Abstract
The historiography of psychology has undergone a renaissance during the past ten years. In the process various research programs have emerged, all of which have in common the conversion of formerly unqueried textbook generalities into questions for research. Two of them might be called the critical contextualizing and reflexivity approaches. The first, pursued by historians and sociologists of science together with interested psychologists, emphasizes the historical rootedness of psychological concepts, research priorities, and institutions in specific societal and cultural settings. The second, pursued almost entirely by psychologists but also relying on sophisticated archival research and other historians’ methods, regards contextualizing not as an end, but as a means of encouraging psychologists to reconsider present disciplinary structures and practices. Clearly, there is no inherent contradiction between these programs. Kurt Danziger has contributed effectively to each, and his paper can be seen as an attempt to synthesize them. It will be obvious from what follows that I am in sympathy with Danziger’s approach and basic claims. Nonetheless, I shall offer a number of critical points and modifications, from a historian of science’s point of view.
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Ash, M.G. (1993). Rhetoric, Society, and the Historiography of psychology. In: Rappard, H.V., Van Strien, P.J., Mos, L.P., Baker, W.J. (eds) Annals of Theoretical Psychology. Annals of Theoretical Psychology, vol 8. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-2982-8_3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-2982-8_3
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