Kenneth Gergen

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Kenneth J. Gergen (1935-- ) is an American psychologist and professor at Swarthmore College. He obtained his B.A. at Yale University in 1957 and his Ph.D. at Duke University in 1962.

After completing graduate school in experimental social psychology, Gergen had an impact on the field with his 1973 article, "Social Psychology as History" [1]. In the article, he argues that the laws and principles of social interaction are variable over time, and that the scientific knowledge generated by social psychologists actually influences the phenomena it is meant to passively describe. The article proved contentious, receiving both criticism and support from various social psychologists.

Gergen's work is associated with social constructionism. He has been particularly concerned with fostering a "relational" view of the self--where the "traditional emphasis on the individual mind is replaced by a concern with the relational processes from which rationality and morality emerge." He is also known for his comment "I am linked therefore I am" as an answer to Descartes view "I think, therefore I am". Other major interests in his diverse works include analyzing the effects of technology on social life, examining connections between social construction and theology, and promoting a more optimistic model of aging.

Gergen helped found the TAOS Institute in 1993. His prizes and awards include fellowships from the Guggenheim, Fulbright, and Humboldt foundations. He and his wife, Mary Gergen, currently publish the news letter Positive Aging, with a readership of at least 12,000.

He is brother of political strategist David Gergen. He is married to Mary Gergen, a psychology professor at Pennsylvania State University - Delaware County. She is the author of over 50 articles and is the co-author (with Ken Gergen) of "Social Construction". Kenneth Gergen was born in North Carolina.

[edit] Bibliography

The Saturated Self: Dilemmas of Identity in Contemporary Life. [New York]: Basic Books, 1991. ISBN 0-465-07186-4
Realities and Relationships: Sounding in Social Construction. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 1994. ISBN 0-674-74930-8
An Invitation to Social Construction. London: Sage, 1999. ISBN 0-8039-8377-8
Social Construction in Context. London: Sage, 2001. ISBN 0-7619-6545-9