Critical Psychology Praxis

This collection of chapters advances critical psychology by incorporating praxis (theory and practice) and decolonial streams of thought. They are united around a theme of psychosocial non-alignment to modernity/coloniality. Bringing together a transdisciplinary range of authors from around the world, this edited volume weaves together a spectrum of complex arguments and perspectives to lay the foundations for bridging the Global North–South divide in critical psychology through solidarity and dialogue. The book’s central argument is to emphasize praxis and transdisciplinarity over disciplinary fundamentalism. Psychology is only a starting point and not the end goal of critique in this book; incidentally, some of the authors are not even psychologists. Instead, the book draws on decolonial theoretical resources, such as Chican@ Studies, Black Male Studies, and Critical Pedagogy, to complement traditional theoretical resources like psychoanalysis, Marxism, poststructuralism, and feminism. This groundbreaking text is suitable for scholars and upper-level undergraduate and postgraduate students studying critical discourse, the psychology and philosophy of post-coloniality, conceptual and historical issues in psychology, as well as anthropology and sociology courses engaging with action research.

`Do read this book - it will refresh you if you have not come across critical psychology before. If you are already "critical", this is an excellent, up-to-date overview of the area′ - THE (Times Higher Education) ′An excellent book in all respects - compulsory reading for scholars interested in a socio-political contextual analysis of complex human behaviour′ - Professor David F Marks, City University, London ′The arrival of a Second Edition of this classic is an exciting event. The editors have assembled a world class array of authors to bring students to the forefront of critical scholarship today. Adding to the work′s lustre are fresh new chapters on critical social issues, along with a set of new pedagogical aids. Bravo!′ - Kenneth J. Gergen, Senior Research Professor, Swarthmore College The Second Edition of Critical Psychology extends the original′s comprehensive and accessible critique of mainstream psychology. Fully revised, reconfigured and expanded, the Second Edition explores critical psychology′s continued growth and diversification, offering practical advice, and noting significant theoretical and political dilemmas confronting critical psychologists today. While other texts focus on narrower specialties within critical psychology or on specific theoretical or methodological perspectives, Critical Psychology retains its focus on critical psychology as a whole. Key features of the new edition include: - each chapter now also includes a summary of main points, a glossary of important terms, suggested readings and Internet sites, and questions for discussion - the book′s contributors - most of them new - have thoroughly updated the original chapters and provide multiple perspectives on critical psychology′s core concerns - reflecting recent developments, Parts Three and Four are completely new to this edition. Part Three provides in-depth coverage of critical psychology′s relevance to social justice, focusing on the issues of race, class, gender, disability, colonization/globalization, human rights/social justice in post-conflict settings, and oppression/empowerment in mental health systems. Part Four examines critical psychology practice, from theory, methodology and therapy to community organizing and the politics of resistance.

Interest in community psychology, and its potential has grown in parallel with changes in welfare and governmental priorities. Critical Community Psychology provide students of different community based professions, working in a range of applied settings, at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels, with a text which will underpin their community psychological work. Key Features: Clear learning objectives and chapter contents outlined at the start of each chapter Key terms highlighted with definitions, either as marginal notes or in chapter glossaries Case examples of community psychology in action Each chapter ends with a critical assessment section Discussion points and ideas for exercises that can be undertaken by the reader, in order to extend critical understanding Lists of further resources -- e.g. reading, film, electronic Authors are members of the largest community psychology departmental team in Europe

`Do read this book - it will refresh you if you have not come across critical psychology before. If you are already "critical", this is an excellent, up-to-date overview of the area′ - THE (Times Higher Education) ′An excellent book in all respects - compulsory reading for scholars interested in a socio-political contextual analysis of complex human behaviour′ - Professor David F Marks, City University, London ′The arrival of a Second Edition of this classic is an exciting event. The editors have assembled a world class array of authors to bring students to the forefront of critical scholarship today. Adding to the work′s lustre are fresh new chapters on critical social issues, along with a set of new pedagogical aids. Bravo!′ - Kenneth J. Gergen, Senior Research Professor, Swarthmore College The Second Edition of Critical Psychology extends the original′s comprehensive and accessible critique of mainstream psychology. Fully revised, reconfigured and expanded, the Second Edition explores critical psychology′s continued growth and diversification, offering practical advice, and noting significant theoretical and political dilemmas confronting critical psychologists today. While other texts focus on narrower specialties within critical psychology or on specific theoretical or methodological perspectives, Critical Psychology retains its focus on critical psychology as a whole. Key features of the new edition include: - each chapter now also includes a summary of main points, a glossary of important terms, suggested readings and Internet sites, and questions for discussion - the book′s contributors - most of them new - have thoroughly updated the original chapters and provide multiple perspectives on critical psychology′s core concerns - reflecting recent developments, Parts Three and Four are completely new to this edition. Part Three provides in-depth coverage of critical psychology′s relevance to social justice, focusing on the issues of race, class, gender, disability, colonization/globalization, human rights/social justice in post-conflict settings, and oppression/empowerment in mental health systems. Part Four examines critical psychology practice, from theory, methodology and therapy to community organizing and the politics of resistance.

