This book presents an overview of the work of the most important Psychology researchers in Brazil, contributing to the internationalization of the discipline and fostering cross-cultural approaches in the field. Over the last two decades, Psychology research has experienced an enormous growth in Brazil, which has placed the country among the ten nations with the highest scientific output in the area. A big part of this output, however, remains inaccessible to the majority of the international community because it’s mainly published in Portuguese. This book intends to overcome this barrier, presenting a highly relevant sample of the best Psychology research produced in Brazil to those who are unable to read in Portuguese. In each chapter, a top Brazilian researcher is invited to present a summary of his/her main contributions to the field. The result is a rich overview of the main areas in which Brazilian psychologists have concentrated their work over the last decades, such as Developmental Psychology, Community Psychology, Educational and School Psychology, Evolutionary Psychology, Health Psychology, History of Psychology and Social Psychology. By putting together such a wide array of topics, Psychology in Brazil – Scientists Making a Difference offers a rich overview of the research in the country to psychologists, educators and social scientists in general interested in cross-cultural approaches within the Behavioral Sciences.

Much recent work in social psychology has questioned the assumptions and practices of traditional research and debate. Accessible and often passionately argued, this book pulls these new trends together in a major overview of the main theoretical, political and empirical developments. Assembling a group of leading figures in the field, the book addresses the need for a critical perspective in social psychology and examines the many levels of discussion that have informed that critique. The contributors encompass such key topics as: political analysis in a postmodern world; the status of qualitative methods; realism versus relativism; and the question of subjectivity from a critical perspective.

This book unites studies of Brazilian researchers who are focused on education and psychology. The main objective is to construct a new psychological ideology that is capable of criticizing and confronting the current capitalist society. The chapters are organized into two major sections: (1) The theoretical and methodological path towards a more critical Psychology, and (2) the social implications of the investigation into psychology and education. Section One is composed of six chapters that propose the following themes: criticism of possible contributions to Marxism leading to revolutionary education; discussion and analysis of public politics effects on Brazilian education, and its limits in the capitalist society; the basic conditions for development of a critical psychology that is effectively radical; the limits and possibilities for a critical Educational Psychology in Brazil; the historical critical pedagogy and the emancipatory education; and finally, the systematization of activity category in Alexis Leontiev's work. Section Two is composed of seven chapters that present the results of many group research studies and study groups conducted at upper level institutions. It seeks to add related works on historical cultural psychology's contribution to a child's education up until under graduate and graduate studies. It contains four studies focused on critical education of young children which use children's literature and various art forms.

Originally published in 1987, The Shaping of Modern Psychology presents a systematic survey of the development of psychology from the dawn of civilization to the late 1980s. Psychology as we find it today has been shaped by many influences, philosophical, theological, scientific, medical and sociological. It has deep roots in the whole history of human thought, and its significance cannot be properly appreciated without an understanding of the way it has developed. This book covers the history of modern psychology from its animistic beginnings, through the Greek philosophers and the Christian theologians, and developments such as the Scientific Revolution, to the time of first publication. The author drew on many years’ teaching experience in the subject and on a lifetime’s interest in psychology. The growth of psychology had been particularly impressive during the twentieth century and Professor Hearnshaw also looked to the future of the discipline. He showed that the new vistas opening out in fields such as neuropsychology, information theory and artificial intelligence, for example, were hopeful indications for the future, provided the lessons of the past were not forgotten. With the benefit of hindsight, we now know that he was right!

This biographical encyclopedia will provide the first comprehensive reference work on leading scholars and professionals who have contributed to the development and institutionalization of psychology in Latin America. The figures biographed will include scholars who have made a significant theoretical contribution to the discipline, as well as, practitioners and those who have contributed to the institutionalization of psychology, through their work in scientific organisations, professional bodies and publications. All persons included are recognized authorities and either natives of, or long-term residents in the region. It will offer an invaluable reference point, in particular for scholars of the history of psychology, Latin American studies, the history of science, and global psychology; as well as for historians, psychologists and social scientists seeking international perspectives on the development of the discipline.

Understand the Brazil of today through its multicultural history and interactions. This book transcends stereotypes and will allow you to get to know the real Brazil, thanks to the guidance of a Brazilian interculturalist, psychologist, and executive coach. It is aimed at those who seek a deeper understanding of this rich and complex culture and its impact on personal and professional interactions. An essential tool for anyone living and working in Brazil, or anyone planning to move there.