ABSTRACT

This new volume considers one of the most pressing topics of the generation: the sense of social exclusion, rejection and loneliness experienced by many adolescents and young adults. It offers insights from psychological and biochemical research, explaining the role of the brain, mind and body in the development of a sense of belonging over the lifespan.

Illustrated with examples of the consequences of exclusion drawn from the author’s clinical work, this important work surveys the latest research in the field and introduces an innovative framework for understanding the development of a sense of belonging. Wilczyńska considers the effects of social exclusion, exploring its consequences for mental health, particularly amongst young people, and reveals how transgenerational trauma imprinted at the early stages of human development impacts lifelong development.

Including a foreword by Philip Zimbardo, Multidisciplinary Perspectives on the Psychology of Exclusion is essential reading for students and researchers of developmental psychology, social psychology and sociology. It will also be of interest to practitioners and policymakers working with children and young people to understand and mitigate the effects of social exclusion and loneliness.

part I|55 pages

Understanding social exclusion

chapter 1|9 pages

Introduction

chapter 2|11 pages

The roots of social exclusion

A disliked topic

chapter 3|20 pages

Psychosocial issues of social exclusion

Special psychological phenomena in our societies

part II|63 pages

Experiences of exclusion

chapter 7|15 pages

The orphan

Notes from a psychodynamic therapy

part III|49 pages

Multidisciplinary perspectives on exclusion

chapter 9|10 pages

Attachment and exclusion

Can a wounded attachment be salvaged?

chapter 10|7 pages

Non-attachment factors in the forming of relationships

The new generation and the old influences

chapter 11|9 pages

Biopsychosocial factors

Biochemical processes, mind and body

chapter 12|13 pages

The mind in the body or the body in the mind

Where is the mind located?

part IV|64 pages

Building belonging

chapter 13|4 pages

Building self-belonging in schools

Work with teachers

chapter 14|12 pages

Prevention and self-soothing

Self-compassion and mindfulness for psychological well-being

chapter 16|16 pages

Positive individual human development

Adults, experience, role and responsibilities

chapter 17|10 pages

Recognising memories, emotions, feelings and thinking

Transformation and thriving

chapter 18|4 pages

Conclusion