Outsight: Psychology, politics and social justice

The Midlands Psychology Group argues that psychology needs to develop 'outsight' and look outside the head of each troubled individual to address the causes of distress, which are found in the often toxic family circumstances, community settings, workplace, and wider social world. They propose a social-materialist psychology that is concerned with the influences of our shared, material world and how it shapes everything we think, feel, and do. This book seeks to inspire a shift in psychology and equip the profession to question, challenge, and change what it does.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 252 pages
Publication date: 26 May 2022
Publisher: PCCS Books

If psychology is to truly address the despair and anguish that increasingly afflict us all, it must develop a profound "outsight." It must cease its exclusive focus on the individual's inner world and turn its gaze outward. The causes of distress lie not in faulty or dysfunctional brains, but in the often toxic family circumstances, community settings, workplace, and the wider social world, characterized by inequalities, injustices, and environmental breakdown. Recognizing this, the Midlands Psychology Group, a collective of counseling, clinical, and academic psychologists, draws inspiration and guidance from the thinking of David Smail. In a daring challenge to their own profession, they present their proposal for a social-materialist psychology, one that is deeply concerned with the influences of our shared, material world and how it shapes our thoughts, feelings, and actions.

For far too long, psychology has served the interests of exploitative economic systems that govern the lives of many in the industrialized world. Instead, it should prioritize the values of compassionate solidarity at the core of its endeavors. This book aims to ignite that shift and empower the profession to question, challenge, and ultimately transform its practices.

Weight: 408g
Dimension: 157 x 234 x 18 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781915220103