‘SAGE Publications TNT FELT Te Olea fel bP eL -P788 1992 PSYCHOLOGY AND POSTMODERNISM EDITED BY STEINAR KVALEINQUIRIES IN SOCIAL CONSTRUCTION Series edo Kenneth J. Gergen and John Shoter “Tseseisdesigned faite sro dcp nd ational bounds, Sarpedinanee Vomnineleetdadica, ate Tocuding among i parcpant scolghts of sence, poycholgis, management and conmuncrions theo, eybtracicat, roma logs, ear theorists, feminism danse ‘RN laoles profound’ calnges to may exiting esr abouts for ‘rampl, te pron, sefiood scene metbod andthe nature of eset ander howe. Wasa given vole wo erage ofaew topics, sich the ai castration ff personal dents th oe of powerin te socal mango aringy ‘etre and araive teething sencs, the cea of every) tts, remembering and forgcting sr sci const sce "efexty in method and theorang. The commen tvead nde all these tops a concern Wath the proceser by whlch human acs, “rprients, coemon sec an sec Knowledge bth oe priced “and eproduce, burn communis * Inquires in Socal Construction affords a weil for exploring th new concours, the problems sed andthe implcatons or soe. Callestive Remembering ‘ced by David Midleton an Derek Edvards Everday Understanding ‘Seca and Sin mpentons ‘dite by Gin Semin and Kenseth. Gergen Research and Releviy ed by Fredn Ste ConsractingKaowtege ‘thot and Catiguein Sct Since tts by Lonraie Nene and Peter Pee DiscusvePaychlogy Derek bdward ad onan Poter Therapy a Socal Construction sta by Shella McNamee sd Kenneth) Gergen PSYCHOLOGY AND POSTMODERNISM EDITED BY STEINAR KVALE SAGE Pubiications Landon ®Tiounnd Ost # Nw DeiOierka os Serf ict (Gp OB tine A suri (Chape12 Sea Cain 9 et pai 192 Ales rive. No pt of i palion my be ‘pote, sored na ei em tae ot ‘ied nay form ob any man con men, econ dyn, io pre ‘howd Ost, alos 929 Shetek este ‘ih ey Ctopay a Pabdo at Socal Cosson St) Uta ofan cae card wer 25500 “Typeset Tape Stay, Seong BIBAIO} HH rund ndin Grew Bossy AAT. EXOANE ite AUT. OAT napa Ot Antu BE 38 PRE (99 Xpavodoyia Eicayuyie 9/03/99 a of 43 ers p62 Contents Preface Noteson the Contsibutors Introvetion: From the Arehacolgy of the Psyche the Arshitestare of Cultura Landscapes ‘Steinar Koale 1 Toward a Postmodern Psychology Kenneth). Gergen 2 Postmodern Psychology: A Contradiction in Terms? ‘Steinar Koale 13 ‘Getting in Toh’: The Meta Methodology of Postmodern Science of Mental Life Joh Shower 4 Postmodern Subjects: Towards Transresive Social Paychology Mike Michaet [5 Postmodernism and the Human Sciences Patt Lather {6 An Tatroduction to Deconstrustionet Paychology Paul Richer 7 Postmodernism and Subjectivity Lars Lovie {8 Postmodern Set Psychology Mirored in Science and the Arte Nel Young 9 Postmodern Epistemology of Practice Donald E: Polkinghome The Epic of Disb: The Postmodernist Turn n Contemporary Psychoanalysis Louis A Sase 0 ” 3a 58 ” 0 119 1s 6i Paychology and posmoderniom 1 From Mod Masculinity to Post- Mod Macho ‘A Feminist Re Play Mary Gergen 12. From Theory to Practice and Back Again: What does Postmodem Philosophy Contribute to Psychological Seence? Sah Chaikin 13. “Postmodernism’ and ‘Late Capitalism’: On Terms and Reales Peter Madsen Index 183 Preface “Thisbook explores implications of postmodern culture for psyehol- ‘ogy. Itorgiated ina symposium on postmodernty and psychology ‘hich ook place in June 1989 atthe Centre for Qualitative Research the University of Aarhus in Denmark. Te presentation by Ken tnd Mary Gergen, Steinar Kvale, Lars Lovte and Peter Madsen ‘were later published ina special iss of The Humanisic Pychologst ‘on Psychology and Postmoderity, 18(1), 1990, together with four ‘additional ales by Pat Lather, Paul Richer, John Shotier and Nell Young. We wish o thank The Humanisie Piyehologit and is ‘editor Chris Aanstoos fr permission to reprint these ates. For the present volume four new chapters were invited ~by Seth ‘Chaikin, Mike Michael, Donald Polkinghorne and Louis Sass ~snd the earirartices have been revised, The rating book then came to represent authors from Denmark, Norway, the United Kingdom ‘nd the United States, witng from the perspectives of psychology, ‘education, iterary ericism and feminism “Thefuriherorginsof this volume maybe traced to discussions with students ofthe Insitute of Psychology in Aarhus, From Antonio de Lopes received acopy of Lyotart's La condiion postmodern which he published in Danish in 1982. (The book was then no economic siceess, and Antoni