The Dialogical Self In A Divided World

Beschreibung

In this crucial and topical work, Hubert Hermans, THE creator of Dialogical Self Theory, offers the culmination of his trilogy on psychological richness. In this time of (inter)national chaos and terrible humanitarian disasters, it’s a source of inspiring information and “dialogical knowledge” for both those with a theoretical interest and those working in practice-oriented organizations in social work, as well as in policy, politics, education, religion, culture, sports, and healthcare.

- Leni Verhofstadt-Denève, emeritus professor, Ghent University, and psychodrama specialist

Dialogical Self Theory has, since its inception, offered psychology one of its most generative frameworks for understanding identity, multiplicity, and change. What makes this book exceptional is that it refuses to separate the inner from the outer. The fragmentation of the self and the fragmentation of the social world are shown to be not merely analogous but deeply intertwined, and the cultivation of inner dialogical flexibility is presented, convincingly, as both a personal and a civic necessity.

- Dina Nir, head of the Executive MBA, Ono Academic College, Israel

In the present age of generalized distrust, affective polarization, post-truth, and the spread of disinformation, dialogue is both compromised and urgently needed. The central question in the book is how the self can respond to those challenges and how dialogue can help the individual to deal with them in an open-minded way. On the assumption that society and the self are intensely interconnected, the neglect of dialogue in the public domain is not separate from dialogical processes within the self. Therefore, the focus of the book is on how generative dialogue can empower and enrich the self so that it is better equipped to give appropriate responses to the problems of our time. This leads to a series of educational guidelines with special attention to the merits of the human and ecological identities.

Hubert J.M. Hermans, based in the Netherlands, is the founder of Dialogical Self Theory and one of the most prominent figures in narrative psychology. As Full Professor of Psychology, he was associated with the Radboud University of Nijmegen. In 2002, he was decorated as a “Knight in the Order of the Netherlands Lion” for exceptional scientific achievements in the service of society. Hermans is the first author of around 200 publications. His work has led to a series of international conferences on the dialogical self.

In the present age of generalized distrust, affective polarization, post-truth, and the spread of disinformation, dialogue is, at the same time, compromised and urgently needed. The central question in the book is how the self can respond to those challenges and how dialogue can help the individual to deal with them in an open-minded way. On the assumption that society and self are intensely interconnected, the neglection of dialogue in the public domain is not separated from dialogical processes in the self. Therefore, the focus of the book is on the question of how generative dialogue can empower and enrich the self so that it is better equipped to give appropriate responses to the mentioned problems of our time.

The basic structure of the book is an identity model consisting of four levels: individual, group, human, and ecological. Traditionally, the emphasis in both psychology and daily life is on individual and group identities with the simultaneous neglection of human and ecological identities. The basic message of the book is that individual and group levels can be and should be transcended by the human and ecological identity levels. This leads to a series of educational guidelines intended to create dialogical relationships between and within the selves of different people, with special attention to the merits of the human and ecological identities.

Autor*in

Hubert Hermans

Themen in »The Dialogical Self In A Divided World«

Psychological richness Experience of uncertainty Reason and emotion Consonant and dissonant dialogue Ecological awareness Dialogical Self Theory

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“In this crucial and topical work, Hubert Hermans, THE creator of Dialogical Self Theory, offers the culmination of his trilogy on psychological richness. In this time of (inter)national chaos and terrible humanitarian disasters, it’s a source of inspiring information and “dialogical knowledge” for both those with a theoretical interest and those working in practice-oriented organizations in social work, as well as in policy, politics, education, religion, culture, sports, and healthcare.” (Leni Verhofstadt-Denève, emeritus professor, Ghent University, and psychodrama specialist)

“Dialogical Self Theory has, since its inception, offered psychology one of its most generative frameworks for understanding identity, multiplicity, and change. In *The Dialogical Self in a Divided World*, Hermans extends DST into territory that feels both intellectually bold and morally urgent: the crisis of division in contemporary society. What makes this book exceptional is that it refuses to separate the inner from the outer. The fragmentation of the self and the fragmentation of the social world are shown to be not merely analogous but deeply intertwined, and the cultivation of inner dialogical flexibility is presented, convincingly, as both a personal and a civic necessity. For scholars working at the intersection of self-theory, psychotherapy, and social psychology, this book is an indispensable companion to Hermans's earlier work and a natural capstone to his trilogy on psychological richness.” (Dina Nir, head of the Executive MBA, Ono Academic College, Israel)

“In this book Hubert Hermans has created a powerful humanistic intellectual counterforce to the consumeristic homogenization of human living, feeling, and thinking in our 21st century. He brings his lifelong striving for a realistic understanding of the human Self as dialogical to its appropriate conclusion, which denies any conclusion. Living is an incomprehensible miracle, which keeps us searching without ever reaching a final destination. The book is a path forward in guiding the readers into continuous questioning and exploration of themselves and their societies.” (Jaan Valsiner, Estonian Academy of Science)

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