First published in 1984, Social Texts and Context illustrates the ways in which familiar psychological concepts – femininity, the environment, groups, the self – are constructed in discourse. Novels by Thomas Hardy, Barbara Cartland, Doris Lessing, C. P. Snow, Charles Dickens and Robert Musil are examined, and the theoretical approaches of Roland Barthes, Rom Harre, Jonathan Culler, Henri Tajfel, Irving Janis and Paul Willis are discussed. Development in literary theory – such as semiology and deconstruction and in theories of social action – such as ethogenics and discourse analysis – make it difficult to treat literary and psychological texts as a neutral medium of communication. Instead, texts should be seen in terms of their fundamental constructive role in the organization of social life. As the authors demonstrate, contemporary life in both its personal and professional spheres is hedged around by discourse, conversations, newspaper articles, novels, scientific reports. This book will be of interest to students of literature and psychology.

`A highly effective introduction which gives readers a clear sense of how to analyze discourse data and then employ the analytic approaches in their own research' - David Silverman, Goldsmiths College, University of London, United Kingdom This workbook will be invaluable for students across the social sciences who need to learn how to analyze discourse. Using a step-by-step approach, students are introduced to the principal range of methods for analyzing different types of text, taken through key analytic concepts, offered specimen analyses and given the opportunity to try out analytic concepts on new data. Discourse as Data is organized around eight chapters, six of which are related to the domains covered in the Reader, and top and tailed by two chapters which set up common methodological issues in discourse research relevant to all approaches (such as transcription and the application and the critical evaluation of discourse research). Though the text will be a perfect companion to the simultaneously published Reader, its broad coverage, combined with didactic, practical guidance should make this important reading for any student or researcher wishing to learn more about discourse analysis. This book will be ideal as a teaching tool, and an invaluable aid on discourse analysis courses, which have a practical content, most notably within the fields of psychology, cultural and media studies, sociology and linguistics.

By asking internationally respected scholars from a range of traditions in discourse studies to respond to the same interview material, this book reveals key differences in methodology and theoretical perspective. The use of interviews to explore attitudes towards race allow contributors to bring up sensitive issues regarding the development and interpretation of interviews on controversial topics.

Emotion, Affective Practices, and the Past in the Present is a response to debates in the humanities and social sciences about the use of emotion. This timely and unique book explores the ways emotion is embroiled and used in contemporary engagements with the past, particularly in contexts such as heritage sites, museums, commemorations, political rhetoric and ideology, debates over issues of social memory, and touristic uses of heritage sites. Including contributions from academics and practitioners in a range of countries, the book reviews significant and conflicting academic debates on the nature and expression of affect and emotion. As a whole, the book makes an argument for a pragmatic understanding of affect and, in doing so, outlines Wetherell's concept of affective practice, a concept utilised in most of the chapters in this book. Since debates about affect and emotion can often be confusing and abstract, the book aims to clarify these debates and, through the use of case studies, draw out their implications for theory and practice within heritage and museum studies. Emotion, Affective Practices, and the Past in the Present should be essential reading for students, academics, and professionals in the fields of heritage and museum studies. The book will also be of interest to those in other disciplines, such as social psychology, education, archaeology, tourism studies, cultural studies, media studies, anthropology, sociology, and history.

Emotion, Affective Practices, and the Past in the Present is a response to debates in the humanities and social sciences about the use of emotion. This timely and unique book explores the ways emotion is embroiled and used in contemporary engagements with the past, particularly in contexts such as heritage sites, museums, commemorations, political rhetoric and ideology, debates over issues of social memory, and touristic uses of heritage sites. Including contributions from academics and practitioners in a range of countries, the book reviews significant and conflicting academic debates on the nature and expression of affect and emotion. As a whole, the book makes an argument for a pragmatic understanding of affect and, in doing so, outlines Wetherell's concept of affective practice, a concept utilised in most of the chapters in this book. Since debates about affect and emotion can often be confusing and abstract, the book aims to clarify these debates and, through the use of case studies, draw out their implications for theory and practice within heritage and museum studies. Emotion, Affective Practices, and the Past in the Present should be essential reading for students, academics, and professionals in the fields of heritage and museum studies. The book will also be of interest to those in other disciplines, such as social psychology, education, archaeology, tourism studies, cultural studies, media studies, anthropology, sociology, and history.

By asking internationally respected scholars from a range of traditions in discourse studies to respond to the same interview material, this book reveals key differences in methodology and theoretical perspective. The use of interviews to explore attitudes towards race allow contributors to bring up sensitive issues regarding the development and interpretation of interviews on controversial topics.

