Deconstruction is an intellectual style which has exerted considerable influence in literary theory and in social theory but rather little influence to date within psychology. This paper discusses the extent to which developmental psychology in particular has been and could be influenced by deconstruction. Deconstruction is an emerging feature of contemporary critical work within developmental psychology. Some characteristic techniques of deconstruction are summarized, after which available applications are surveyed. It is concluded that deconstruction presents a serious challenge to orthodox developmental psychology, and offers a stimulating set of ideas for those involved in theoretical work in the discipline.
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