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Young People’s Development and the Great Recession: Uncertain Transitions and Precarious Futures
by Ingrid Schoon John BynnerThe 2007–8 financial crisis and subsequent 'Great Recession' particularly affected young people trying to make their way from education into the labour market at a time of economic uncertainty and upheaval. This is the first volume to examine the impact of the Great Recession on the developmental stage of young adulthood, a critical phase of the life course that has great significance in the foundations of adult identity. Using evidence from longitudinal data sets spanning three major OECD countries, these essays examine the recession's effects on education and employment outcomes and consider the wider psycho-social consequences, including living arrangements, family relations, political engagement, and health and well-being. While the recession intensified the impact of pre-existing trends towards a prolonged dependence on parents and, for many, the precaritisation of life chances, the findings also point to manifestations of resilience, where young people countered adversity by forging positive expectations of the future. Recasts the concept of youth transitions within a contemporary life course perspective, taking into account micro and macro influences Provides a more holistic understanding of recession effects, and offers pointers where new policy regarding, for example, education and training is urgently needed; Draws on data collected for a number of large-scale, national representative and longitudinal data sets; Illustrates the role of social policy in buffering the effects of the recession, and how these vary across countries.
After Freud Left: A Century of Psychoanalysis in America
by John BurnhamFrom August 29 to September 21, 1909, Sigmund Freud visited the United States, where he gave five lectures at Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts. This volume brings together a stunning gallery of leading historians of psychoanalysis and of American culture to consider the broad history of psychoanalysis in America and to reflect on what has happened to Freud’s legacy in the United States in the century since his visit There has been a flood of recent scholarship on Freud’s life and on the European and world history of psychoanalysis, but historians have produced relatively little on the proliferation of psychoanalytic thinking in the United States, where Freud’s work had monumental intellectual and social impact. The essays in After Freud Left provide readers with insights and perspectives to help them understand the uniqueness of Americans’ psychoanalytic thinking, as well as the forms in which the legacy of Freud remains active in the United States in the twenty-first century. After Freud Left will be essential reading for anyone interested in twentieth-century American history, general intellectual and cultural history, and psychology and psychiatry.
The Group Effect
by John BruhnSociologists and anthropologists have had a long interest in studying the ways in which cultures shaped different patterns of health, disease, and mortality. Social scientists have documented low rates of chronic disease and disability in non-Western societies and have suggested that social stability, cultural homogeneity and social cohesion may play a part in explaining these low rates. On the other hand, in studies of Western societies, social scientists have found that disease and mortality assume different patterns among various ethnic, cultural and social-economic groups. The role of stress, social change and a low degree of cohesion have been suggested, along with other factors as contributing to the variable rates among different social groups. Social cohesion has been implicated in the cause and recovery from both physical and psychological illnesses. Although there has been a large amount of work established the beneficial effects of cohesion on health and well-being, relatively little work has focused on HOW increased social cohesion sustains or improves health. This work is based on the premise that there are risk factors, including social cohesion that regulate health and disease in groups. One of the challenges is how to measure social cohesion - it can be readily observed and experienced but difficult to quantify. A better understanding of how social cohesion works will be valuable to improving group-level interventions.