Involving citizens in policy decision-making processes - deliberative democracy - has been a central goal of the Labour government since it came to power in 1997. But what happens when members of the public are drawn into unfamiliar debate, with unfamiliar others, in the unfamiliar world of policy making at national level? This book sets out to understand the contribution that citizens can realistically be expected to make. Drawing on the lessons from an ethnographic study of a public involvement initiative in the health service - the Citizens Council of NICE (National Institute for Clinical Excellence) - the book explores the practical realities behind the much-quoted faith in 'deliberation' that underpins so many models of public involvement and presents the analysis of sixty four hours of video and audiotape capturing a warts-and-all picture of deliberation in action. It sets deliberative participatory initiatives within a broad inter-disciplinary context and challenges politicians, policy-makers and academics to develop more realistic approaches to democratic innovation. "Citizens at the centre" will be of interest to academics and students in social policy, sociology, politics, health, social care, economics, and public administration and management. It will also be valuable to anyone involved in the policy making process, not only in the UK, but also in Europe, the USA and other countries where deliberative democracy is being implemented or discussed.

What is meant by community? Is there a balance between equality, integration and diversity? Does the idea of identity undermine community cohesion? Identity, Ethnic Diversity and Community Cohesion considers these questions and explores the concept of identity and how its different meanings and interpretations impact upon community policy. The book brings together the ideas and perspectives of leading academics, policymakers, think-tank representatives, and community workers, offering a cutting-edge and interprofessional approach to the key debates. Other key features include: - strong links between theory, practice and policy - up-to-date analysis of contemporary policy issues - author commentaries, 'reflections' on key themes, and case studies that illustrate the relevance of research to 'real life' - a leading group of editors and authors - the ESRC Identities Programme and the Runnymede Trust represent a wealth of research and policymaking experience. This original and innovative book makes a distinctive contribution to debates about identity, ethnicity and community cohesion. It is of interest to those studying social policy, community studies, politics and sociology as well as being relevant for policymakers, researchers and those working in the public sector. Margaret Wetherell is Professor of Social Psychology at the Open University and Director of the ESRC Identities and Social Action Programme. Michelynn Lafleche, Director of the Runnymede Trust, has headed the Trust's work programme and strategic policy direction since 2001. Robert Berkeley, a sociologist with a PhD from Trinity College, Oxford, is Deputy Director of the Runnymede Trust.

"Absolutely essential reading for those wanting to understand the recent 'turn' to affect. Offering an extensive analysis of all the perspectives available, including the psycho, neuro, bio and social, Margie Wetherell treads a magisterial path through the radically different offerings, one that illuminates key ideas and will save the uninitiated wandering down many pointless avenues. A path-setting book." - Professor Beverley Skeggs, Goldsmiths In recent years there has been a huge surge of interest in affect and emotion. Scholars want to discover how people are moved, and understand embodied social action, feelings and passions. How do social formations 'grab' people? How do roller coasters of contempt, patriotism, hate and euphoria power public life? A new social science understanding of affect and emotion is long overdue and Margaret Wetherell's voice is timely, providing a coherent and pragmatic text. It will be invaluable reading for those interested in this fascinating field across the social and behavioural sciences.

`A highly effective introduction which gives readers a clear sense of how to analyze discourse data and then employ the analytic approaches in their own research' - David Silverman, Goldsmiths College, University of London, United Kingdom This workbook will be invaluable for students across the social sciences who need to learn how to analyze discourse. Using a step-by-step approach, students are introduced to the principal range of methods for analyzing different types of text, taken through key analytic concepts, offered specimen analyses and given the opportunity to try out analytic concepts on new data. Discourse as Data is organized around eight chapters, six of which are related to the domains covered in the Reader, and top and tailed by two chapters which set up common methodological issues in discourse research relevant to all approaches (such as transcription and the application and the critical evaluation of discourse research). Though the text will be a perfect companion to the simultaneously published Reader, its broad coverage, combined with didactic, practical guidance should make this important reading for any student or researcher wishing to learn more about discourse analysis. This book will be ideal as a teaching tool, and an invaluable aid on discourse analysis courses, which have a practical content, most notably within the fields of psychology, cultural and media studies, sociology and linguistics.

`Provide[s] a good overview of current family theory and research.... well written and worth having' - British Journal of Medical Psychology `Altogether an excellent collection for students of social policy, social care or social work, covering as it does both subjective and objective features of family life and the logics of inequality within which they are embedded' - Child and Family Social Work This revised and updated introductory text presents an accessible, interdisciplinary account of how 'the family' is constituted in the 'public' and 'private' spheres. Drawing in a wide range of theoretical perspectives from sociology, social policy, psychology and psychoanalysis, this book critically examines assumptions about 'the family' that are embedded in social policy, law and political discourse. The text outlines the tensions that exist between such assumptions and the lived realities and everyday experiences of family life. Understanding the Family shows how dominant understanding of the family have failed to recognize a marked diversity of family forms in contemporary society, and also ignore the complex and myriad ways in which family life comes to be experienced.

