The body and social psychology (Springer series in social psychology)

This work provides a critical overview of the relationship between social psychology and the problem of the body. It argues that the absence of this topic from the discipline is not an oversight, but essential to social psychology's definition of its subject matter. By reviewing the way that the body has been marginalized in research to date, this book shows the resulting limitation to theory which inevitably follows. Making excursions into fields such as non-verbal behaviour, group relations and person perception, it shows how the re-introduction of the body leads to a radical re-appraisal of social psychological thinking. This reassessment also grants significance to particular subjects (women, the sick, crowds) who are themselves often seen as being on the margins of the discipline. The wider implications of bringing the body out of the conceptual shadows are discussed in detail. This monograph on social psychology, differential psychology and personality research and developmental psychology is intended for researchers and specialists.