Crossing the Psycho-Social Divide: Freud, Weber, Adorno and Elias(Rethinking Classical Sociology)

The prevailing view among social scientists is that the psyche and the social reside in such disparate domains that their proper study demands markedly incompatible analytical and theoretical approaches. Over the last decade, scholars have begun to challenge this view. In this innovative work, George Cavalletto moves this challenge forward by connecting it to theoretical and analytical practices of the early 20th century. His analysis of key texts by Sigmund Freud, Max Weber, Theodor Adorno and Norbert Elias shows that they crossed the psycho-social divide in ways that can help contemporary scholars to re-establish an analytical and theoretical understanding of the inherent interconnection of these two domains. This book will particularly interest scholars and students in sociology and social psychology, especially those in the fields of social theory, the sociology of emotion, self and society, and historical sociology.

Table of Contents:
Contents: Introduction: Part 1 Civilization and the Psyche: Opposing Psycho-social Paradigms in Sigmund Freud's Writings on Civilization: Civilization as a social fact imposed on the psyche; Backdating 'The Future of an Illusion'; The social psychism. Part 2 The Mediation of the Psyche in Social Action: Psychological Conceptualization in Max Weber's Sociological Writings: '"Objectivity" in Social Science and Social Policy' and the critique of psychologism; 'The Protestant Ethic and The Spirit of Capitalism' and the psychology of religiously inspired social action; Weber's later methodological writings and 3 types of psychology; Weber's use of verstehende psychology in 'The Protestant Work Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism'. Part 3 Power and the Psyche: Theodor Adorno's First Examination of the Authoritarian Personality: 'The Psychological Technique of Martin Luther Thomas' Radio Addresses'; Retrospective: the Thomas manuscript as viewed by Adorno's 'Scientific Experiences of a European Scholar in America'; The psycho-social dialectic of Adorno's analysis of Thomas' broadcasts. Part 4 The Historical Psyche: Norbert Elias's Historical Social Psychology: The genesis of Elias's concept of the historical psyche; Psychology and history in the diverse parts of 'The Civilizing Process'; The decivilized psyche, fremdzwänge and the constitution of human drives;The civilizing of the psyche, social competition and social fears; Conclusion; References; Index.

About the Author :
George Cavalletto teaches at City University of New York, Brooklyn and Hunter Colleges in the USA.

Review :
'In its wonderful exploration of how sociological and psychoanalytic approaches have been interwoven by sociological theorists, George Cavalletto has made both a highly creative and impeccably erudite contribution to the theoretical literature in sociology and related disciplines from psychology to economics, politics and history. I would highly recommend the book for both undergraduate and graduate studies as well as for the educated general reader.' Lynn Chancer, City University of New York, USA 'Crossing the Psycho-Social Divide is an impressive book - well argued, deeply researched, compelling and important...[it] is an impressive achievement and deserves a wide readership...it is a model for how careful research on the intellectual foundations upon which the discipline is built ought to be done, and offers clear evidence of the gains that might derive from such multi-dimensional thoughtfulness.' Contemporary Sociology