"A highly effective introduction to the range of approaches found in discourse analysis and a lively and intellectually stimulating Reader." - David Silverman, Goldsmiths College, University of London, U.K.

"Absolutely essential reading for those wanting to understand the recent 'turn' to affect. Offering an extensive analysis of all the perspectives available, including the psycho, neuro, bio and social, Margie Wetherell treads a magisterial path through the radically different offerings, one that illuminates key ideas and will save the uninitiated wandering down many pointless avenues. A path-setting book." - Professor Beverley Skeggs, Goldsmiths In recent years there has been a huge surge of interest in affect and emotion. Scholars want to discover how people are moved, and understand embodied social action, feelings and passions. How do social formations 'grab' people? How do roller coasters of contempt, patriotism, hate and euphoria power public life? A new social science understanding of affect and emotion is long overdue and Margaret Wetherell's voice is timely, providing a coherent and pragmatic text. It will be invaluable reading for those interested in this fascinating field across the social and behavioural sciences.

Although much has been written about discourse analysis in recent years, little of it has been intelligible to the average undergraduate or graduate student. It has become a field in which terminological confusions abound and a bewildering variety of theoretical perspectives compete. Discourse and Social Psychology is the first systematic and easily understood introduction to the theory and application of discourse analysis within the field of social psychology. Beginning with an insightful discussion of the theoretical roots of discourse analysis in linguistic philosophy, ethnomethodology, and semiotics, the authors continue by exploring those concepts which are at the heart of the study of social psychology: rules, accounts, the self, and social representations. Concluding chapters not only tackle some of the broader and more controversial issues, but also offer suggestions as to the direction future research should take. In addition, the authors provide an exhaustive bibliography which will help acquaint students with all the relevant literature in the field. "A provocative little text, that is pitched at the advanced student of social psychology. . . . Concrete observations, evolving definitions, changing circumstances, and dynamic variability, are central ideas to their refreshing approaches in current social psychology. An extensive bibliography supplements this text." --Choice "An invigorating breath of fresh air--clear, innovative, and compelling. With bold theoretical vision and a range of creative research strategies, the volume brings social psychologists into catalytic connection with communication specialists, micro-sociologists, linguists, and philosophers of social science. A significant step toward a post-modern psychology." --Kenneth J. Gergen, Swarthmore College "Potter and Wetherell have genuinely presented us with a different way of working in social psychology. The book's clarity means that it has the power to influence a lot of people ill-at-ease with traditional social psychology but unimpressed with (or simply bewildered by) other alternatives on offer. It could rescue social psychology from the sterility of the laboratory and its traditional mentalism." --Charles Antaki, University of Lancaster "This book represents a lucid and entertaining introduction to the study of language and discourse. The authors analyze social texts of all kinds and offer interesting exemplars to illustrate important concepts and theoretical ideas. Although I disagree with the authors' critique of the neo-positivist research tradition, I still found the book provocative." --Mary Anne Fitzpatrick, University of Wisconsin "Just about the best book that could have been written at the moment as an introduction for psychologists to discouse analysis, its scope and its problems, given the current state of the art. . . . An impressive effort. It is a book I shall use in my own courses." --Current Psychology "Potter and Wetherell provide accessible and compelling short reviews of key issues in Chomskyan, speech act, ethnomethodological and semiological traditions." --Journal of Language and Social Psychology "Potter and Wetherell have genuinely presented us with a different way of working in social psychology. The book's clarity means that it has the power to influence a lot of people ill-at-ease with traditional social psychology but unimpressed with other alternatives to offer. It could rescue social psychology from the sterility of the laboratory and its traditional mentalism." --Times Higher Education Supplement

`When considering a volume that has essentially the form of a textbook, particular criteria apply. It is important that it is accurate, up-to-date and covers an appropriate range of material in an accessible and stimulating manner. It is important that it is a flexible vehicle for use with diverse courses, and does not overly impose a particular or narrow intellectual structure. In all these respects, this text is to be recommended.... Finally, it is important that all students of social psychology should try to see the historical and cultural linkages that extend across and through its subject area, and this is the other message that comes across from this exceptionally well thought-through book' - Journal of Community and Applied Social Psychology This accessible and authoritative textbook presents an engaging overview of social psychological research on groups, the development of social identity, intergroup relations and the process of making sense of social life. Unlike other textbooks in this area, this book has a broad focus. It covers a representative mix of European and North American research, but also draws on psychoanalysis, social theory, discourse analysis and feminist writing to develop accounts of topics such as racism, social influence, group dynamics, the workplace and masculine identities. Classic studies are set alongside the most recent research in social psychology. The result is a book which is rich in ideas, interdisciplinary in nature, combative and critical. This book has been developed as a Course Text for The Open University course Social Psychology: Personal Lives, Social Worlds (D317).

