A history of social psychology : from the eighteenth-century enlightenment to the Second World War / Gustav Jahoda.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Jahoda, Gustav.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Social psychology--Europe--History--18th century.

Social psychology.

Social psychology--Europe--History--19th century.

Social psychology--Europe--History--20th century.

History.

Europe.

Physical Description:

ix, 242 pages : illustrations ; 26 cm

Place of Publication:

Cambridge ; New York : Cambridge University Press, 2007.

Summary:

The term 'social psychology' was first established in the 1860s but the issues surrounding the subject have evolved over a much longer period. This book follows the history of the discipline over two and a half centuries, demonstrating the links between early and current thought. The first attempts at empirical approaches were made in France during the Enlightenment whilst some modern ideas were also being anticipated in Scotland. The search for laws of mind and society began in nineteenth-century Europe and, by the end of the century, it changed direction. Darwinian theory made a powerful impact on the emerging discipline and the centre of gravity began to move to America where it reached maturity during the inter-war period. A History of Social Psychology is viewed against a background of radical social and political changes and includes sketches of the major figures involved in its rise.

Contents:

Part I The eighteenth century: Enlightenment precursors 5

1 France: a short-lived dawn of empirical social science 7

2 Britain: interpersonal relations and cultural differences 26

Part II The nineteenth century: the gestation of social psychology in Europe 45

3 Germany: Herbart's and his followers' societal psychology 47

4 France and Belgium: adventurous blueprints for a new social science 71

5 Britain: logic, evolution, and the social in mind 84

6 France: crowd, public, and collective mentalities 99

7 Germany: in the shadow of Wundt 121

8 America: Darwinian social psychology crosses the Atlantic 138

Part III The twentieth century: towards maturity in America 155

9 Was 1908 a crucial date? 157

10 Social psychology becomes empirical: groups (social facilitation) and attitudes 170

11 The wider panorama of social psychology in the mid-1930s 186

12 Highlights of the inter-war years 200.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9780521868280

0521868289

9780521687867

0521687861

OCLC:

81453066