Discursive Psychology
Theory, Method and Applications
- Sally Wiggins - Linköping University, Sweden
Sally Wiggins combines her expertise in discursive psychology with her clear and demystifying pedagogical approach to produce a book that is committed to student success. This textbook shows students how to put the methodology into practice in a way that is simple, engaging and practical.
This is a timely and exciting contribution to Discourse Analysis work in Psychology. Authoratitive, accessible and working with new developments in discursive psychological research, it is a useful read for new and established scholars alike.
Wiggins has produced a text which is at the same time authoritative and readable; combining smart scholarship with engaging writing. It offers a comprehensive account of the development, current status and future of discursive psychology which is up to date and a must read for anyone wanting to know about this important disciplinary area. Wiggins’ depth of understanding shines through as she elegantly captures the complexities of the field.
Discursive psychologists take a strong line on psychological issues, insisting that attitudes, emotions, identities and the like be analysed as public, inspectable features of social interaction. Wiggins’ book is an inviting, and utterly comprehensive, guide to discursive psychology. A delightful read for students and academics seeking to find what lies beyond cognitivism.
This book is a real ‘game-changer’, and one that those of us who teach discursive psychology have needed for years. Students now have an accessible and comprehensive guide to this intellectually vibrant approach, which includes lots of clear examples, useful practical advice and ideas for students doing their own projects. Wiggins succeeds in her aim of demystifying discursive psychology and challenging those who would argue that it is too complicated for undergraduate students. This is a fine book that deserves to be used widely in undergraduate and postgraduate teaching in psychology and beyond.
This book provides “one-stop shopping” with respect to helping readers develop familiarity with DP, and the types and functions of DP devices, through actual practice.
Easily the most comprehensive book, to date, that situates and differentiates a Discursive Psychological approach with other discourse analytic approaches, and follows up with a 'how-to' scaffolding of analytic examples that both novices and seasoned veterans will find eminently readable, crisp, and helpful.
This book has achieved something very unique. It provides a compelling argument for the specific commitments and benefits of a Discursive Psychology (DP) approach to analysing talk and text but does so in a way that is not at all exclusionary or imperialist with regards to its treatment of other forms of discourse analytic work. Indeed, readers of this book (be they the student novice or the more experienced analyst) will emerge with not only with a greater appreciation of DP, but also with a clearer understanding of the structure of the broader terrain of discourse analysis and DP's particular place within it. Moreover, this feat is pulled off with an engaging style that will make this book approachable to all. I will certainly be using this book in both my undergraduate and postgraduate teaching.
