Rethinking Psychology and Rethinking `New-ness'

Abstract

This review essay, in addition to presenting a general overview of the three volumes, interrogates their claims to being contributions to the `new paradigm' in social psychology. Firstly, it is noted that the political dimension of the `crisis' critiques of orthodox experimental social psychology is largely absent from these volumes. This is particularly reflected in the fact that some of post-crisis developments-for example, those drawing on the work of Michel Foucault-do not feature in the version of the `new paradigm' presented here. Moreover, the social constructionist perspective exemplified so well in these volumes is problematized. Drawing on the sociology of the environment, it is suggested that an `even newer new paradigm' is in the process of emerging in which constructionism and realism are held in tension or ambivalence. Some of the implications of this ambivalence for new paradigm social psychology are explored.