had to start a Portuguese wine company 1 elp his finances; this soon became so succesful tha the publication of| postmodern tex and study of psychology were left behind) Discussions with students and colleagues in subsequent seminars on postmodernity and psyschology ed to my own chapter in this ‘olume, and Tam especially gratefl tothe students Helle Jeppesen Gerda Kraft, Klaus Nilsen and Birgit Wenzel for thei continual inspration anderitieal comments, Outside the institute particlaly would lke to thank Budd Anderson, San Jose State University, California and Leon Rappoport, University of Kansss, Manhattan, for thei eritia suggestion and suppor. “The editing of the present volume has been an unexpectedly easy ‘us, thanks tothe cooperation ofthe cotnbutos and theeffeent ‘and pleasant co-ordination of the project by my secretary, Annie Dolmer Kristensen, Steinar KaleNotes on the Contributors ‘Seth Chahta isan Assistant Profesor inthe Institute of Poychology| atthe University of Aarhus. He reeived a PAD in psychology from the University of Pitsburgh, His esearch areas are subject mater learning of mathematics and sefence, computer sein communi based setings and formative teaching experiment for cultura minorities. He has recently co-edited Understanding Practice: Pr specives on Activiy and Contest with Sean Lave. Kenneth J. Gergen is Professor of Prychology at Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, He isthe author of Toward Transformation tn Social Knowledge and he Saturated Self and coveditor (with John Shotter) of Tet of Identity “Mary Gergen, PAD, isan Associate Professor of Paychology and an Associate ofthe Women's Stuies Program at Peanylvenia State Univesity. She has written extensively on the relationship of feminist theory to psychology and is editor of Feminist Thought and the Sructre of Knowledge ‘Steinar Kvaleis Professor of Edeatonal Psychology a the Institute ‘of Psychology and Director af the Centre for Qualitative Research at the University of Aarhus. He i also adjunetfaclty at Saybrook Institute, San Pranciseo. His work as centred on remembering, on ‘examinatonsand grading andon the development ofthe nterview as research method. He isthe author of Pring und Herrachaft nd for of sues of Validiy tx Qualitative Research Patt Lather teaches qualitative research and feminist pedagogy at ‘Ohio State University, where sheis part of anefforttooffera Gender and Education doctoral emphasis. She has published Geting Smart Feminist Research and Pedagogy within the Postmodern and ‘currently working onthe question, what do you do wth vaty once you've met posstructuralin? Lars Lolleis Profesor of Education athe Insitute for Edestional Research atthe University of Oslo. He has writen The Educational [Notes on the contributors Argument (ix Norwegian) and is currently working on two studies, ‘eon the problem of application im ethics and the other on formation o Bildung inthe theory of education Peter Madsen is Professor of Comparative Literature atthe Unive sy of Copenhagen. He has worked on eral theory and semiotics wel at projects in literary history, intellectual history and the Snalyss of lterary works and movies. Among his publications are books (n Danish) on Semiotics and dialectics, and on socialism and democracy, a6 well 5 essays in Scandinavian and international journals. He is currently writing a book on modern calle, ‘Imagining Modern. ‘Mike Michal is 2 Lecturer atthe School of Independent Studies, University of Lancaster. He fis writen on poststructuralis ep” proaches in socal psychology, discourse analysis and the public Understanding of science and technology, nd environmental ethics. ‘Donald E Pokinghorneis Professor of Counseling Psychology athe University of Southern Cafornia anda licensed practising pycholo- {Bet in California, He received a BD in divinity ffom Yale Unversity ‘anda PAD in psychology rom the Union Institute. Heisthe author of Metiodotog forthe Bluman Slences and Narrative Kong andthe human Setncer His research interests nade the we of qualitative ‘procedures to study psychotherapeuti processes Paul Richer is an Associate Professor of Pychology at Duquesne University, Pennsylvania. He received a BA in psychology fom Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson, New York, and a PRD in paychoogy from the New School Gradte Faulty of Plical and Social Science, New York. Since