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

This 1985 book studies the relation between the individual and collective processes, which is central to the social sciences.

Drew Westen (Author)

9780521301718, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 31 October 1985

460 pages, 8 b/w illus.
22.8 x 15.2 x 3.5 cm, 0.77 kg

'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

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.

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.

Subject Areas: Social, group or collective psychology [JMH]