A “post-psychological” curiosity about subjectivities and standards

Abstract

This special issue is about standards. A standard is an abstract reproduction of certain aspects of practice and being, used across time and place to shape and regulate. Thus, standing opposed to human subjectivity, they are often viewed as external or even as such critiqued, consolidating a division between standardizing sciences and off-standard qualitative research. Yet, a “post-psychological curiosity” suggests a reflexive stance, admitting to complicity in the “intra-actions” of standards and subjectivity, in theoretical psychology as in practices such as management, counseling, or self-help. Objectifying values, standards can reach out to the image of infinity; even posited as immanent to practices, they can be seen as expressions of hope. They both shake and establish temporalities and spatial distributions that feed into affective economies and help or force us to focus and forget. We use them to govern ourselves and each other—or we suffer their suspension as “cranked subjects.”