The Myth of the First Three Years
by John BruerMost parents today have accepted the message that the first three years of a baby's life determine whether or not the child will grow into a successful, thinking person. But is this powerful warning true? Do all the doors shut if baby's brain doesn't get just the right amount of stimulation during the first three years of life? Have discoveries from the new brain science really proved that parents are wholly responsible for their child's intellectual successes and failures alike? Are parents losing the "brain wars"? No, argues national expert John Bruer. In The Myth of the First Three Years he offers parents new hope by debunking our most popular beliefs about the all-or-nothing effects of early experience on a child's brain and development. Challenging the prevailing myth -- heralded by the national media, Head Start, and the White House -- that the most crucial brain development occurs between birth and age three, Bruer explains why relying on the zero to three standard threatens a child's mental and emotional well-being far more than missing a few sessions of toddler gymnastics. Too many parents, educators, and government funding agencies, he says, see these years as our main opportunity to shape a child's future. Bruer agrees that valid scientific studies do support the existence of critical periods in brain development, but he painstakingly shows that these same brain studies prove that learning and cognitive development occur throughout childhood and, indeed, one's entire life. Making hard science comprehensible for all readers, Bruer marshals the neurological and psychological evidence to show that children and adults have been hardwired for lifelong learning. Parents have been sold a bill of goods that is highly destructive because it overemphasizes infant and toddler nurturing to the detriment of long-term parental and educational responsibilities. The Myth of the First Three Years is a bold and controversial book because it urges parents and decision-makers alike to consider and debate for themselves the evidence for lifelong learning opportunities. But more than anything, this book spreads a message of hope: while there are no quick fixes, conscientious parents and committed educators can make a difference in every child's life, from infancy through childhood, and beyond.
Culture: Leading Scientists Explore Civilizations, Art, Networks, Reputation, and the Online Revolution (Best of Edge Series)
by John Brockman"Theway Brockman interlaces essays about research on the frontiers of science withones on artistic vision, education, psychology and economics is sure to buzzany brain." —Chicago Sun-Times, on This Will Change EverythingLaunchinga hard-hitting new series from Edge.org and Harper Perennial, editor JohnBrockman delivers this cutting-edge master class covering everything you needto know about Culture. With original contributions by the world’sleading thinkers and scientists, including Jared Diamond, Daniel C. Dennett,Brian Eno, Jaron Lanier,Nicholas Christakis, and others, Culture offers a mind-expanding primeron a fundamental topic. Unparalleled in scope, depth, insight and quality, Edge.org’s Culture is not to be missed.
Thinking
by John BrockmanUnlock your mindFrom the bestselling authors of Thinking, Fast and Slow; The Black Swan; and Stumbling on Happiness comes a cutting-edge exploration of the mysteries of rational thought, decision-making, intuition, morality, willpower, problem-solving, prediction, forecasting, unconscious behavior, and beyond. Edited by John Brockman, publisher of Edge. org ("The world's smartest website"--The Guardian), Thinking presents original ideas by today's leading psychologists, neuroscientists, and philosophers who are radically expanding our understanding of human thought. Daniel Kahneman on the power (and pitfalls) of human intuition and "unconscious" thinking - Daniel Gilbert on desire, prediction, and why getting what we want doesn't always make us happy - Nassim Nicholas Taleb on the limitations of statistics in guiding decision-making - Vilayanur Ramachandran on the scientific underpinnings of human nature - Simon Baron-Cohen on the startling effects of testosterone on the brain - Daniel C. Dennett on decoding the architecture of the "normal" human mind - Sarah-Jayne Blakemore on mental disorders and the crucial developmental phase of adolescence - Jonathan Haidt, Sam Harris, and Roy Baumeister on the science of morality, ethics, and the emerging synthesis of evolutionary and biological thinking - Gerd Gigerenzer on rationality and what informs our choices
This Explains Everything: 150 Deep, Beautiful, and Elegant Theories of How the World Works (Edge Question Series)
