I totally agree with you, and I think that opinions such as the ones you
manifest need to find a forum of expression. Recently I published a
paper on the subject of medical and psychological discourse in a
postmodern world from a constructivist point of view. The paper is in
Catalan since it was published in the Journal of my University, but I am
translating it into English so as to deliver it as a lecture at Trinity
and All Saints College in Leeds this May. Interestingly, so far it has
caused no reaction whatsoever; even if it was written to be
controversial!! Maybe the world is becoming so "medicalized" that
psychological discourse has even lost its controversial power.
Luis Botella, Ph.D.
Department of Psychology
Ramon Llull University
Cister 24-34
08022-Barcelona
SPAIN
Phone: 34-3-253 30 00
Fax: 34-3-253 30 31
E-mail: LluisBG@blanquerna.url.es
> ----------
> From: Esteban Laso[SMTP:eslaso@ibm.net]
> Reply To: pcp@mailbase.ac.uk
> Sent: jueves 12 de febrero de 1998 6:30
> To: Lista PCP
> Subject: Re: Who controls explanations of unwanted behaviors.
>
> Hi everybody
>
> Yesterday, Jim Mancuso wrote about the psychology/psychiatry
> bussiness. I
> agree with him. We must, as psychologists, try to create new ways to
> look at
> disengaged behavior -and to go beyond the disease narrative with its
> implications of non-accountability, biological causes which need
> chemical
> treatments, etc. We shouldn't try to negotiate or share the
> psychiatric
> point of view -there are lots of ways to understand the same things.
> I dare to say that the main reason for all of this is our own
> dislodgement
> from our hypothetical role of psychologists. Maybe we are afraid (and
> envious!) of the social power assigned to the medical profession and
> medicine as a science -a pretty neat one, also! Our psychological
> explanations sound like fantasies and daydreams, while the "lack of A
> substance" and "presence of B gene" are tangible enough to become
> unquestionable. And if he who is behaving weirdly is just sick, then
> to say
> that his behavior is a quest for good answers to wrong questions is,
> if
> anything, useless and nonsensical.
> So, if psychology is to be of any use, we have to build its place in
> society -as well as within our minds.
>
> Comments?
>
> Regards,
>
> Esteban
>
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