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Critical Psychology
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Critical Psychology
An Introduction

Second Edition
Edited by:
  • Dennis Fox - University of Illinois, Springfield, USA
  • Isaac Prilleltensky - University of Miami, USA, Vanderbilt University, Victoria University, Melbourne, Australia, Wilfrid Laurier University, Canada
  • Stephanie Austin - Independent Researcher

March 2009 | 496 pages | SAGE Publications Ltd
The Second Edition of Critical Psychology: An Introduction extends the original's comprehensive and accessible critique of mainstream psychology. The First Edition quickly became critical psychology's entry point, introducing readers around the world to the growing challenge to psychology's moral, political, and scientific status. Fully revised, reconfigured and expanded, this new book explores critical psychology's continued growth and diversification, offers practical advice, and notes 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:
  • 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 III and IV are completely new to this edition. Part III 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 IV examines critical psychology practice, from theory, methodology, and therapy to community organizing and the politics of resistance.
Critical Psychology is an essential text for undergraduate and graduate students studying Critical Psychology, Conceptual Issues, Theoretical Psychology, Psychological Inquiry and Qualitative Methods.

 
PART ONE: CRITICAL OVERVIEWS
Dennis Fox, Isaac Prilleltensky and Stephanie Austin
Critical Psychology for Social Justice
Concerns and Dilemmas

 
Ben Harris
What Critical Psychologists Should Know about the History of Psychology
Thomas Teo
Philosophical Concerns in Critical Psychology
 
PART TWO: CRITICAL DISCIPLINES
Tod Sloan
Theories of Personality
Jeanne Marecek and Rachel T Hare-Mustin
Clinical Psychology
The Politics of Madness

 
Frances Cherry
Social Psychology and Social Change
Gazi Islam and Michael Zyphur
Concepts and Directions in Critical Industrial/Organizational Psychology
Isaac Prilleltensky and Geoffrey Nelson
Community Psychology
Advancing Social Justice

 
Kerry Chamberlain and Michael Murray
Critical Health Psychology
Bruce Arrigo and Dennis Fox
Psychology and the Law
The Crime of Policy and the Search for Justice

 
Alexa Hepburn and Clare Jackson
Rethinking Subjectivity
A Discursive Psychological Approach to Cognition and Emotion

 
 
PART THREE: CRITICAL SOCIAL ISSUES
Kevin Durrheim, Derek Hook and Damien W Riggs
Race and Racism
Heather E Bullock and Wendy M Limbert
Class
Victoria Clarke and Virginia Braun
Gender
Ora Prilleltensky
Critical Psychology and Disability Studies
Critiquing the Mainstream, Critiquing the Critique

 
Ingrid Huygens
From Colonization to Globalization
Continuities in Colonial 'Common Sense'

 
M Brinton Lykes and Erzulie D Coquillon
Psychosocial Trauma, Poverty and Human Rights in Communities Emerging from War
Michael McCubbin
Oppression and Empowerment
The Genesis of a Critical Analysis of Mental Health

 
 
PART FOUR: CRITICAL PRACTICE
Tod Sloan
Doing Theory
Wendy Stainton Rogers
Research Methodology
Isaac Prilleltensky, Ora Prilleltensky and Courte Voorhees
Psychopolitical Validity in Counselling and Therapy
Scot Evans and Colleen Loomis
Organizational and Community Change
Vicky Steinitz and Elliot G Mishler
Critical Psychology and the Politics of Resistance
Dennis Fox
Frequently Asked Questions

Highly recommended for introducing students to critical psychology, as well as for providing in-depth insights into ongoing social concerns and potential ways of addressing them

Dr Anca Roberts
Division of Psychology, Northampton University
November 10, 2011

This is an indispensable text for Clinical psychologists and others who want to gain a detailed understanding of Critical psychology. We have set this work as essential reading for the critical psychology topic area in our doctoral-level training programme for our trainees in clinical psychology.

Mr Pieter Du Toit
Clinical Psychology, Essex University
September 30, 2011

a classic text, with some very useful chapters for developing critical thinking in trainee psychologists, as well as more established practitioners.

Dr Dario Pellegrini
Child and Family, Tavistock Centre
September 15, 2011

With the due respect, I would not recommend this book. I found it highly rhetoric with little application to 'real life' issues.

In fact, one of my first thought that comes into my mind when I read this book, was about the permanent critique to 'those in power' without any concrete identification? The critique is repeated over and over again in almost every chapter .

Are not the authors 'those in power'? Who is actually paying their wages? are not the the oppressors'? Is it ethical?

Sitting in thousands of sterling pounds, dollars or Euros, many critical psychologists criticize’ our unfair society’. Some authors even talk about the unfair economic distribution, but I did not read a chapter where the author considered that he/she was receiving too much money in comparison to those 'oppressed' and 'marginalised' by the system, and later request a reduction in their wages.

do the authors really think that by publishing a paper in a journal or a book like this will change the system? Every little do not help to fill empty stomachs

Do critical psychologists think that a paper read by ‘an elite’ of white collars academics will change our unfair society?

Last but not least, are the authors part of 'those in power'? Are they not a privileged group?

Coherence between what the authors said and do would be desirable.

Dr Alberto Corizzo
Department of Social Work and Social Change, Manchester Metropolitan University
December 30, 2010

Good introduction to the field of critical psychology. I will definitely use this course for the module mentioned.

Ms Bettina Coleman-Schoels
LMBS - MSL, London Metropolitan University
September 15, 2010

The chapters assigned for my students participating in an introductory course seem to be very useful for developing critical understanding of basic psychological concepts.

Dr Anna Kende
Department of Intercultural and Social Psychology, Karoli Gaspar University
September 15, 2010

great book

Ms Orly Klein
School of Applied Social Science, Brighton University
September 7, 2010

This is a well written and comprehensive books which will be very appropriate for the FdA Children's Workforce, as well as for other modules that I teach on. I am delighted with the new edition, it is a really well written and accessible book.

Mrs Annie Ostapenko-Denton
Community Studies, Truro College
May 21, 2010

very good, comprehensive text. Useful, relevant chapters. The 'frequently asked questions' could be expanded.

Dr Kate Nicholls
Dept of Psychology, City University
December 31, 2009

This is an excellent introduction to the area, and we've modelled our level II module on Psychology and Social Issues around it, as well as recommending it on our level III History and Theories of Psychology module. It was a bit of a shame I thought that some of the material from the first edition was dropped. I'm keeping both the first and second editions on my bookshelf.

Mr Dai Jones
Psychology , Gloucestershire University
November 15, 2009
  •  

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

Sample Materials & Chapters

Chapter One PDF