Abstract
The main aim of this book is to show what distinguishes psychosocial studies from other fields of social sciences research and to indicate some of the connections linking psychosocial interdisciplinary projects. In this regard Kath Woodward depicts the planes of interpretation and distinctive features of a range of key issues in the scope of the discipline.
The book itself consists of ten chapters, a useful glossary, and an index. The material is effectively organized, so the volume is easy to navigate. Importantly, each chapter closes with a set of questions concerning the material that has been explored. The questions are formulated to stimulate inspiring discussion about specific facets of psychosocial issues. In the first chapter the author discusses how psychosocial approaches engage with intellectual and methodological problems. However, in my view, Woodward inaccurately invokes notions concerning cultural security and separates out culture and tradition, when in fact the two concepts are inter-dependent and inter-related. In other words, culture emerges from tradition.
In the three next chapters Woodward sheds light on the conceptual struggles between various subject fields within psychosocial studies. For example, the author considers the contribution of object relations theory, following Melanie Klein's work, and analyses Judith Butler's philosophy in order to discuss psychosocial questions about the relations between the social and the psychic. Here, Woodward's discussion of the relation between theory and methodology is very effective. Indeed, Woodward claims that “In psychosocial studies theory and methods are inextricably interconnected. This is one of the distinguishing features of psychosocial studies” (p. 55), though it is debatable whether this is the case with all social sciences which base their methods in a theory about their object. Moreover, she states that “Psychosocial methodologies are also particularly attentive to the role of the researcher especially in conducting psychosocial interviews (…). There are always subjective elements to the research process (…). We have to be aware of them (…)”. Again, it is possible to argue that this type of influence has to be taken into account in every research process and in every subject in not simply the human, but also the natural sciences. Woodward's claims are correct, but cannot be reduced only to psychosocial studies. Beyond this material, Woodward moves on to focus on the methods which are developed in psychosocial studies. While this is not a comprehensive review of all methods, techniques, and tools, it remains a well-thought presentation of some of them.
In the next chapters Woodward defines the concept of affect and presents the ideas that constitute the “turn to affect” in order to locate psychosocial ideas in a broader philosophical context. Nonetheless, there are gaps in her review of the crucial theoretical categories, where the author omits significant works (e.g., Leys, 2011). Next, Woodward explores intimacy and covers a range of relationships, including family, friendship, and sexual relations, and clarifies why intimacies are important in psychosocial studies. Here, her argumentation is supported by examples, including Sasha Roseneil's exploration of the value of a psychosocial approach to understanding the conditions of personal life in the twenty-first century. In this context, the important contribution of psychosocial studies consists in its potential to the recast current debates around sexuality and social change.
The seventh chapter discusses key ideas of risk and anxiety in contemporary societies. In this section Woodward emphasizes that risk is closely connected to trauma, but they have separate semantic fields (p. 112). She also employs psychoanalytical theory to define the relationship between individual trauma and wider sociological trauma. Here, Woodward turns to the example of the Holocaust to explain the meaning of trauma but centrally fails to refer to important works by Hannah Arendt (1963). Furthermore, she omits exploration of key thinkers, such as Slavoj Zizek, but quotes after their monographs (p. 114).
The ninth chapter depicts how psychosocial studies can contribute to analyses of political sciences and sociology. In this chapter the author focuses on relations between politics and emotion, but her treatment is perhaps too broad to show handle the nuances involved in a full consideration of this issue. For example, she states that “Emotions play a significant part in the reconfiguration of citizenship and the politics of belonging in the twenty-first century” (p. 126) and contrasts two ideal types, concerned with citizenship and its anti-nomic opposition, which is lack of citizenship. However, she passes over the extent of denizenship and emotions connected with the reconfiguration of traditional national subjectivity and the politics of belonging. Having said this, Woodward perfectly captures the differences between subject and object in order to explain the conditions of reification and subjection. In this context her comments on social exclusion, inequalities, prejudice, as well as differences and similarities, are useful because they illustrate the most important contribution psycho-social studies can make to understanding division in contemporary society.
Clearly Woodward is aware of both the advantages and limitations of the psychosocial approach. Hence, the last chapter may be valuable for novice researchers who plan to conduct future analyses. Here, Woodward considers the most important and significant contemporary literature in the field of psychosocial studies. Overall, this book considers the complexity of psychosocial studies, its evolution, and the impact of its key ideas. The volume covers key material in a readable way, thus providing a very good introduction for students and researchers.