Psychology 4150 6.0

Rigorous Alternatives for Contemporary Psychology

Danziger, Chapter 1

The following are some additional questions you might consider in your reading as we are likely to discuss them in class.

1. Distinguish among the following terms as used by Danziger - history, historiography, historicity.

2.  Give some examples of what you think Danziger is referring to when he says that in the modern world we experience life in “psychological terms”. What are some examples of what Danziger means by “psychological self-objectification”?  What would life be like in a time/place where people did not have this capability?

3.  Danziger’s book focuses on the development of several psychological “categories”.  Make a list of the names of the specific categories he mentions and write down your primary associations to these names.  Based on what you have read so far, how do you think Danziger distinguishes these categories from other concepts that occur in psychology?  He says that these categories occur in “discursive formations.”  What are some examples of specific discursive formations?