Fragmentation or differentiation: questioning the crisis in psychology

Zittoun, Tania, Gillespie, Alex ORCID: 0000-0002-0162-1269 and Cornish, Flora ORCID: 0000-0002-3404-9385 (2009) Fragmentation or differentiation: questioning the crisis in psychology. Integrative Psychological and Behavioral Science, 43 (2). pp. 104-115. ISSN 1932-4502

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Abstract

There is a recurrent discourse about the fragmentation of psychology and its crises as a science, which often leads to a disenchanted view about its future. To this discourse we oppose a developmental one, in which crises can be occasions for development, and in which development might imply differentiation. We first review why psychology can be said to be in crisis. We then situate the crisis in the pragmatics of doing psychology. Crises occur when psychologists have problems either working with other psychologists or with communities. We argue that collaborative research is a way to overcome these crises. Specifically we suggest three specific scientific activities that can lead to the development of psychology: collaborative research methods, the identification of nodal concepts that enable the bringing together of different approaches and disciplines, and the creation and maintenance of institutional spaces that enable creative, collaborative work.

Item Type:	Article
Official URL:	http://www.springer.com/psychology/journal/12124
Additional Information:	© 2009 Springer
Divisions:	Psychological and Behavioural Science
Subjects:	B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology
Date Deposited:	11 Oct 2011 15:02
Last Modified:	11 Dec 2024 23:36
URI:	http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/id/eprint/38700

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