Towards an Anthropology of Psychology: Ethnographic Studies of Psychological Healthcare
Editors: Mikkel Kenni Bruun and Rebecca Hutten
Anthropology and psychology share a long history of rivalry, collaboration, and mutual disregard. This volume reconsiders psychology as a field of anthropological enquiry. In doing so, it takes an ethnographic approach to psychology, exploring psychotherapeutic practices and models of mental health at the heart of ‘psy’. Featuring ethnographic studies of psychological therapies, subjects, and professionals, the book also suggests what an anthropological voice can offer to improve psychological healthcare. At the cutting edge of ethnographic research, this book brings together studies from the Global North and Global South, showing how psychological realities shape our understandings of what it means to be human.
“This groundbreaking volume explores how psychological healthcare, expertise, and identity are changing around the world, setting new directions for understanding the relationship between psychology and culture in the twenty-first century. Drawing on in-depth fieldwork, the contributors examine how people use psychological ideas and practices to care for themselves and others. They show how psychological concepts spread and become meaningful across different cultures, while questioning the assumptions we often take for granted about mental health and well-being.” Prof Joanna Cook, University College London
The Introduction can be freely read and downloaded
The book is published by Berghahn Books: https://www.berghahnbooks.com/title/BruunTowards