Self and Society: Narcissism, Collectivism, and the Development of Morals

by Drew Westen

Overview

The relation between individual and collective processes is central to the social sciences, yet difficult to conceptualize because of the necessity of crossing disciplinary boundaries. The result is that researchers in different disciplines construct their own implicit, and often unsatisfactory, models of either individual or collective phenomena, which in turn influence their theoretical and empirical work. In this 1985 book, Drew Westen attempts to cross these boundaries, proposing an interdisciplinary approach to personality, to culture, and to the relation between the two. Throughout the book, Westen provides reviews of a variety of fields, including personality theory, moral development, ego development, and culture theory. His book will appeal to students and scholars in all the social sciences, as well as to any reader concerned with understanding the relation between individuals and the world in which they live.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780521301718
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	10/31/1985
Pages:	460
Product dimensions:	5.98(w) x 8.98(h) x 1.38(d)

Table of Contents

Preface; Part I. A Theory of Personality: 1. Personality theory: the three faces of psyche; 2. Emotion: a missing link between psychodynamic and cognitive-behavioural psychology?; 3. The structure and dynamics of personality; 4. The development of personality, narcissism, and moral judgment; Part II. A Theory of Culture: 5. Social theory in sociology and anthropology; 6. Societal structure and dynamics; 7. The development of collectivism and the culture ideal; Part III. Personality and Culture: A Synthesis: 8. Culture and personality: dying species or vigorous hybrid?; 9. Psychic and sociocultural structure and dynamics; 10. Personality and communitarian collectivism; 11. The psychodynamics of modernization; 12. Personality and sociocultural change; 13. Breakdown and recovery: paradigmatic processes in personal identity and cultural integration; 14. Personality and individuation; References; Index.

Editorial Reviews

'Based on an admirably thorough exposition of modern thought and research in the psychological and social sciences, Drew Westen presents here a brilliant, intellectually exhilarating effort to transcend, by means of a new theoretical formulation, the artificial divisions in our knowledge about individuals and about cultures.' Marie Jahoda, University of Sussex

'This is a notable attempt to integrate contemporary personality theory and contemporary theories in anthropology around the concept of psychological need. It is an impressive overview of a psychocultural approach to social theory that takes into account usually neglected psychological variables. A cogent and compelling work, it will provoke thought and response in its readers.' Professor George DeVos, University of California, Berkeley

From the Publisher

Westen proposes to combine the ``traditionally distinct'' psychological and sociocultural theories into a more heuristic and congruent schema. Focusing on the theories of behavior and psychic dynamics, as well as the more complex area of morality, he presents the views of Freud, Skinner, and existential psychologists. He then deals, in broad outlines, with the approaches of anthropology and sociology. Finally, he explores the interrelationships between culture and personality and delves into the ``psychodynamics of modernization.'' Arguing that ``self is an inherent aspect of modernization,'' Westen offers the nonspecialist a goodthough not exhaustiveoverview of the fields of personality and social theory. A comprehensive bibliography is included. Winifred Lambrecht, Anthropology Dept., Brown Univ., Providence, R.I.

Library Journal