After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia witnessed a dramatic increase in psychotherapeutic options, which promoted social connection while advancing new forms of capitalist subjectivity amid often-wrenching social and economic transformations. In Shock Therapy Tomas Matza provides an ethnography of post-Soviet Saint Petersburg, following psychotherapists, psychologists, and their clients as they navigate the challenges of post-Soviet life. Juxtaposing personal growth and success seminars for elites with crisis counseling and remedial interventions for those on public assistance, Matza shows how profound inequalities are emerging in contemporary Russia in increasingly intimate ways as matters of selfhood. Extending anthropologies of neoliberalism and care in new directions, Matza offers a profound meditation on the interplay between ethics, therapy, and biopolitics, as well as a sensitive portrait of everyday caring practices in the face of the confounding promise of postsocialist democracy.

This book delineates the ways in which our hands have shaped our development--cognitive, emotional, linguistic, and psychological--in light of the most recent research being done in anthropology, neuroscience, linguistics, and psychology.

Originally published in 1975, this title sets out to show us the differences between Soviet and other ways of thinking about nature, man, and society. The basic factor distinguishing Soviet psychology is that it views phenomena from the perspective of a highly articulated body of theoretical assumptions, and rejects the inductive ‘eclecticism’ of Western psychology. The theoretical framework within which Soviet psychology functions is the product of a distinctive socio-political and cultural development in Russia profoundly shaped by the institutions of autocracy and Orthodox religion, and the economic system of serfdom, and the radical revolt which grew up in opposition to this and advocated materialism, secularism, and atheism. This radical philosophic tradition in Russia, best represented by the writings of Chernishevski, fused with the doctrines of Marxism and the new science of behaviour developed by Sechenov and Pavlov to create the theoretical framework of Soviet psychology. The book also analyses the discussions, controversies, and decrees which are at the root of the contemporary science of behaviour in the Soviet Union, and points to the impressive body of empirical knowledge which has arisen. Soviet Psychology is unique in presenting Soviet psychology from an ‘inside’ point of view, and in making us appreciate the strongly theoretical stance of Soviet psychology which Professor McLeish claims is unlikely to be much influenced by the new atmosphere of détente.

Present-Day Russian Psychology: A Symposium by Seven Authors comprises the first comprehensive survey of Russian psychological literature that provides a sympathetic but critical account of Soviet psychology. This book focuses on three trends in Soviet psychology — first is the Pavlovian studies of conditioning and central nervous type; second are studies of verbal behavior; and third is the Georgian "set theory. The chapters in this compilation include a statement on the orienting reflex and the voluntary control of motor behavior; survey of psychiatry; and view of the use of information theory and its increased popularity. Review of abnormal psychology and psychotherapy; analysis of psycholinguistic psychology; review of studies of child development; and account of a personal visit to Russian laboratories are also discussed. This publication is beneficial to psychology students and individuals researching on Soviet psychology.

Rancour-Laferriere (Russian, U. of California, Davis) discusses the theme of suffering in Russian history, religion, folklore, and literature, and brings to light examples of self-defeating behaviors that have become an integral part of the Russian psyche. He look at folktales of the fool and his mother, gender issues in Russian masochism, the masochism of Russian bathhouse rituals, masochism and the collective, and the post-Soviet antimasochistic trend. Annotation copyright by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Psy-sciences (psychology, psychiatry, psychoanalysis, pedagogy, criminology, special education, etc.) have been connected to politics in different ways since the early twentieth century. Here in twenty-two essays scholars address a variety of these intersections from a historical perspective. The chapters include such diverse topics as the cultural history of psychoanalysis, the complicated relationship between psychoanalysis and the occult, and the struggles for dominance between the various schools of psychology. They show the ambivalent positions of the "psy" sciences in the dictatorships and authoritarian regimes of Nazi Germany, East European communism, Latin-American military dictatorships, and South African apartheid, revealing the crucial role of psychology in legitimating and "normalizing" these regimes. The authors also discuss the ideological and political aspects of mental health and illness in Hungary, Germany, post-WW1 Transylvania, and Russia. Other chapters describe the attempt by critical psychology to understand the production of academic, therapeutic, and everyday psychological knowledge in the context of the power relations of modern capitalist societies.

Psychology of Orphans is written by Dr. Lyudmila Shipitsyna Rector of the Institute of Special Education and Psychology Saint-Petersburg, Russia. She has a Doctorate in Science and Biology and works as an honored professor in this specialty in the Russian Federation. Considered an expert and pioneer in this field in Russia, she has authored over 400 publications. Today these books have formed the foundation in teaching on special education within Russia and beyond. Psychology of Orphans is the combination of written theory with the clinical practice and experience of dealing with orphans, adoptions and families. Psychology of Orphans was written as a resource book for students, researchers, academics and professionals. Those who work with orphans and families with special needs children affected by social and psychological problems will find Psychology of Orphans invaluable. Any potential adoptive parent needs to know the research and conclusions that Psychology of Orphans reveals. Question on children's behaviors and actions are answered presenting a better understanding of those from state institutions. The exciting fact that sets Psychology of Orphans apart from other books is that the research obtained is for the first time based from within Russia.

The Encyclopedia of Cross-Cultural Psychology presents a comprehensive collection of information relating to the fields of cross-cultural, cultural, and indigenous psychology contributed by scientists and scholars from around the world. Over 600 entries, including biographies of 135 key people from the fields of cross-cultural, cultural, and indigenous psychology Contains a general chronological timeline including both historical and literary key-moments Includes coverage on ethnocentrism; distortions of diagnostic judgment; psychology of Arabs, Russians, Filipinos, and other ethnicities; obedience; and more 3 Volumes www.crossculturalencyclopedia.com

"Media and public discussion tends to understand Russian politics as a direct reflection of Vladimir Putin's seeming omnipotence or Russia's unique history and culture. Yet Russia is remarkably similar to other autocracies -- and recognizing this illuminates the inherent limits to Putin's power. Weak Strongman challenges the conventional wisdom about Putin's Russia, highlighting the difficult trade-offs that confront the Kremlin on issues ranging from election fraud and repression to propaganda and foreign policy. Drawing on three decades of his own on-the-ground experience and research as well as insights from a new generation of social scientists that have received little attention outside academia, Timothy Frye reveals how much we overlook about today's Russia when we focus solely on Putin or Russian exceptionalism. Frye brings a new understanding to a host of crucial questions: How popular is Putin? Is Russian propaganda effective? Why are relations with the West so fraught? Can Russian cyber warriors really swing foreign elections? In answering these and other questions, Frye offers a highly accessible reassessment of Russian politics that highlights the challenges of governing Russia and the nature of modern autocracy. Rich in personal anecdotes and cutting-edge social science, Weak Strongman offers the best evidence available about how Russia actually works"--