then he has been a member of| Duquesne University’s psychology department, where his research has concentrated on the phenomenology of perception and hal nation aswell son deconstructons approaches to pycholoe. Louis A Sass is Associate Professor of Clinical Psychology at Rutgers University in New Jersey. He is interested in the philosophy of ‘ychology, particularly of payehounayss, an in phenomenological tnd hermeneutic approsches to severe psychopathology. He is the fthor of Madness and Modernism: Insanity inthe Light of Modes ‘Ara Literature and Thowgh, and is completing 4 second book, 3 ‘Sy of paychose in relation to the pilosophy of Ludwig enstein,x. Prychology and postmodernism John Shotter i Profesor of Interpersonal Relations atthe Depart ‘ment of Communication, Univerty of New Hampi. His long {erm coneern has bazn with the tell conditions conducive tothe ‘development of autonomous personhood, socal identities and ‘esponibi action. Among his Books are Images of Manin Psycho- loglel Research and Social Accountability and Selfiod. He a0 the co-editor (wth Kenneth J. Gergen) of Texts o dent and (vith lan Patker) of Deconstructing Soil Psychology. {Nall Young is currently on the graduate faculty ofthe Existential Phenomenological Therapeutic Paychology Program at Seattle Uni- versity. He teaches courses on peychology and art, cross-cultural counseling, bith, death and dying, existential. psychotherapy, pempectives of paychotherapy and psychology of spstual expe Introduction From the Archaeology of the Psyche to the ‘Architecture of Cultural Landscapes Steinar Kvale In art, philosophy and the humanitls, the current age has been deseribed as postmodern, This book explores the posites of a prjehologicl dcipline in a postmodern cultural landscape. The {haptrs contain a variety of postions on psychological knowledge, esearch and practice, moving within postmodern culture. They 89 beyond more ertiques of modern payehology as well as a mere Jogimaton of existing approaches. There isa break with major sssumptions about the subject matter of modern psychology, in particular by the deceatrng ofthe sel, te move from the inside of {he psjche tothe text ofthe word, and the emphasis on practical Inowtedge. 'No coherent school of postmodern paychology emerpos fom the {allowing chapters; indeed, the very concep of unitary diseplines at od with postmodern thought. To put sharply, the sue ‘whether the modern selene of psychology ean be developed and arched by drawing on postmodern knowledge. Or does post moder thought radically undermine, or ansforn, the concept of ‘Gente psychology ss developed during the modern age? Th this fnroduetion some meanings of the term ‘postmodern’ wil bepresented, followed by an overview ofthe chapters ofthis volume. ‘Then some of the diverse postions on postmodernity end on & postmodem paychology in these chapter willbe outline. Meanings othe ‘postmodern’ Tn the 1950s and 1960s, postmodern themes were discussed within architecture, literary cific and sociology inthe United States, French philosophers addressed postmoderaty during the 1970s, and in the 1980 the issue ofa postmodern age came to general public ‘Whether one likes the term ‘postmodern’ or not, it dos seem 10 point to important issues of the curentage. There exits no coherent2 Prychology and postmodernism esnodern philouphy, but «mulitdeof thinkers who fos on Stren specs of postmodern condion. In France, Lyotard ha Salo hes of knowledge nt postmodern asin parla wth reper to leptimaon; Fount har adden the web of Power and knowlege in isora tues; Bari foctes on {Ssnation, seduction andthe medi’ creating of hypereaiy of Smulacra Dera has adresed language and Seconacton; and {ican has relmtrpeted the psjchonnayic uncon. Tn the Unite State, Jameson bas sly postmodern 8 ths lpi ot capitalism; and Rory bas developed nepragmatc approach 0 psimoderiy "The very term ‘postmoders is controversial and ambiguus. I may bo bbl to ar at ee tee meanings: posmodorly 8 Fefering to 8 postmodern age; pastmodertim ai tetercng tthe ‘lara exprestion ofa posimodem age and parnodern hous, ot ‘Sacre sfeterng fo pilosa ection on «postmodern ‘ge and cltre (See the diesons ofthe tm by Bera, 191; oar, 18s, Madsen, thi volume) Although th terms “pos ‘modern, "postmodernism: tad posiadern thought ae oem {Sed indininatlyin he Ueatre, aswell sn he chapters of {his volume, it maybe tsful