by John BrockmanDrawn from the cutting-edge frontiers of science, This Explains Everything will revolutionize your understanding of the world.What is your favorite deep, elegant, or beautiful explanation? This is the question John Brockman, publisher of Edge.org ("The world's smartest website"--The Guardian), posed to the world's most influential minds. Flowing from the horizons of physics, economics, psychology, neuroscience, and more, This Explains Everything presents 150 of the most surprising and brilliant theories of the way of our minds, societies, and universe work.Jared Diamond on biological electricity * Nassim Nicholas Taleb on positive stress * Steven Pinker on the deep genetic roots of human conflict * Richard Dawkins on pattern recognition * Nobel Prize-winning physicist Frank Wilczek on simplicity * Lisa Randall on the Higgs mechanism * BRIAN Eno on the limits of intuition * Richard Thaler on the power of commitment * V. S. Ramachandran on the "neural code" of consciousness * Nobel Prize winner ERIC KANDEL on the power of psychotherapy * Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi on "Lord Acton's Dictum" * Lawrence M. Krauss on the unification of electricity and magnetism * plus contributions by Martin J. Rees * Kevin Kelly * Clay Shirky * Daniel C. Dennett * Sherry Turkle * Philip Zimbardo * Lee Smolin * Rebecca Newberger Goldstein * Seth Lloyd * Stewart Brand * George Dyson * Matt Ridley
This Idea Must Die: Scientific Theories That Are Blocking Progress (Edge Question Series)
by John BrockmanReporting from the cutting edge of scientific discovery, today's visionary thinkers target the greatest roadblocks to innovation.Few truly new ideas are developed without first abandoning old ones. In the past, discoveries often had to wait for the rise of the next generation to see questions in a new light and let go of old truisms. Today, in a world that is defined by a rapid rate of change, staying on the cutting edge has as much to do with shedding outdated notions as adopting new ones. In this spirit, John Brockman, publisher of the online salon Edge.org ("the world's smartest website"--The Guardian), asked 175 of the world's most influential scientists, economists, artists, and philosophers: What scientific idea is ready for retirement?Jared Diamond explores the diverse ways that new ideas emerge * Nassim Nicholas Taleb takes down the standard deviation * Richard Thaler and novelist Ian McEwan reveal the usefulness of "bad" ideas * Steven Pinker dismantles the working theory of human behavior * Richard Dawkins renounces essentialism * Sherry Turkle reevaluates our expectations of artificial intelligence * Physicist Andrei Linde suggests that our universe and its laws may not be as unique as we think * Martin Rees explains why scientific understanding is a limitless goal * Alan Guth rethinks the origins of the universe * Sam Harris argues that our definition of science is too narrow * Nobel Prize winner Frank Wilczek disputes the division between mind and matter * Lawrence Krauss challenges the notion that the laws of physics were preordained * plus contributions from Daniel Goleman, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, Nicholas Carr, Rebecca Newberger Goldstein, Matt Ridley, Stewart Brand, Sean Carroll, Daniel C. Dennett, Helen Fisher, Douglas Rushkoff, Lee Smolin, Kevin Kelly, Freeman Dyson, and others.
Fire in the Crucible: Understanding the Process of Creative Genius
by John BriggsThe co-author of Looking Glass Universe probes the nature of creativity and reveals the strategies and tactics of some of our greatest creative minds.What makes geniuses different from the rest of us? What is the difference between a prodigy and a genius? Are geniuses born or made? What is creative vision and where does it come from? What are the secrets of talent? And why do great creators seem to have so many oppositions in their personalities?In this mind-expanding investigation of creativity, John Briggs reveals that there is no special trait of genius. Geniuses are not necessarily smarter or more talented than other people, but they give their attention to subtle nuances, contradictory feelings and perceptions that others experience and ignore. By focusing on sensory nuances, geniuses create themselves.Fire in the Crucible offers a compelling exploration of the roots of creativity and genius. Drawing on the lives and work of extraordinary scientists, artists, writers, composers, and inventors, Briggs shows how creative individuals exploit doubt and uncertainty, and the mental strategies and tactics they employ when they work. “In asking about creativity,” he writes, “we are really asking about what is best, what is deepest in life.” Fire in the Crucible draws the reader into an eye-opening journey through the inner workings of some of the greatest creative minds of all time—and allows us to understand more deeply the nature of creativity in our own lives and work.Praise for Fire in the Crucible“His refreshingly open-ended approach brings us closer to the elusive nature of genius.” —Publishers Weekly“An exuberant voyage through the brains and minds of creative individuals, chock-full of intriguing scientific discoveries and puzzling paradoxes.” —Howard Gardner, Harvard University, author of Multiple Intelligences