How can psychologists incorporate recent insights about power, values and inequality in their work? What is the role of social justice in the practice of psychology? In this highly readable book Prilleltensky and Nelson tackle these questions and propose workable solutions. This is the first book to translate into action the principles of critical psychology. Using a value-based framework the authors propose guidelines for training and critical practice in clinical, counselling, educational, health, community, and work settings. The authors base their approach on a combination of values for the promotion of personal, interpersonal, and collective well-being. They propose a set of values consisting of self determination, caring and compassion, health, respect for diversity, participation, community support and social justice. Because of its wide coverage, the book should be of interest to students and practitioners in psychology, mental health, and to users of psychological services in most fields of practice. Doing Psychology Critically: - Translates critical psychology theory into practice - Applies to most fields of applied psychology - Is written in an accessible style § includes tables and diagrams that illustrate recommendations for practice - Follows a coherent framework - Is a useful resource for training programmes in health, clinical, counselling, educational, community, and organisational psychology ISAAC PRILLELTENSKY is Professor of Psychology and Director of the Wellness Promotion Unit at Victoria University in Melbourne. He is the author of The Morals and Politics of Psychology and co-editor of Critical Psychology: An Introduction (with Dennis Fox) and Promoting Family Wellness and Preventing Child Maltreatment (with Geoffrey Nelson and Leslea Peirson). GEOFFREY NELSON is Professor of Psychology at Wilfrid Laurier University in Canada. He has served as Editor of the Canadian Journal of Community Mental Health and is the author of Shifting the Paradigm in Community Mental Health (with John Lord and Joanna Ochocka) and co-editor of Promoting Family Wellness: Fundamentals for Thinking and Action (with Isaac Prilleltensky and Leslea Peirson).

In this provocative and necessary book, Robert K. Beshara uses psychoanalytic discursive analysis to explore the possibility of a genuinely anti-colonial critical psychology. Drawing on postcolonial and decolonial approaches to Islamophobia, this book enhances understandings of Critical Border Thinking and Lacanian Discourse Analysis, alongside other theoretico-methodological approaches. Using a critical decolonial psychology approach to conceptualize everyday Islamophobia, the author examines theoretical resources situated within the discursive turn, such as decoloniality/transmodernity, and carries out an archeology of (counter)terrorism, a genealogy of the conceptual Muslim, and a Žižekian ideology critique. Conceiving of Decolonial Psychoanalysis as one theoretical resource for Critical Islamophobia Studies (CIS), the author also applies Lacanian Discourse Analysis to extracts from interviews conducted with US Muslims to theorize their ethico-political subjectivity and considers a politics of resistance, adversarial aesthetics, and ethics of liberation. Essential to any attempt to come to terms with the legacy of racism in psychology, and the only critical psychological study on Islamophobia in the United States, this is a fascinating read for anyone interested in a critical approach to Islamophobia.

What we think must inform what we do, argue the editors and authors of this cutting-edge social work textbook. In this innovative, expansive and wide-ranging collection, leading social work thinkers engage with social work traditions to bridge social work theory and practice and arrive at social work praxis: a uniting of critical thought and ethical action. Critical Social Work Praxis is organized into sixteen sections, each reflecting a critical social work tradition or approach. Each section has a theory chapter, which succinctly outlines the tradition's main concepts or tenets, a praxis chapter, which shows how the theory informs social work practice, and a commentary chapter, which provides a critical analysis of the tensions and difficulties of the approach. The text helps students understand how to extend theory into praxis and gives instructors critical new tools and discussion ideas. This book is the result of decades of experience teaching social work theory and praxis and is a comprehensive teaching and learning tool for the critical social work classroom.