Psychotherapy, American Culture, and Social Policy: Immoral Individualism (Culture, Mind, and Society)

Psychotherapy, American Culture, and Social Policy provides a lively indictment of psychotherapy and individualism by examining American cultural structures-child-rearing, family life, mental illness, and education. Throop advances a complex argument that American reliance on psychotherapy to explain these structures is a poor justification which neglects those most in need and pain. Both interdisciplinary and solidly anthropological, this study is sure to provoke discussion from both the right and the left and cause serious consideration of Throop’s call for cultural change and just social policies. Contents......Page 6 Introduction......Page 8 1 American Culture in Cross-cultural Context......Page 10 2 Psychotherapy and Hyperindividualism......Page 34 3 Poverty Is Just a State of Mind......Page 50 4 The Kids Aren’t All Right......Page 68 5 Those Who Can’t Teach......Page 90 6 The Sacrifice of Our Children......Page 110 7 Still Crazy after All These Years......Page 126 8 Color Blind Hearts and Minds......Page 150 9 Conclusion......Page 166 References......Page 180 A......Page 190 C......Page 191 D......Page 193 E......Page 194 H......Page 195 K......Page 196 M......Page 197 P......Page 198 R......Page 199 T......Page 200 Z......Page 201 "Psychotherapy, American Culture, and Social Policy provides a lively indictment of psychotherapy and individualism by examining American cultural structures - child-rearing, family life, mental illness, and education. Throop advances a complex argument that American reliance on psychotherapy to explain these structures is a poor justification which neglects those most in need and pain. Both interdisciplinary and solidly anthropological, this study is sure to provoke discussion from both the right and the left and cause serious consideration of Throop's call for cultural change and just social policies."--Jacket American culture in cross-cultural context Psychotherapy and hyperindividualism Poverty is just a state of mind The kids aren?t all right Families and immoral individualism The sacrifice of our children Still crazy after all these years Color blind hearts and minds Conclusion. A lively indictment of American culture's pervasive use of the psychotherapeutic metaphor to explain behaviours, a habit that has crossed the Atlantic in recent years, arguing that psychotherapy and excessive individualism has only ensured the continuance of social problems. Presents an indictment of American culture's pervasive use of the psychotherapeutic metaphor to explain behaviours, a habit that has crossed the Atlantic. This title argues that psychotherapy and excessive individualism has only ensured the continuance of social problems