Psychological Assessment of Adult Posttraumatic States: Phenomenology, Diagnosis, and Measurement
by John Briere Erin EadieThis book presents a detailed yet practical summary of the major issues and instruments involved in the assessment of posttraumatic disturbances. Aligns with APA Divisions 38 and 50. Drs. Eadie and Briere analyze the types of traumas most likely to produce long-term difficulties, and explain the biological, historical, social, and cultural factors that mediate between trauma and long-term outcome. This fully-updated new edition combines extensive research on traumatic events, including rape, stalking, sex trafficking, torture, terrorist attacks, motor vehicle accidents, and natural disasters, along with new material on complex traumas, parental disattunement and emotional neglect, drug-facilitated sexual assault, sex trafficking, pregnancy loss, COVID-19-related stressors, and exposure to social maltreatment. Especially relevant to the clinician, researcher, and forensic specialist, this book reviews the available research on standardized measures currently available for evaluating the impact of trauma, with a close evaluation of the psychometric characteristics of each instrument. A comprehensive review of new trauma-relevant measures is provided, with an emphasis on direct clinical relevance to the assessment of posttraumatic states.
Treating Risky and Compulsive Behavior in Trauma Survivors
by John BriereFrom leading authority John Briere, this book provides a comprehensive treatment approach for survivors of childhood trauma who numb or avoid emotional distress by engaging in substance abuse, risky sexual activities, self-injury, suicidality, bingeing and purging, or other self-harming behaviors. Briere shows how to help clients identify and manage the triggers of these "distress reduction behaviors," learn to regulate intrusive emotional states, and safely process trauma- and attachment-related memories. Emphasizing the therapeutic relationship, Briere's approach draws on elements of psychodynamic, interpersonal, and cognitive-behavioral therapy; mindfulness training; and dialectical behavior therapy. The book combines cutting-edge clinical and experimental research with clearly described interventions, case examples, and reproducible handouts and forms. Purchasers get access to a Web page where they can download and print the reproducible materials in a convenient 8 1/2" x 11" size.
Drugs, the Brain, and Behavior: The Pharmacology of Drug Use Disorders
by Carlton K. Erickson John BrickExplore the brain and discover the clinical and pharmacological issues surrounding drug abuse and dependence. The authors, research scientists with years of experience in alcohol and drug studies, provide definitions, historic discoveries about the nervous system, and original, eye-catching illustrations to discuss the brain/behavior relationship, basic neuroanatomy, neurophysiology, and the mechanistic actions of mood-altering drugs. You will learn about:• how psychoactive drugs affect cognition, behavior, and emotion• the brain/behavior relationship • the specific effects of major addictive and psychoactive drug groups • new definitions and thinking about abuse and dependence• the medical and forensic consequences of drugs use Drugs, the Brain, and Behavior uses a balance of instruction, illustrations, and tables and formulas that will give you a broad, lasting introduction to this intriguing subject. Whether you're a nurse, chemical dependency counselor, psychologist, or clinician, this book will be a quick reference guide long after the first reading.
Drugs, the Brain, and Behavior: The Pharmacology of Therapeutics and Drug Use Disorders
by John BrickThis third edition of Drugs, the Brain, and Behavior provides a comprehensive overview of the brain and explores the clinical and pharmacological issues surrounding drug abuse and dependence.Dr Brick provides definitions, historic discoveries about the nervous system, and original, eye-catching illustrations to discuss the brain/behavior relationship, basic neuroanatomy, neurophysiology, and the mechanistic actions of mood-altering drugs. Topics include: how psychoactive drugs affect cognition, behavior, and emotion; the brain/behavior relationship; the specific effects of major addictive and psychoactive drug groups; new definitions and thinking about abuse and dependence; and the medical uses of drugs, such as cannabinoids. A new chapter on biobehavioral markers explores how markers can guide the clinician in the diagnosis of some disorders. This book offers a quick reference guide which uses a balance of instruction, illustrations, tables, and formulas, that will give you a broad, lasting introduction to this intriguing subject.Drugs, the Brain, and Behavior is an invaluable resource for students in the field, nurses, psychologists, counsellors, physicians and other health care professionals.
