Psychologization and the Subject of Late Modernity, Palgrave, 2013"Jan De Vos starts where other critiques on psychology end, presenting the argument that psychology is psychologization.This fresh and pioneering approach asks what it means to become the psychologist of one's own life. If something is not working in our education, in our marriage, in our work and in society in general we turn to the psy-sciences. But is the latter's paradigm precisely not relying on feeding psychological theories into the field of research and action?
This book traces psychologization from the Enlightenment to Late-Modernity, engaging with seminal thinkers such as La Mettrie, Husserl, Lasch and Agamben, whereby Jan De Vos teases out the possibilities and the limits of using psychoanalytic theory as a critical tool. Offering challenging and thought-provoking insights into how the modern human came to adopt a psychological gaze on itself and the world, this book will appeal to psychologists, sociologists and studies of culture" |
Review for Psychology in Society (PINS) by Brendon Barnes:
"... De Vos’ reminder of the historical and philosophical roots of psychologization is particularly refreshing in a time when discussions about psychology and society have become somewhat lazy and binarised. He uses everyday examples and the taken for granted assumptions of psychology and society, for example, “giving psychology away” to weave intricate arguments about psychologization and modernity." (...) What I have come to appreciate (...), is how De Vos raises questions, provides arguments and suggests the necessary cautions to ensure that we do not fall into the same traps that our arguments aim to critique. (...) I highly recommend the book for those interested in psychology, psychologization and society. It certainly ranks high up in my recommended readings in critical psychology.
PINS, 2017, 54, 103 – 105, http://dx.doi.org/10.17159/2309-8708/2017/n54a9
Download here the full review.
"... De Vos’ reminder of the historical and philosophical roots of psychologization is particularly refreshing in a time when discussions about psychology and society have become somewhat lazy and binarised. He uses everyday examples and the taken for granted assumptions of psychology and society, for example, “giving psychology away” to weave intricate arguments about psychologization and modernity." (...) What I have come to appreciate (...), is how De Vos raises questions, provides arguments and suggests the necessary cautions to ensure that we do not fall into the same traps that our arguments aim to critique. (...) I highly recommend the book for those interested in psychology, psychologization and society. It certainly ranks high up in my recommended readings in critical psychology.
PINS, 2017, 54, 103 – 105, http://dx.doi.org/10.17159/2309-8708/2017/n54a9
Download here the full review.