The individual and society in psychological theory

Citation

Markova I (2000) The individual and society in psychological theory. Theory and Psychology, 10 (1), pp. 107-116. https://doi.org/10.1177/0959354300010001605

Abstract
The first part of this article examines the ontological and epistemological presuppositions of various theories concerned with the interdependence between the individual and society. It shows that the majority of theories, namely those of the ‘constructivist turn’, tend to reverse to ontologies which separate the individual and society into two independent units. They cannot, therefore, adequately examine the dynamic relationships between the individual and society in terms of their mutual change. The second part of the article draws attention to theories which adopt the ontologies of interdependent oppositions coming from dialectics. It is suggested that dynamic semiotics based on the study of signs and representations provides a plausible theoretical alternative to all areas of psychology concerned with the study of social change

Keywords
atomism; dynamic semiotics; the individual and society; interdependent oppositions; oppositions in tension; postmodernism; social representation

Journal
Theory and Psychology: Volume 10, Issue 1

People

Professor Ivana Markova

Emeritus Professor, Psychology