to dicen the tree meanings of Postmodern which these terms connote "ostmoderty refers to an age which hes lost the Ealghtenment ti in emancipation and progress through moce knowedge and $Senle earch Postmodarr soc conte of ales tobe ‘led by presnecved models han by decentralization fo hetero fencous al contents characterize by fel andchange. Tete fa chuge from echnical, mctallgieprodicn to an infomation indus, and from production fo consampion a he tin focus ofthe toonomy. I's an age in whch the mulpe Perspectives of new media end to dole any sharp lie between Tally end fantasy, undermining bei man object realy ‘Posodeni sacaltursleprenionencompases tar olage and panic, the pop at of Any Warr consumer goods Es Wepre sree, heme tn tthe dno a realy and image, andthe hese ehange of perspectives i rook ‘ideo. Alo foes ae the labyrinthine themes of Borg sori and ‘ork ike thor ofthe novel Umberto Bes, whereas te Interpretation mania of the moder search or ang Poutmodern thought place conception of areal independent ofthe observer with notions of language actully contig the structures of perspecval socal res. The modern dichotomy of Sm bjetve reat dst rom subjective tages s raking doen ‘nd being replaced by ahyperrsity of setelerental sgn. Theres Inroducton 3 scttque othe modernist search fr foundational forms and beliein Slinear progress though more knowledge. The dichotomy of “niversl socal laws and the individual self i replaced by the Interaction of local networks. Postmodern thought hs involved an txpansion of reason, i has gone beyond the cognitive and scientific Glomaine to permeate those of ethics and aesthetics as wel has fsnalysed the nenus of power and knowledge, in particular the ‘esndividualizng of power nto anonymous structure “These various meanings and aspects of moder” and postmodern” age more extensively treated in this volume, paral in the ‘hapterby Ken Gergen, Kvale, Lather, Plkinglorne, Chaikin and Maden Amoutie ofthe chapters “The heterogeneous chapters ofthis book do not fit into any neat ‘order of eatgores. Broaly speaking, the fis chapters teat general possibilities of « postmodern psychology. The second group of Chapters more specially confronts the issue of the sell and {ubjetvty na postmodern age abd the poston ofthe professional practice of psychology. And inthe lst chapters, criques of the ‘oneept of postmoderity aswell sof postmodern pyehology faled from feminist, modernist and Marist perspectives. ‘The fis two chapters converge in their presentations of post modernity and in therertques of modern payehology, but diverge ‘onthe poses ofa postmodern psychology, Ken Gergen depicts the modernist assumptions ofs basi, knowable subject mater of| pactology, of universal psychological processes, of method as a frath guarantee and of research as progressive. He oulins the postmodern turn in eultral history, with its pevspectivsm, its ‘pening of new vistas for study and its development of practical and ‘nntental forms of understanding, The implications of saturated Sell vanishing into sate of relsedness are move fully analysed ‘hewhere (Gergen, 191). Star Kvale ous the entfenehment ‘of modern psyehoiogy ~ behaviourist ae well as humanist — modernity and ses the question whether a postmodern psychology isinfacta contradiction interme, Incontas fo academic peychology, ‘the carrnt theoretical rehabilitation of profesional pracce seen ss congenial to postmodern thought, focusing, ait does on situated knowledge of man activity, wth an openness tothe heerogencats land qualitative Knowledge of the everyday World, and validation through practice. Fnaly, some scenarios for psychology in postmodern world are outlined, and the relations of psychology (0 religion and to consumer culture ae pointed ou.4 Pycholony and pastmodemism ‘The next wo chapters teat implications of posmodeen thought for cognitive and soil psychology. John Shower dacs the bly of postmodern sence of ment ie This would involve shit fom the detached, teorytestingonlokee fan ioled, Interpreting participant observer: Ieevte te practeal embodied vowedge of everyday le over theoretical Knowles. Stet Sil outs what happens to invidetaly conceved topes such perception, memory learning and motivation when they are mbeddedin the context of postmodernist praca wacil esearch Mike Michael aatesses a socal paycholoy of posenodeay he depart tom the epistemological pores