On the Poly/tics of Postmodern Psychology

Abstract

Deliberation on the political implications of postmodern psychology is essential, and Kendall and Michael (1997) raise a variety of interesting and important issues. Attempting to avoid the culs-de-sac created by their fast and loose characterizations of both positions and politics, I focus chiefly on the forms of theory favored by postmodern psychology. I contrast the political implications of actor-network theory, favored by Kendall and Michael, with efforts of theorists to replace essentialist views of the self with conceptions of socially constituted being. All theory will necessarily bring privileges; reflexivity is no exit from ideology.