Handbook of the Medical Consequences of Alcohol and Drug Abuse
by John BrickThe essential newly-expanded reference that needs to be on the desk of every health care professional who encounters substance abusers.Handbook of the Medical Consequences of Alcohol and Drug Abuse, Second Edition is the newly-updated classic reference text that provides even more detailed and expanded information on the pharmacological, toxicological, and neuropsychological consequences of alcohol and drug abuse. Eight new chapters of crucial information have been added. Written by leading experts in the fields of medical physiology, psychopharmacology, and neuropsychology, this valuable resource provides the detailed alcohol and drug information health professionals in all fields need to know. Handbook of the Medical Consequences of Alcohol and Drug Abuse, Second Edition greatly expands on the expert information provided in the first edition. This text provides reviews of the cardiovascular, neurological, pulmonary, gastrointestinal, psychological, and hepatic effects of commonly abused drugs. The book also provides in-depth explanations of the mechanisms by which these psychoactive drugs exert their biobehavioral effects as well as current thinking about—and definitions of—abuse, dependence, and alcohol/drug use. The Handbook of the Medical Consequences of Alcohol and Drug Abuse, Second Edition includes vital information on: alcohol, including definitions of alcohol use, abuse, and dependence the relationship between alcohol and accidental injuries, alcohol’s effect on skeletal and major organ systems, and its effect on risk factors for certain cancers effects of alcohol and other drugs on neuropsychological function the effects of alcohol on neuron signaling, neurotransmitter function, and alcoholic brain damage and cognitive dysfunction fetal alcohol effects chronic effects of marijuana use on psychological and physical health, including a fair and balanced discussion of the medical marijuana issue the consequences of opiate abuse and methadone pharmacotherapy, including a comparison of the effects of methadone and heroin on organ systems cocaine’s history, the various forms of the drug, and the adverse effects of cocaine on cardiovascular, neurologic, and pulmonary systems the medical consequences of inhalants ranging from benzene to xylene the prenatal effects of nicotine, cocaine, marijuana, and opiates terminology that appears in the current literature on alcohol New topics in the Handbook of the Medical Consequences of Alcohol and Drug Abuse, Second Edition include chapters discussing: chemical dependency in psychiatric patients medical consequences of steroids OTC medications hallucinogens health effects of tobacco, nicotine, and exposure to tobacco smoke interactions of alcohol with other drugs and other medications periodontal effects of alcohol and drug abuse in the oral cavity imaging studies of structural brain changes The Handbook of the Medical Consequences of Alcohol and Drug Abuse, Second Edition is an invaluable resource for physicians, scientists, nurses, psychologists, and alcohol and drug counselors.
Straight Male Modern: A Cultural Critique of Psychoanalysis (Routledge Library Editions: Psychoanalysis)
by John BrenkmanMajor psychoanalytic thinkers from Freud to Ricoeur to Lacan considered the Oedipus complex the key to explaining the human psyche and human sexuality, even culture itself. But, in fact, they were merely theorizing males. In this title, originally published in 1993, the author reassesses the benchmark concepts of Freudian thought, building on feminist criticisms of psychoanalysis and the new history of sexuality. The psychoanalytic questions become political questions: How do the norms of heterosexuality and masculinity themselves emerge within modern society and culture? How do the institutions of compulsory heterosexuality and modern patriarchy shape identity and desire? What make heterosexuality compulsory in our society? Brenkman argues that the larger social world is part and parcel of the Oedipus complex. He challenges psychoanalysis to reinvent its cultural project, as a therapeutics and an ethics, by recovering the moral-political dimension in its approach to family, sexuality and gender. Straight Male Modern casts a new light on psychoanalysis’s contribution to modern life, revealing the richness of the Freudian tradition’s encounter with modern politics and culture, and the poverty of its response.
