Symbolic Action Theory and Cultural Psychology

Gustav Jahoda University of Strathclyde Ever since psychology emerged as a separate discipline about a century ago, there have been differing views as to what it is or ought to be. Some, like Ebbinghaus, saw it as a budding natural science, experimental and quantitative. Others, like Dilthey, regarded psychology in the main as a humane field of study, historical and interpretative in character. The dichotomy of "explaining" versus "understanding" has been a subject of debate ever since. Regrettably, most of the protagonists of these respec tive positions tend to view them as mutually exclusive, in spite of the fact that already Wundt had stressed that "hard" experimental and "soft" VOlkerpsychologie are both equally important. For the major part of the present century the field has been largely dominated by advocates of "hard-nosed" scientific approaches, typified first by Behaviorism and, latterly, cognitive psychology which concen trates on central processes involved in cognition. Without in any way wishing to denigrate the undoubted achievements of cognitive psycholo gy, it has its limitations that are epitomized by T. H. Huxley's dictum "The great end of life is not knowledge but action". This might well serve as the motto for the action theory of Ernest Boesch, who is one of several prominent psychologists out of harmony with the prevailing ethos. They travel under different banners such as "social constructivism", "ethogen ics" or "hermeneutics", but all share reservations about what many feel is the arid "scientism" of the mainstream.

Inhalt
Introductory Commentary.- 1 Introduction.- 2 Experiencing Culture.- 2.1 First Initiation.- 2.2 Denotative and Connotative Meaning.- 2.3 Goals and Barriers.- 3 Culture: An Action-Theoretical Definition.- 3.1 Culture is a Field of Action.- 3.2 The Contents of the Cultural Field of Action.- 3.3 Culture Defines Possibilities and Conditions for Action.- 3.4 Culture is both a Structure and a Process.- 4 Action-Theoretical Concepts.- 4.1 Some Introductory Remarks.- 4.2 The Concept of Action.- 4.3 The Phases of Action.- 4.4 Action Relationships.- 4.5 Action Field and Action Spheres.- 4.6 Connotations and Symbolism of Action.- 4.7 Overt and Covert Action.- 4.8 Is-versus Should-Values and Ranges of Tolerance.- 4.9 The Action Potential.- 4.10 Resistance, Limitations, and Barriers.- 4.11 Dominant Goals of Action.- 4.12 The Consciousness of Actions.- 4.13 Conflict.- 4.14 Stabilization and Innovation.- 5 Space and Time.- 5.1 Space.- 5.2 Time.- 6 Objects.- 6.1 General Aspects of Man-Object Relationships.- 6.2 Objectivation and Subjectivation.- 6.3 The Symbolism of Objects.- 6.4 Instrumentality and Consumptions.- 6.5 The Aesthetic Object.- 6.6 The Magical Object.- 6.7 Order and Disorder: The Constellation of Objects.- 7 Myths and Fantasms.- 7.1 Freud and Lévi-Strauss: Variations in Interpretation.- 7.2 Myths, Mythemes and Myth-Stories.- 7.3 The Role of Fantasms.- 7.4 The Impact of Fantasms on Myths: Narcissus.- 7.5 Examples of Myth-Fantasm-Interactions.- 8 The I and the Others: Identity and Empathy.- 8.1 Identity.- 8.2 Empathy.- 9 Epilogue.

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