Synopses & Reviews
"The conversation between political psychology and constructivism is essential and long overdue. By exploring the interaction of individual cognition and social processes, this 'ideational alliance' more fully explains how ideas work all the way down to shape world politics."
---Theo Farrell, King's College London
"This is a worthwhile and engaging volume. Political psychology is gaining ground as an essential perspective to consider when analyzing international relations, and the book's focus on constructivism provides key insights into the relationship between identity, norms, and behavior---bedrock concepts in understanding the social underpinnings of global politics."
---Mira Sucharov, Carleton University
"An indispensable guide to understanding what distinguishes and what unites psychology and constructivism. A wonderful resource for political psychologists, constructivists, and their critics."
---Jonathan Mercer, University of Washington
Constructivist IR scholars study the ways in which international norms, culture, and identities---all intersubjective phenomena---inform foreign policy and affect the reaction to and outcomes of international events. Political psychologists similarly investigate divergent national self-conceptions as well as the individual cognitive and emotional propensities that shape ideology and policy. Given their mutual interest in human subjectivity and identity politics, a dialogue and synthesis between constructivism and political psychology is long overdue.
The contributors to this volume discuss both theoretical and empirical issues of complementarity and critique, with an emphasis on the potential for integrating the viewpoints within a progressive ideational paradigm. Moreover, they make a self-conscious effort to interrogate, rather than gloss over, their differences in the hope that such disagreements will prove particularly rich sources of analytical and empirical insight.and#160;
Jacket illustration and#169; Ocean Photography/Veer
Review
"Post is a pioneer in the field of political-personality profiling." Jane Mayer, New Yorker
Review
"This work on Hussein and Clinton reveals not only critical psychological variables in the personalities of these leaders, but demonstrates the excellence of personality assessment in modern political psychology." James Glass, University of Maryland
Synopsis
An effective system of at-a-distance evaluation combined with comprehensive political and psychological profiles
Synopsis
"The only language Saddam Hussein understands is the language of power. Without this demonstrable willingness to use force, even if the sanctions are biting deeply, Saddam is quite capable of putting his people through a sustained period of hardship...this is the personality configuration of the destructive charismatic, who unifies and rallies his downtrodden supporters by blaming outside enemies."
Dr. Jerrold M. Post's prophetic description of Saddam's likely course of action, written over ten years ago, now rings with a terrible truth. And the Saddam of today, as an anxious world attests, is more than ever the subject of an intense campaign to divine not only his inner mechanisms, but what he might do next.
In this age of personality, the race is on to discover what drives Saddam -- as well as Bush, Blair, and bin Laden, among others. "If we want to understand what they do," according to Post, "we had better have useful theories of why they do it."
For the first time in a single volume, Post and his colleagues lay out a system of at-a-distance evaluation, drawing on a variety of disciplines from political psychology to psycholinguistics. This pioneering system of analysis is brought to bear on two case studies -- Saddam Hussein and Bill Clinton -- providing comprehensive political psychology profiles and a useful response to the volatile circumstances of global affairs.
Synopsis
In an age when world affairs are powerfully driven by personality, politics require an understanding of what motivates political leaders such as Hussein, Bush, Blair, and bin Laden. Through exacting case studies and the careful sifting of evidence, Jerrold Post and his team of contributors lay out an effective system of at-a-distance evaluation. Observations from political psychology, psycholinguistics and a range of other disciplines join forces to produce comprehensive political and psychological profiles, and a deeper understanding of the volatile influences of personality on global affairs.
Even in this age of free-flowing global information, capital, and people, sovereign states and boundaries remain the hallmark of the international order -- a fact which is especially clear from the events of September 11th and the War on Terrorism.
Jerrold M. Post, M.D., is Professor of Psychiatry, Political Psychology, and International Affairs, and Director of the Political Psychology Program at George Washington University. He is the founder of the CIA's Center for the Analysis of Personality and Political Behavior.
Synopsis
Includes bibliographical references (p. 413-441) and index.
Synopsis
In an age when world affairs are powerfully driven by personality, politics require an understanding of what motivates political leaders such as Hussein, Bush, Blair, and bin Laden. Through exacting case studies and the careful sifting of evidence, Jerrold Post and his team of contributors lay out an effective system of at-a-distance evaluation. Observations from political psychology, psycholinguistics and a range of other disciplines join forces to produce comprehensive political and psychological profiles, and a deeper understanding of the volatile influences of personality on global affairs.
Even in this age of free-flowing global information, capital, and people, sovereign states and boundaries remain the hallmark of the international order -- a fact which is especially clear from the events of September 11th and the War on Terrorism.
Jerrold M. Post, M.D., is Professor of Psychiatry, Political Psychology, and International Affairs, and Director of the Political Psychology Program at George Washington University. He is the founder of the CIA's Center for the Analysis of Personality and Political Behavior.
Synopsis
Psychology and constructivism together offer new ways of understanding international relations
About the Author
A nationally recognized expert on the psychology of political leadership, Jerrold M. Post, M.D. is Professor of Psychiatry, Political Psychology, and International Affairs at George Washington University Medical Center. Prior, he worked for the U.S. government, where he founded the Center for the Analysis of Personality and Political Behavior.