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The core tenet of the social constructionist approach is that how we understand and even perceive the world and the objects (including people) and events within it does not necessarily reflect the nature of that world but rather is a product of how the world is represented or produced through language. Thus, for example, what we perceive as a tree is, from the social constructionist’s perspective, largely a consequence of how classifications (such as ‘flowers’, ‘shrubs’ and ‘weeds’) are produced through language rather than being a natural consequence of our perceptual capabilities. This is not to suggest that trees do not have various “natural” characteristics that could be identified and charted, but rather that what are deemed to be the defining characteristics of trees are primarily a product of language. This argument is perhaps best exemplified by the use of social rather than naturally occurring phenomena. Take, for example, the current preoccupation in the media, and perhaps society more generally, with body size and what counts as thin versus fat. While it is probably the case that society has noted differences in body size from time immemorial, its salience or importance as a primary defining characteristic of individuals is more recent. Hence, while all objects (including people) in the world have definite properties, for social constructionists, what is more interesting is why certain properties assume importance and, critically, are then used as the basis for social or scientific evaluation (we will return to this idea below).

This paper reports one theme – Expression of Identity – which emerged\ud from a larger qualitative study. It suggests that existential philosophy\ud offers an insight into the human condition which therapists incorporate\ud into their world view and that choosing to be an existential therapist is a\ud choice involving passion and commitment.

This paper reports findings from a one-year research project funded by the Higher Education Academy (HEA) Psychology Network. The research aimed to explore the use of ‘reality television’ in teaching research ethics to Psychology undergraduates and in this paper we report on those findings that have particular relevance for qualitative research methods. Experience of teaching research ethics suggests that students can find the process of thinking through ethical issues in qualitative work quite challenging. Ethical issues in qualitative research can be subtly different from, or more complex than, those raised by quantitative studies, and yet most text books that deal with research ethics tend to focus on the latter. We will present findings from our research project which suggest that using familiar material such as TV programmes, and in particular ‘reality TV’, can be effective in helping students address ethical issues in qualitative research. Fifteen second year psychology undergraduates were shown an extract from an episode of Big Brother (Channel 4). They were then asked to discuss in small groups the ethical issues they felt it raised, and these discussions were audio recorded. Subsequently, they were asked to apply their thinking to a research brief by discussing the ethical issues it raised, suggesting ideas for design and then writing a research proposal. In this paper we report findings from the first stage of the project. We present evidence from the discussion groups indicating that the TV material had promoted an in-depth consideration of some ethical issues that can be challenging for students to address in relation to qualitative work, notably informed consent, confidentiality and risk of harm.

Adult educators have generally been interested in two aspects of the role of film and\ud television fiction. First, there is a growing literature on using these media within\ud conventional pedagogical situations (Thompson, 2007). This includes examining\ud their potential as tools that teachers use to raise awareness of social and political\ud issues and enable students to imagine a range of experiences and possibilities. It\ud also incorporates the development of critical media literacy, whereby students learn\ud to recognize the way ideas are constructed, reflected and reproduced. Guy, for\ud example, perceives the ‘corrosive and dehumanizing messages of popular culture’\ud (2007:19) and explores the importance of classroom practices that develop\ud frameworks for critique. Coming, in contrast, from a Jungian perspective, Dirkx\ud examines the significance of the emotions in transformative learning and notes how\ud this ‘may be fostered through the selective use of fiction, poetry and movies’\ud (2006:23).

In this presentation I want to comment on what I see as the location of Personal Construct Psychology within the field of psychology more generally, and particularly in relation to the theoretical perspective that has come to be known as social constructionism. But it is also an account and a history of my own intellectual journey over a period of nearly 20 years. The reason why I have decided to present my thoughts in this narrative way is that I do not hold with the hard science view that the academic and personal are separate realms. One’s intellectual sympathies are very personal, and are intimately connected to one’s experience, biography and at a superordinate level one’s values and beliefs. This presentation, then, is just one person’s construction.

It is almost a truism to say that relationships\ud occupy a place of central importance in women’s\ud lives in a way that is not so for men. Some, for\ud example, Chodorow (1978), have gone as far as to\ud say that women’s sense of self is defined in terms\ud of their relationships to others. However, many of\ud women’s close relationships have traditionally been\ud located within the family, and to the extent that\ud the family may be seen as an institution serving\ud the interests of patriarchal society we may\ud question its benefits for women and their sense of\ud self. If social structure and subjectivity are\ud interlinked, as I feel they must be, then it is no\ud surprise that for many women their sense of self,\ud founded within inegalitarian relationships, is\ud sometimes characterised by a lack of self respect\ud and self-esteem.\ud In this paper I will comment upon recent changes\ud in family forms in western societies and upon the\ud increasing importance of friendship networks in\ud many people’s lives. Drawing examples from\ud popular culture as well as from social science\ud research, I will discuss these changes as a form of\ud ‘democratisation’ of relationships (Giddens, 1991,\ud 1992, 1994) and reflect upon the impli