of Getens Sola constuonismf bees om subject matter sno map oat the soil Fea ofa postmodern worl Michel goes beyond te pst of the tng wd soil sing ta he ntl meet be integrated ino the porimodern projet. Drawing upon a sociological study of the fteraction of ftermen, researches an nate he ‘goes fr the grounding of borepinal nares in geome father than na essetalied self and he advocates envtaneentl is naples. ‘The pola implications ofthe soi sciences re taken up inthe ‘ext chapters, Pt Lather ass the question whether socal sence ‘rs remainaprterin domination andhegemony or whetheritcan forget iteltandtecome something ste. She dsebesthe move fom Besitvsm towards an interpretative, vluecontued and vale. eatttng soil scence. She dismiss both the modernist fel ation ofthe subject and the postmodem "dative he-bject ‘hoor, instead arguing for adden subject and malate agency of meaning. Pau Ricker deconstruct poychologa interpre tion: He follows Fouraul'sertque of analy of power at thelerel of the och ttn finds ve the no” ot Power and of language to anonymous dered eld of ln Sructfes and webs of power elatons. Reber denis ay cmap tory potential of psychological interpretation, arguing tat todo ‘metal sn behavioural form of contol are supplement by mone fen nest mani terete tc of sll coe ‘cbeemsciit eposcs io the sf re taken op in he folowing two chapters. Lars Lgl points ow ta he postmodern “deathofthe subject eliminates bate rewppostion of paycholony and education ~ the idea ofan autonomous ond intentional agent The deconstruct move to cnaitite the subjet a 10 esrb subjectivity asa linguini strctre of sigs and to mone ‘human phenomena rom the inside of payche tothe ouside of he ‘ext The implications of the deconsttcon of the set are then Iniroduction 5 discussed, or the writing of sle-biographics, strated by Rous: ‘Sea's Confessions. Nel Young traces portmader vel eyehology inartanditerature. He outines history of painting asa retreat along theelt-objct spectrum towards the abject ofthe painter, ment ‘onspicuous in the art ofthe Impressionists. In iterate, a unified lage ofthe self ha become lot in lbyrinth of sell-eentredness without any true self on tras cenze ssn Tens drama Peer Gynt, Whore man is depicted as 4 collection of socal oles attained and bundoned, of denies discarded or transcended, san onion el ‘Donald Polkinghorne oulines @ postmodern epistemology of prictce. He depies academic psychology a subplot within the Fistory of modernism and argues thatthe psychology of practice, ‘nlite seademic psychology s conigured asa postmodern science He points to studies which show that psychotherapists rarely nd psychological research relevant for practice, and that they have to bul up's second body of knowledge. The prectiones’ exper Knowledge i dynamic and context dependent; and Polkinghorne oesonto argue hat this largely orl knowledge of praticeisin tune ‘ith postmodern ideas of knowledge as witout foundations, fag- ‘mentary and constructed, as well a withthe current neopragmatic ‘iLrom metapon of crete tothe wy. “The remaining four chapers represent diferent cial perspec tiveson the postmodern. Lone Sar confronts postmodern tends of reltivm, seepticsm and sionals in contemporary psychoanaly- fis He iacmes the lived consequences of aphlonophyolasiP inthe psychotherapetisituaton, asking what it means fo patients tohave {heir histor sesthetialyandrelavstcally interpreted merely ‘arratival etons. He points oat how the are treatments of these themes by Nietzsche, Musil and Borges also addressed the dark and {eoubling side ofthe ftionalizd views of realty. Mary Gergen kes ‘sue with the postmodern rend ofcrtal unmasing and deconstruc ‘on, arguing tat feminist sensitivities and pioies can enable the foci siences to move towards a mote positive form of postmodern- fem. She enizes the masculine bier of academic course and ‘depart from the customary frm of ‘straight talk’. Her chapter hat ‘he form of tage play, the dialogue of a feminist postmodern rite anda postmodern man who catinaly play upon, break through ad ‘evette conventional cliché of intellectual cour, ‘Sth Chalkin ritizes meta theoretical sttmpts to apply con eps of postmodern philosophy to psychology. In his view the ‘istinctions between a postmodern anda modern psychology thatare ‘made in the chaptcis of this book by Kea Gergen, Kvale and Polkinghorne ar overdrawn; andhe maintains