Keynote by Ian Parker¹
¹ Discourse Unit; University of Leicester, UK
TIME: Wednesday, 15 July, 16:30 – 17:30
Location: HS1
Session: Keynote 6
Abstract
Critical applied psychology opens up the potential for collective self-transformation, for constructing a different kind of subjectivity in another world beyond heteropatriarchal capitalism. However, this paper will focus on psychology as a problem from the standpoint of Marxism. The critiques and the false paths raise two questions, about the historical nature of psychology and about the historical nature of Marxism. I will approach this task dialectically. I will begin by outlining underlying problems with psychology, the case against it, before turning to what is positive about it, to acknowledge why some people are for psychology, why they get involved studying and practising it.
Bio
Ian Parker is a psychoanalyst and Marxist, doing clinical work through the Red Clinic (https://www.redclinic.org/), and political work through Anti-Capitalist Resistance (https://anticapitalistresistance.org/) and academic work through the Discourse Unit (https://discourseunit.com/). His latest book is Stalinist Realism and Open Communism: Malignant Mirror or Free Association (https://resistancebooks.org/product/stalinist-realism-and-open-communism/)