[csaa-forum] GUEST LECTURE: H. Rom Harré: Recent developments in positioning theory (Sydney 23/9/2005)

[Cristyn Davies]

H. Rom Harré
Recent developments in  positioning theory
Friday 23rd  September 2005
Time: 3-5 pm
UWS, Bankstown, Building 1, Lecture Room 1


Since the advent of Positioning Theory in the early nineteen nineties it has been applied to the analysis of a wide variety of modes of the construction of selfhood, social situations, literary works and political processes. This work has led to developments in the concept of `position', in deeper levels of story-line analysis and a stronger emphasis on the place of duty in everyday life. The talk will outline some of these developments using some recent positioning studies including analysis of the discursive construction of  `terrorism' and the analysis of  debates around the maintenance of life-support.

Rom  Harré began his academic career as a mathematician, but gradually moved into psychology. He believed that the myth of positivism as a recipe for science had had a disastrous effect on the human sciences. With Paul Secord he was one of the architects of a revolution in social psychology. Attention to the moral context of human thought and action and to the symbolic means by which people lived their lives, led to a long series of studies, including Personal Being, Pronouns and People, The Discursive Mind and others. He is a great believer in collaboration and has worked with Grant Gillette, Peter Muhlhausler, Bronwyn Davies and others. His most recent book is Wittgenstein and Psychology. He currently divides his time between Washington DC and Oxford.



 
Cristyn Davies 
Research Assistant 
Narrative, Discourse and Pedagogy Research Concentration 
University of Western Sydney-
Bankstown AUSTRALIA 
Ph. 61 2 9772 6784 
Fax. 61 2 9772 6738 
Email: c.m.davies at uws.edu.au