The Making of Modern Social Psychology: The Hidden Story of How an International Social Science was Created

by Serge Moscovici, Ivana Marková

This fascinating book makes an important contribution to the history of the social sciences. It tells the largely hidden story of how social psychology became an international social science, vividly documenting the micro-politics of a virtually forgotten committee, the Committee on Transnational Social Psychology, whose work took place against the back-drop of some of the most momentous events of the twentieth century. Overcoming intellectual, institutional and political obstacles, including the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia, and the military coups in Chile or Argentine, the committee struggled to bring social psychology to global recognition, not as part of a programme of intellectual imperialism, but motivated by a mixture of intellectual philanthropy and self-interest. Few authors could tell this unique story. Serge Moscovici is undoubtedly the best-placed insider to do so, together with Ivana Markova providing a lucid, erudite and carefully documented account of the work of this remarkable group. This book will be an essential resource for any scholar interested in the history of social psychology, as well as upper-level students studying the history of the social sciences.

Genres: Psychology

320 pages, Paperback

First published October 13, 2006

About the author

Serge Moscovici (born 14 June 1925 as Srul Herş Moscovici) is a Romanian-born French social psychologist, currently the director of the Laboratoire Européen de Psychologie Sociale ("European Laboratory of Social Psychology"), which he co-founded in 1974 at the Maison des sciences de l'homme in Paris. He is a member of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts and Officer of the Légion d'honneur, as well as a member of the Russian Academy of Sciences and honorary member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences.

Reviews

[Patrick · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book is a more historical piece of the achievements of a very small group of passionate academics on both sites of the Atlantic. I am well-aware of Moscovici's achievements and, thus, don't want to leave a negative review which the book certainly doesn't deserve. Although, it is quite a useful book it can be very confusing at times; The authors jump between different dates from every now and then without trying to clarify it. My advice here: read it, but read it carefully!