that more productive pathsare available or realizing the goals envisagedin these chapters,© Paychology and postmodernism fn particular within cultra-istorical paychology. Peter Madsen istusses postmodernism as 4 late capt ideviogy. Following Jameson e posits postmodernism as an indication of shift nthe public focus trom: production to consumption, and. he epics Brchitectue as en exemplary field for cultural studies apace where Artic, cultural and socal concer are obviously bound up with political and economie power. Madsen points outa corespondence between the ack of reference to real foundations inthe movements ‘of advanced forms of capital andthe absence ofthe referent a the ‘altura evel. He indicates the possibility of return from he pay of ‘Sgifcations and simulations to realtyin both the economic andthe cultural sphere. Ththe following two sections ofthis introduction afew ofthe many ‘asus rsd inthe chapters willbe discussed in more deta. Some of the convergent and divergent views wil be outlined fst on the concept of the postmodern, and then on the possibilities of = postmodern psychology. Postmadern sues tis dificult present a new mode of thinking without being caught in old categories of thought. Discusion of postmodernism tend t0 ‘et enfangled in moderaist dichotomies, The may be due t0 the failure of writers on postmoderaty to get beyond modern polarities ‘of thought o tothe tendency of readers to view postmodern texts "hough modern binary glasses. Postmodern discourse is heterogeneous; it emphasizes differences and continual changes of perspectives, and if attempts to avoid fichotomized and reed concepts. A historical example of how to presenta new mode of thought without geting entrapped inthe Eonceptulizations eriicied is found in Kerkegnard’s writings. In hisbreak with the toraiing dialeees of Hegel, Kierkegaard chose an indirect styl, full of paradoxes, and through peeudonyms be presented amultude of perspectives on his opis, thereby avoiding $ Geareut lpi nd evading the totalizing mode of thoveht he wat iizing. "The chapters ofthe present volume follow athe traditional forms cof academic stright tak’ witing, The exception fs Mary Gergen, ‘whose syle deliberately ditrients a modenist reader; her dramatic form and mul-voeal play on language ae temps to break away from a modernist and patarchal dkcoure Below, some postions will be outlined onthe common controver- sies about the modem vs the postmodern, about objctvsm ¥6 ‘elativism and about the pola! implications of posimodernty Introduction 7 Postmodern vs modern Opposing postmodern to moder involves a dichotomy which is Gntrary toa postmodern move to go beyond binary oppositions and to descriptions of ilrenoes and nuances. “Postmodern” i Assit erm; i dpc what comes after moderoim. The tm is fotanttmoder the very concep ths ifertrom he thrust ofthe Inovemens ofthe 1960s and "sss anauthorrianiom, at Eepilalsn, ee.-A postmodern approsch fo history nether {ererence forthe pst nora modern easing of aditon and tring Sow ffom a tabula rasa The apprch o history aor that Of ove and collage of taking up elements of tradition and eyeing them in new contexts, most wale in postmodern architecture and ‘Sirent fashion ee "The concept of postmoderity entails the sive of priozation. ‘This nies the question whether postmodern 0 real new that it depicts anew epoch, ors ransor phase, or whether ts tmetely «continuation fies that originaied the modern epoch nd then more approprately termed peomaderism. Tete are mong postmodern writer. iferent views on the relation to ‘movernyy while Bavdilard see radical break or rapture, Tyotard depicts postmodern a 4 new way of knowing (1980). He everibes the very den of cronolgyastoualy modern, the dee that itis posible and eceseary to bres with tadon. Such a break Tepretent #teprosing a epeating ofthe pas, rther than ‘rercoming iby retin it and working through Jameson ee ‘Madsen changes the perspective by regarding both modernism and postmodernism as clturlexpresios of diferent phases of cpt Ein, esting «change frm slope of production t 8 loge of consumption. ‘Chitin evitizes how sever ofthe present chapters convey a polarized opposition of modernity and postmoderiy, neglecting & Entity. Also Michael atempts Yo tangres the modernist osimodemist chotomy, maintaining that moder postions sre Perey feasible within the postmodern, which he fezards 6 