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Human psychology and what it can do for us
DOI link for Human psychology and what it can do for us
Human psychology and what it can do for us book
Human psychology and what it can do for us
DOI link for Human psychology and what it can do for us
Human psychology and what it can do for us book
ABSTRACT
This chapter introduces human psychology as an approach that views people as competent, insightful, self-aware and capable of self-determination. After a brief review of the troubles that psychology is currently undergoing, the chapter describes how psychology has experienced a significant paradigm change over the last fifty years. This is has led us towards a more human approach to social psychology in particular – one that is more open-minded about what constitutes the discipline and how it should be pursued; has more humility about what it can claim to be able to know; and is acutely aware of psychology’s potential to misrepresent, exploit and regulate peoples outside of its ‘inner circle’. The chapter then introduces the key themes of the book: power and how it is exercised; diversity and difference; being social and communal rather than just an individual; promoting human welfare and wellbeing; challenging assumptions about people being ‘driven’ by their biology; doing research to gain insight into and understanding; seeking to be humane as well as human.