The cultural psychology of self Book

The self - what its role is and why it is important - is a perennial issue in philosophy and psychology. Yet remarkably little has been written on the self that draws the two fields together. The Cultural Psychology of Self brings together the findings and the views of each and presents a powerful understanding of the self. How do we position ourselves in the worlds we inhabit? And how do we find our way around them? Ciaran Benson argues that the skills in navigating human worlds are primary requirements for being a successful human being, and that the main function of our psychological system is to position ourselves in relation to others. Benson suggests that who I am is a function of where I am and that we can better understand ourselves as locative systems. The book is divided into two parts. It begins with a theoretical map of the self, its moral and cultural-historical identity, and narrative structure. Benson also asks what studies of the brain and consciousness tell us, or do not tell us, about the self. The second part traces the history of the self from childhood, its dislocations and relocations, through art, compassion and national identity.; Benson criticall investigates the way we orient ourselves in the world and the language we use to describe our position, merging our distinction of self and nature. The Cultural Psychology of Self is an exciting work on what it means to be part of the world, and how to find ourselves within it. It will be of interest to all those in philosophy, psychology and sociology.