a ential improvement upon te moder. Teor of he er postmodern regress clarfeation of what scant hy modem. Ts Ken Gergen characterizes moder) bY ‘mechanization and ndantiaizatio, wile Lovie fosses the romani writer Rousestin i analyse he mde concep of the wat and Reale nls both the fecha ratlonalty end the omens restion a aspect of moder, tracing the choy Into modern peychology. Madsen, folowing Habermas, pont 12 ‘maiptory potential of modem, wih kav not yer Den fly ‘ealaed:Asnstoos (199), retersngo Toul, emphasize the ich8 Pychology and postmodernism ‘nd open humanism of the Renaissance origin of modernity, which was ater replaced by the strict rationality snd quest for etait of| {he Ealightment Perhaps one main fect of the postmodern discourses a renewed focus upon and carifeation of whet canbe meant by modernity, thas ‘making explicit the main themes of the culture which the present epoch is based upon. And regardless of whether postmodernty i conceived as rupture with, ora continuation of, modernity theres in the current discourse a change inthe questions asked and the contents where the answers ate sought In psychology, « move from an ant-postst to @ postmodern phase isa decisive change. Rather than legiimating developments a psychology with speculations about amechanistorarelatiat sconce ‘of physis, new spproachesin psychology are now placed broader historia and cultural context including the very ese of transition froma modern oa postmodern culture Objectivism and relaviom Pethaps the most frequent critique of postmodern thought is @ rampant relativism, leading 10 nbiism and socal anomie. Tt is maintained that when there are no longer any objective truths oF Universal values fo be pursued; all knowiedge snd values become equally valid and relative “The polarization of objecivism ws relativism & again a modern ‘issue, Bernstein (183) tracesit to "Cartesian anxiety formulated ss tithe extitude or moral ches. He analyse diferent positions tothe fichotomy and argues that both an absolute objectivm nd subjectvsm are untenable, as arguments for bat porns pres pose the more fundamental noon of sn intersbjeaive disours, Discussions of objesivsm vs relativism tend to take place on & rather general level, abstracted fom the culture specif context of the discourse, and from the practical interests involved. Ken Gergen ‘suggests that a closer historical look at an alleged objective sytem of ‘thought, based on fundamental and universally may show ow thissjstem rests upon a particular perspective which ina gvem cpoch has been made the only posible view. And Gergen (1991) outines the developmentof technology and in particular the electronic media sa background forthe postmodern mult-perspetival approach oe Social realty. Arguing from a feminist perspective, Lather erties Postmodern miilitie tendencies of subttuting’ absolutism with Felativism. Bothposions deny the locaton the embodiment andthe pari perspective of knowledge and values, It may futher be Felpfu to discern what phenomena x poited eatvsm pertains to Shotier thos accepts an epistemic relativity, where all bits are Introduction 9 socaly produced, but he rejects a mora relat whee al ais {Meequaly vai, aking the postodern standpoint that nthe forum stot judgement questions of jae take an eal place with those of rath, station where ation demanded, al views ae not ely vals Lather Polkinghorne and’ Sos war again atv, poming tos consequences for practice. Lather rases the power ‘cnet of the objectviam ve lato srl appear ora ‘oblem for the dominating groups when their vlog hegemony ‘Fohalenged. Relat ssumpiions of ree pay of meaning ae of litle re to women fighting gaia oporeston. And Sah warns Sint the eects upon patients of relat and Sitio ‘sterpreation of posimodernit ens in prchoanalss ‘Practice hus berome 1 privlepel site, where the steratve to scl jen, bt nbd pal peeve, Folinghore adopts neopragmatt approach fo nl work an igus apna" relaat pion. Abe ta there te no ‘ferentition between Knowledge cai untenable in prota! Situation. Here its ecesrary to decide which aeons o choose, nd Poltinghorbe proposes as tat for pragmatic knowledge whee fancton sccosaly in gudng tanan acon To Rained poses Posomodernity and poles ‘With Lyotard’ dismissal of global systems of thought, and the ietanarratives of emancipation, postmodern plilosophy has become accused ofbeing unpolitical and even neo-