Crime, shame and reintegration
by John BraithwaiteCrime, Shame and Reintegration is a contribution to general criminological theory. Its approach is as relevant to professional burglary as to episodic delinquency or white collar crime. Braithwaite argues that some societies have higher crime rates than others because of their different processes of shaming wrongdoing. Shaming can be counterproductive, making crime problems worse. But when shaming is done within a cultural context of respect for the offender, it can be an extraordinarily powerful, efficient and just form of social control. Braithwaite identifies the social conditions for such successful shaming. If his theory is right, radically different criminal justice policies are needed - a shift away from punitive social control toward greater emphasis on moralizing social control. This book will be of interest not only to criminologists and sociologists, but to those in law, public administration and politics who are concerned with social policy and social issues.
Homecoming: Reclaiming and Healing Your Inner Child
by John BradshawAre you outwardly successful but inwardly do you feel like a big kid? Do you aspire to be a loving parent but all too often "lose it" in hurtful ways? Do you crave intimacy but sometimes wonder if it's worth the struggle? Or are you plagued by constant vague feelings of anxiety or depression? If any of this sounds familiar, you may be experiencing the hidden but damaging effects of a painful childhood--carrying within you a "wounded inner child" that is crying out for attention and healing.In this powerful book, John Bradshaw shows how we can learn to nurture that inner child, in essence offering ourselves the good parenting we needed and longed for. Through a step-by-step process of exploring the unfinished business of each developmental stage, we can break away from destructive family rules and roles and free ourselves to live responsibly in the present. Then, says Bradshaw, the healed inner child becomes a source of vitality, enabling us to find new joy and energy in living.Homecoming includes a wealth of unique case histories and interactive techniques, including questionnaires, letter-writing to the inner child, guided meditations, and affirmations. Pioneering when introduced, these classic therapies are now being validated by new discoveries in attachment research and neuroscience. No one has ever brought them to a popular audience more effectively and inspiringly than John Bradshaw.
Reclaiming Virtue: How we can develop the moral intelligence to do the right thing at the right time for the right reason
by John BradshawJohn Bradshaw is one of the bestselling self-help authors of our generation and a dominant figure in the fields of addiction/recovery and family systems. In RECLAIMING VIRTUE, his first new book in more than ten years, Bradshaw takes on a new challenge. He has written a landmark exploration of the life of virtue, how we can develop it in ourselves, and how we can teach it to our children. RECLAIMING VIRTUE redefines what it means to live a moral life in today's world. Coming at a time of heightened debate about public and private morality, a time of greed and lack of caring, he says that the answer is not simply to return to traditional rules-based morality and an idealised past. Instead, he shows that each of us has what he calls an inborn moral intelligence, an inner guidance system, that can lead us - if we know how to cultivate it in ourselves and others. Step by step, Bradshaw shows us how our deepest instincts for goodness can be developed in childhood and nurtured throughout adult life. The result is a compelling vision of good character and moral responsibility for the modern world. Whether the topic is sex, discipline, marriage, the development of conscience or the true aims of education, Bradshaw once again provokes, enlightens and inspires readers everywhere.
A Secure Base: Parent-child Attachment And Healthy Human Development
by John BowlbyThe world-famous psychiatrist and author of the classic works Attachment, Separation, and Lossoffers important guidelines for child rearing based on the crucial role of early intimate relationships.
A Secure Base: Parent-child Attachment And Healthy Human Development (Routledge Classics)
by John BowlbyAs Bowlby himself points out in his introduction to this seminal childcare book, to be a successful parent means a lot of very hard work. Giving time and attention to children means sacrificing other interests and activities, but for many people today these are unwelcome truths. Bowlby’s work showed that the early interactions between infant and caregiver have a profound impact on an infant's social, emotional, and intellectual growth. Controversial yet powerfully influential to this day, this classic collection of Bowlby’s lectures offers important guidelines for child rearing based on the crucial role of early relationships.