The topics of 'race' and 'racism' are often treated narrowly and unimaginatively in social scientific literature; they are usually viewed as sub-categories of 'stereotyping' or 'prejudice' or 'social class.' In this exciting new book, Margaret Wetherell and Jonathan Potter extend their work on the use of discourse analysis to tackle racism and issues of social structure, power relations and idology.

Part I, "Theory and Method," reviews and criticizes mainstream sociological and psychological theoretical approaches to the topic of racism and introduces the challenges to them posed by discourse analysis. Also examined are the ways in which some recent developments in literary theory, post-structuralism, semiotics and cultural studies might be applied to the social and psychological study of racist practices.

Part II, "Discourse in Action," examines how white New Zealanders make sense of their own history and actions towards the Maori minoriy. The authors' contention is that, in order to combat racism, we need to address the commonplace forms of explanation used by "ordinary" people rather than concentrate on obvious bigots and extremist groups. They conclude that many 'liberal' and 'egalitarian' arguments can be used to sustain racism and exploitation.

"Mapping the Language of Racism" is a pioneering book which suggest genuinely new ways of thinking and acting on a topic of grave social concern.

Overall, its breaking of disciplinary isolation, enhancing of mutual understanding, and laying out of a transdisciplinary platform makes this Handbook a milestone in identity studies. - Sociology Increasingly, identities are the site for interdisciplinary initiatives and identity research is at the heart of many transdisciplinary research centres around the world. No single social science discipline 'owns' identity research which makes it a difficult topic to categorize. The SAGE Handbook of Identities systematizes this complex field by incorporating its interdisciplinary character to provide a comprehensive overview of its themes in contemporary research while still acknowledging the historical and philosophical significance of the concept of identity. Drawing on a global scholarship the Handbook has four parts: Frameworks: presents the main theoretical and methodological perspectives in identities research. Formations: covers the major formative forces for identities such as culture, globalisation, migratory patterns, biology and so on. Categories: reviews research on the core social categories central to identity such as ethnicity, gender, sexuality, disability and intersections between these. Sites and Context: develops a series of case studies of crucial sites and contexts where identity is at stake such as social movements, relationships, work-places and citizenship.

This textbook offers a comprehensive guide to carrying out a research project in social psychology. With helpful suggestions and step-by-step guidance through every stage of the research process, the book challenges the reader throughout to tackle the key methodological and theoretical issues in conducting research.

Following an introduction to key issues, the book uses eight fully piloted social psychological studies to demonstrate a wide range of methods and associated theories. Methods described include: in-depth interviews; social representations of gender in the media; experimental studies of person perception and framing of risk; structured group observations; Kelly Repgrids; interaction diaries; and survey methods.

Doing Social Psychology is one of five books which form the core of The Open University's course Social Psychology: Personal Lives, Social Worlds.

`Could certainly be used as a stand-alone text. Aimed primarily at advanced undergraduates, it could also be read by others who may be prompted to identify yet further dimensions with which to map contemporary social psychology and define their position in relation to others' - The Psychologist This clearly structured textbook presents a broad overview of the key issues that underpin social psychology. These include: the nature of science and `psychology as science'; descriptive, emancipatory and critical theories; and the different ways in which social psychology is applied in the social and political world. Drawing upon a number of different perspectives, this volume will introduce students to the important debates around what constitutes valid argument and research in social psychology, its aims, scope and subject matter, and the degree to which social psychology can be said to be itself a social institution and a part of the network of social regulation and definition. Theory and Social Psychology is one of four books which form the core of The Open University's course Social Psychology: Personal Lives, Social Worlds.

This textbook offers a comprehensive guide to carrying out a research project in social psychology. With helpful suggestions and step-by-step guidance through every stage of the research process, the book challenges the reader throughout to tackle the key methodological and theoretical issues in conducting research. Following an introduction to key issues, the book uses eight fully piloted social psychological studies to demonstrate a wide range of methods and associated theories. Methods described include: in-depth interviews; social representations of gender in the media; experimental studies of person perception and framing of risk; structured group observations; Kelly Repgrids; interaction diaries; and survey methods. Doing Social Psychology is one of five books which form the core of The Open University's course Social Psychology: Personal Lives, Social Worlds.