professional representatives of an internal belief system where the psychologist’s role is to uncover and ultimately heal what is really “out there.”
has become such a pervasive phenomenon that it is almost no longer possible to speak of psychologisation as something distinct from other systems of meaning that can be subjected to critique. We draw on the French contemporary author Michel Houellebecq‘s novel Whatever that examines the personal consequences of living under an individualised, psychological regime. To be a human being
today is first and foremost to be a psychological being. A comparison of several influential critics of therapeutic culture leads to a seemingly recurring theme— the
loss of alternatives— which now seems to have become a reality. Psychologisation has, therefore, disappeared in the sense that is has evolved into a monotheistic ontology
of late modernity.
the challenges they have struggled with are vital for anyone wanting to act ethically and think critically about psychotherapy both inside and outside the office door.
Western culture. I highlight the new challenge for psychology under new conditions by the recent rise of cosmetic surgery in Norway, which is embedded in the therapeutic culture, and thus avoids criticism by advocating that surgical interventions is mainly directed at gaining self-esteem. I conclude that the
present challenge might be considered the final argument for societal ethics rather than traditional professional ethics, in order to sufficiently deal with the present psychologized state of affairs.
ethos and the therapeutic culture. My interest for this topic stems from the acknowledgement that psychology as a science, a profession and a cultural artifact increasingly appears to exert
an influence on ever new areas of Norwegian society. The purpose of the thesis has been to complement the Norwegian psychology profession’s self-understanding with a more complex picture of psychology, which, despite the important role it serves in today’s individualised culture and professionalised welfare state, may also have some unintended side effects. In four different studies I have chosen to particularly focus on the aspect of the cultural influence
of psychology - more specifically on the notion of the therapeutic ethos/culture - as a specific cultural hegemony in which individuals come to make sense of their lives which has not previously been systematically studied or critically examined in a Norwegian societal context.
Forfatterne drøfter denne utviklingen. De spør om sosialt arbeid blir redusert til nøytralt kunnskapsarbeid som kun skal assistere den enkeltes livsmestring. Blir sosialarbeidere i større grad stående alene med ansvaret for klientene, uten støtte i kunnskap om at individuelle problemer også handler om sosiale vilkår som fattigdom, arbeidsløshet og utstøting? Og hvilke konsekvenser har mer bruk av evidensbaserte programmer og fastsatte prosedyrer for utøvelse av skjønn og for å ta moralske hensyn i møte med andre mennesker?
Boken ønsker å bidra til en kritisk bevissthet om maktens føringer for sosialt arbeid. For at livsviktige verdier i velferdsstaten ikke skal gå tapt, må «det sosiale» i sosialt arbeid bevares.
Each chapter traces and critically interprets a range of self-help philosophies and techniques, examining the claims of self-help literature to represent the most innovative psychological, medical or neurobiological research. Discussing each genre in turn, chapters examine key research alongside self-help literature to explore the effectiveness and impact of leading self-help genres in various social contexts and environments. The book offers a contemporary critical overview of issues concerning self-help, combining critical psychology with the theory of social representation to provide a broad perspective on self-help as a valid psychology.
Optimizing the Self will be of interest to academics, researchers and postgraduate students in the fieldsof social representation, critical and cultural psychology and theory, clinical psychology, and the sociology of culture and science. The book will also be of use to critical and cultural psychologists and theorists, as well as clinical psychologists.
The Therapeutic Turn evaluates the increasing prevalence of psychology in several areas of Western society: Western consumer culture, contemporary Christianity, self-help, sport and politics. Madsen proposes that there are problematic aspects to this development which are seldom recognised due to a widely held assumption that ‘the more psychology, the better for everyone’. A recurring concern with psychological solutions is that they often provide individual solutions to structural problems. As a result, psychologists may be inadvertently increasing the burden on the shoulders of the people they are meant to help and, at the same time, our capacity to understand individual suffering in the light of major historical and political changes in society is becoming increasingly clouded.
The Therapeutic Turn presents an accessible and engaging critique of the influence of psychology within Western society. It will appeal to a broad audience of students, academics and lay readers interested in this aspect of modernity and contemporary society, and it will also be of great interest to practitioners and therapists.
Selvhjelpslitteraturen speiler og former samtiden. Her møtes kommersielle, religiøse, vitenskapelige og ideologiske krefter og kappes om lesernes oppmerksomhet. De gir ulike oppskrifter for hvordan du skal leve livet ditt. I fraværet av ytre påbud om hva som er riktig å gjøre, får selvhjelpslitteraturen en fortrolig plass i stadig flere menneskers liv. Til tross for dette har den til nå i liten grad vært gjenstand for analyse. Boka gir derfor en oversikt og diskuterer kritisk de mest utbredte formene for psykologisk selvhjelpslitteratur.
Boka henvender seg til psykologistudenter, klinikere, og andre interesserte.
Forfatteren tar utgangspunkt i forestillingen om den «terapeutiske kultur». Ved å granske psykologiens økte utbredelse i samfunnet de siste tiårene på forskjellige områder som konsum, religion, selvhjelp, idrett og politikk, ender han opp med et kritisk spørsmål: Har psykologprofesjonen en tilstrekkelig utviklet etisk bevissthet om det nye sosiopolitiske landskapet den opererer i?
Forfatter mener svaret er nei. Resultatet er en profesjon som opererer under forestillingen om at alt egentlig er psykologi, og at svaret på samfunnets problemer er flere psykologer. Det er betenkelig i en tid der den enkeltes helse er blitt et grenseløst prosjekt, og vår kapasitet til å forstå individuell lidelse på bakgrunn av større samfunnsendringer er begrenset.
Bokens redaktører Ole Jacob Madsen og Simen Andersen Øyen har invitert et knippe forskere fra humaniora og samfunnsvitenskapene til å besvare disse spørsmålene.
Markedets fremtid. Kapitalismen i krise? henvender seg til samfunnsengasjerte lesere som ønsker å forstå markedsøkonomiens ringvirkninger på kultur, samfunn og politikk.