Attachment: Second Edition (Attachment and Loss Series, Vol #1)
by John BowlbyThis first volume of John Bowlby's Attachment and Loss series examines the nature of the child's ties to the mother. <P><P>Beginning with a discussion of instinctive behavior, its causation, functioning, and ontogeny, Bowlby proceeds to a theoretical formulation of attachment behavior--how it develops, how it is maintained, what functions it fulfills. In the fifteen years since Attachment was first published, there have been major developments in both theoretical discussion and empirical research on attachment. The second edition, with two wholly new chapters and substantial revisions, incorporates these developments and assesses their importance to attachment theory.
The Making and Breaking of Affectional Bonds (Routledge Classics)
by John BowlbyHelping both parents and psychologists to arrive at a better understanding of the inner emotional world of the infant, this selection of key lectures by Bowlby includes the seminal one that gives the volume its title. Informed by wide clinical experience, and written with the author's well-known humanity and lucidity, the lectures provide an invaluable introduction to John Bowlby’s thought and work, as well as much practical guidance of use both to parents and to members of the mental health professions.
The Milan Seminar: Clinical Applications of Attachment Theory (The History of Psychoanalysis Series)
by John BowlbyThis edited book contains a hitherto unpublished seminar held by the author in Milan, Italy in 1985. The seminar is preceded by a foreword by Kate White, of the Bowlby Centre, and by an introduction by the editor, Marco Bacciagaluppi. The introduction contains excerpts from unpublished correspondence between the author and the editor, carried out over a span of eight years, between 1982 and 1990. After the seminar there are the follow-ups of the three cases presented by Leopolda Pelizzaro, Ferruccio Osimo and Emilia Fumagalli, and a report by Germana Agnetti and Angelo Barbato, who gave hospitality to the author and his wife. This is followed by a contribution by Ferruccio Osimo on experiential dynamic psychotherapy, an application of attachment theory, with a long case study. At the end there are some concluding remarks by the editor.
Cruel Attachments: The Ritual Rehab of Child Molesters in Germany
by John BornemanThere is no more seemingly incorrigible criminal type than the child sex offender. Said to suffer from a deeply rooted paraphilia, he is often considered as outside the moral limits of the human, profoundly resistant to change. Despite these assessments, in much of the West an increasing focus on rehabilitation through therapy provides hope that psychological transformation is possible. Examining the experiences of child sex offenders undergoing therapy in Germany--where such treatments are both a legal right and duty--John Borneman, in Cruel Attachments, offers a fine-grained account of rehabilitation for this reviled criminal type. Carefully exploring different cases of the attempt to rehabilitate child sex offenders, Borneman details a secular ritual process aimed not only at preventing future acts of molestation but also at fundamentally transforming the offender, who is ultimately charged with creating an almost entirely new self. Acknowledging the powerful repulsion felt by a public that is often extremely skeptical about the success of rehabilitation, he challenges readers to confront the contemporary contexts and conundrums that lie at the heart of regulating intimacy between children and adults.
Drugspeak: The Analysis of Drug Discourse
by John Booth DaviesDrugspeak The Analysis of Drug Discourse describes the way in which conversations between drug users vary and change according to context and circumstance in ways that suggest that there is no single truth about the state we call addicted. The central thesis of the book is that the explanations that drug users give for their drug use make sense not so much as sources of facts, but as primarily functional statements shaped by a climate of moral and legal censure. Consequently the significance of drug conversations lies not in their literal semantics but in the purposes such conversations serve. The argument raises a number of fundamental issues about the performative rather than the informative nature of language, about the nature of the scientific facts concerning drug use, and about the very nature of science itself. Starting with a general overview of the problems arising from a mechanistic and deterministic view of science, the book identifies a need for a new approach to the un