Subjectivity and?

Ole Dreier

doi:10.46932/sfjdv4n3-021

Authors

Ole Dreier

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.46932/sfjdv4n3-021

Keywords:

subjectivity, agency, critical psychology, social practice theory, nexus

Abstract

The aim of the paper is to give a brief presentation of an approach to developing the conception of subjectivity in psychology. This conception is developed on the background of the science of the subject of critical psychology as founded by Holzkamp (1983) which considers subjectivity as a core concept in human psychology. In the conception presented in this paper, it is argued that human subjectivity must be grasped as grounded in a subject’s ongoing situated participation and conduct of everyday life in and across various, structurally arranged social practices. It is argued why such a conception of subjectivity is necessary and its main concepts are briefly presented. A critical identification of methodological and conceptual inadequacies in narrower notions of the psyche and subjectivity paves the way for the line of arguments leading to this broader conception of subjectivity.

References

Billig, M. (2013). Learn to write badly: How to succeed in the social sciences. Cambridge University Press.

Danziger, K., (1990). Constructing the subject. Historical origins of psychological research. Cambridge University Press.

Dreier, O. (2002). Psykosocial behandling. En teori om et praksisområde. Dansk psykologisk Forlag.

Dreier, O. (2008). Psychotherapy in everyday life. Cambridge University Press.

Dreier, O. (2011). Personality and the conduct of everyday life. Nordic Psychology, 63(2), 4–23. https://doi.org/10.1027/1901-2276/a000030

Dreier, O. (2015). Learning and Conduct of Everyday Life. In J. Cresswell, A. Haye, A. Larraín, M. Morgan, & G. Sullivan (Eds.), Dialogue and debate in the making of theoretical psychology (pp. 182–190). Captus University Publications.

Dreier, O. (2016). Conduct of everyday life: Implications for critical psychology. In E. Schraube, & C. Højholt (Eds.), Psychology and the conduct of everyday life (pp. 15–33). Routledge.

Dreier, O. (2019). Generalizations in situated practices. In C. Højholt, & E. Schraube (Eds.), Subjectivity and knowledge–Generalization in the psychological study of everyday life (pp. 177–193). Springer.

Dreier, O. (2020). Critical psychology–Subjects in situated social practices. In M. Fleer, F. González Rey, & P. Jones (Eds.), Cultural-historical and critical psychology–Common ground, divergences and future pathways (pp. xx–xx). Springer Nature.

Dreier, O. (in press). A cultural-historical theory of human subjectivity. In D. Goulart, A. Mitjánz Martínez, & M. Adams (Eds.), The study of subjectivity: A cultural-historical perspective (pp. xx–xx). Perspectives in cultural-historical research. Springer Nature.

Funder, D. C. (2001). Personality. Annual Review of Psychology, 52, 197–221. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.psych.52.1.197 https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.psych.52.1.197

González Rey, F. (2020). The rescue of subjectivity from a cultural-historical standpoint. In R. K. Beshara (Ed.), A critical introduction to psychology (pp. 9–25). Nova Science Publishers, Inc.

González Rey, F., Mitjáns Martínez, A., & Goulart, D. M. (Eds.). (2018). Subjectivity within cultural-historical approach: theory, methodology and research. Springer.

Holzkamp, K. (1973). Sinnliche Erkenntnis. Historischer Ursprung und gesellschaftliche Funktion der Wahrnehmung. Fischer Athenäum Verlag.

Holzkamp, K. (1977). Die Überwindung der wissenschaftlichen Beliebigkeit psychologischer Theorien durch die Kritische Psychologie. Zeitschrift für Sozialpsychologie, 8, 1–22 & 78–97.

Holzkamp, K. (1983). Grundlegung der Psychologie. Campus Verlag.

Holzkamp, K. (2013a). Missing the point: variable psychology’s blindness to the problem’s inherent coherences. In E. Schraube, & U. Osterkamp (Eds.), Psychology from the standpoint of the subject. Selected writings of Klaus Holzkamp (pp. 60–74). Palgrave Macmillan.

Holzkamp, K. (2013b). Psychology: Social self-understanding on the reasons for action in the

conduct of everyday life. In E. Schraube, & U. Osterkamp (Eds.), Psychology from the standpoint of the subject. Selected writings of Klaus Holzkamp (pp. 233–341). Palgrave Macmillan.

Lave, J. (1988). Cognition in practice. Cambridge University Press.

Leontjew, A. N. (1973). Probleme der Entwicklung des Psychischen. Fischer Athenäum Verlag.

Maiers, W. (1996). Historicity of the subject: Subjectivity of life history. In Ch. W. Tolman, F. Cherry, R van Hezewijk, & I. Lubek (Eds.), Problems of theoretical psychology (pp. 62–72). Captus Press.

Marx, K. (1969) Thesen über Feuerbach. In Marx K., & F. Engels. Werke Band 3 (pp. 5–7). Dietz Verlag. English translation Marx/Engels Internet Archive 2002.

Messman, A., and Rückriem, G. (1978). Zum Verständnis der menschlichen Natur in der Auffassung des Psychischen bei A. N. Leontjew. In Rückriem, G., Tomberg, F., & W. Volpert (Hg.), Historischer Materialismus und menschliche Natur (pp. 80–134). Pahl-Rugenstein Verlag.

Osterkamp, U. (1975). Grundlagen der psychologischen Motivationsfor¬schung 1. Texte zur Kritischen Psychologie Bd. 4.1. Campus Verlag.

Raeff, C. (2019). From objects to acting: Repopulating psychology with people who act. Theory & Psychology, 29(3), 311–335. https://doi.org/10.1177/0959354319844603

Rubin, E. (1949a). Preface. In E. Rubin, Experimenta psychologica (pp. 7–8). Munksgaard.

Rubin, E. (1949b). Einige prinzipielle Gesichtspunkte. VIIIth International congress of psychology 1927–Proceedings and papers. In E. Rubin, Experimenta psychologica (pp. 9–18). Munksgaard.

Rubinstein, S. L. (1973). Sein und Bewusstsein. Die Stellung des Psychischen im allgemeinen Zusammenhang der Erscheinungen in der materiellen Welt. Akademie Verlag.

Schraube, E. & Marvakis, A. (2016). Frozen fluidity: digital technologies and the transformation of students’ learning. In E. Schraube, & C. Højholt (Eds.), Psychology and the conduct of everyday life (pp. 205–225). Routledge.

Schurig, V. (1975a). Naturgeschichte des Psychischen 1. Psychogenese und elementare Formen der Tierkommunikation. Campus Verlag.

Schurig, V. (1975b). Naturgeschichte des Psychischen 2. Lernen und Ab¬straktionsleistungen bei Tieren. Campus Verlag.

Schurig, V. (1976). Entstehung des Bewußtseins. Campus Verlag.