Speaker
Susannah Mulvale, York University, Toronto
Title
From psychologism to psychologization: Beyond the boundaries of the discipline and practice of psychology
Abstract
When psychology became established as a discipline in the late 19th century, there was a debate among philosophers and psychologists over whether it could provide the epistemological foundation for all of the sciences, and usurp philosophy’s role as the keystone study of human mental life. In the mid 20th century, sociologist C. Wright Mills denounced social science research for its reliance on psychological methodologies, which focused too much on individuals while neglecting to attend to their sociopolitical context. In the latter half of the 20th century until today, psychological discourse and practice has continued to proliferate not only into other academic fields, but also into broader cultural and political terrains. Susannah's talk will examine critiques of this process of psychologism or psychologization, focusing on how thinkers from outside the discipline, especially philosophers and sociologists, have argued against psychology’s tendency to permeate other scientific, cultural, and political areas. While it could be contended that psychology needs better boundaries and unification in order not spread to other domains, it might also be maintained that psychology in its current form is misguided and obsolete, and that psychologization is an unavoidable process. She will explore the question of whether or not it is desirable to move beyond psychologization, and pose possible solutions for unhinging the study of subjectivity from its psychologistic core.
Bio
Susannah Mulvale is a second year Master’s student in the History and Theory program at York University. She holds a Master’s degree in Philosophy from the University of Guelph. Her research interests involve the intersections between philosophy and psychology, and particularly in how philosophy and other interdisciplinary theories of subjectivity can complement psychological research and practice.