Currents of Thought in American Social Psychology
Author | : Gary Collier |
Publisher | : New York : Oxford University Press |
Total Pages | : 360 |
Release | : 1991 |
ISBN-10 | : STANFORD:36105041103289 |
ISBN-13 | : |
Rating | : 4/5 (89 Downloads) |
Download or read book Currents of Thought in American Social Psychology written by Gary Collier and published by New York : Oxford University Press. This book was released on 1991 with total page 360 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this intriguing study, two social psychologists and an intellectual historian describe the people and intellectual currents which have given rise to the complex discipline of American social psychology. The authors examine the influence of British evolutionary theory, French social theory, American pragmatism, and the ideas of Freud, Marx and Lewin on the evolution of social psychological theory, and explain how these traditions contributed to later developments such as group dynamics, cognitive social psychology, and symbolic interaction. American social psychology during this century has shifted back and forth from a focus on individual psychological processes to a concern with the role of the broader social context and social interaction. This has resulted in the development of several quite distinct social psychologies, which are all valid rather than mutually exclusive, and it should be possible to build a discipline in which all aspects of social interaction are considered. Students and professionals in social psychology, sociology, and related areas, as well as those interstd in the history of the social sciences, will find this important and comprehensive appraisal of the field useful.