This volume offers insights into contemporary trends and perspectives in psychobiographical research. It applys new theoretical and methodological frameworks and presents discourses on psychobiography from transdisciplinary backgrounds and various socio-cultural contexts, displaying the new state-of-the-art, new trends and themes in psychobiography. The book outlines psychobiography’s outstanding contribution to psychology from 36 internationally reputable authors. It also presents the ideas of five outstanding psychobiographers through interview excerpts. This book is a must for researchers, lecturers and practitioners in the field of psychology and social sciences interested in the use of new psychological theories and methodologies in life-span research.

This book is a psychobiography on the life of Viktor Frankl and a unique exploration of his life from a positive psychology perspective. It uses Paul Wong’s theory of positive psychology wave 2 (PP2.0) and explores the concepts of meaning and virtue throughout Frankl's life span. The authors define virtue in terms of appreciation of beauty, gratitude, hope, humour and spirituality, and define meaning based on Paul Wong’s PURE model. They apply Irving Alexander’s primary indicators of psychological salience and W.T. Schultz’s prototypical scenes to analyse Frankl's important life events. This psychobiography presents an original contribution to theory on three levels: advancing the literature in psychobiography, developing the field of PP2.0, and providing new insights into Frankl’s life. It is a must for psychographers, positive psychologists and people interested in Frankl’s life and theoretical contributions.

This book explores psychobiography with focus on meaning making and identity development in the life and works of extraordinary individuals. Meaning-making and identity development are existential constructs influencing psychological development, mental health and wellbeing across the lifecourse. The chapters illustrate through the eyes of 25 international psychobiographers various theoretical and methodological approaches to psychobiography. They explore how individuals, such as Angela Merkel, Karl Lagerfeld, Henri Nouwen, Vivian Maier, Charles Baudelaire, W.E.B. du Bois, Loránt Hegedüs, Kim Philby, Zoltan Paul Dienes, Albertina Sisulu, Ruth First, Sokrates, and Jesus construct their lives to make meaning, develop their identities and grow as individuals within their sociocultural contexts. The texts provide deep insight into life’s development.

Psychobiography is the study, through a psychological lens, of influential and important figures in history, politics, literature, and other fields. A psychological approach is necessary to reveal what moves and motivates these people. Many psychobiographies have been faulty because they throw psychological jargon at their subjects and treat them simplistically. Anderson shows how to study psychobiographical subjects sensitively and compellingly.

This volume presents psychobiographical research in non-WEIRD—Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich and Democratic—contexts and samples, focusing on culture, transcultural and transdisciplinary work. It creates a platform for researchers, scholars and scientists from diverse backgrounds to put forth new theoretical and methodological stances in psychobiography, thereby making the field more inclusive, diverse and equitable. The chapters in this volume investigate the role of context across the life course of non-WEIRD psychological subjects, as well as the interplay between them and their environments across the life span. They further elucidate cognitive, affective and behavioural aspects of individuals with non-WEIRD backgrounds. The volume provides a broad and at the same time in-depth perspective into psychobiography beyond the usual contexts and therefore has new and original learnings to offer across disciplines and cultures. It is a breakthrough in terms of its transcultural and transdisciplinary insights into lives lived in different contexts in the world. "Every person is in certain respects (a) like all other persons, (b) like some other persons, (c) like no other persons. This book is a challenging and fascinating exploration of extending psychobiography beyond its origins in Europe and America to women and men of different races and social and economic classes from Africa, Asia, and around the world. At its best, psychobiography can increase people's awareness of their own subjective experience and that of others, contributing to movements for social, cultural and political change." William McKinley Runyan, Professor Emeritus & Professor of the Graduate School, School of Social Welfare, U. of California Berkeley Beyond Weird is beyond needed. The book triumphantly fills the gap created by a dearth of studies of people other than Western, educated, European and American men. James William Anderson, PhD, Professor of Clinical Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University, Chicago.

This book represents a psychobiographical story of John F. Kennedy, Jr. In reality, psychobiography is psychological biography—the intensive psychological study of an individual of historic significance within a sociocultural-historical context. It covers JFK Jr.’s search for identity and purpose, and the depths and vibrancy of his personality. The author approaches the life of JFK, Jr. as a psychologist and psychobiographer with the goal of understanding the workings of John’s mind; his inner feelings, fears, hopes, and desires perhaps not visible on the surface. Presented in four parts, Part One explores the death and legacy of John F. Kennedy, Jr. in a psychological and social context. His life and place in history is introduced, and the conditions around his death are deconstructed and examined. Psychological theories used to frame and understand Johns’ psychological development are briefly introduced, and his ethnic and religious influences are discussed. Part Two tells the story of John F. Kennedy, Jr.’s life in a somewhat chronological order. Important events and relationships in John’s life are discussed with respect to early childhood, early schooling, high school and college years, law school study, and his work as an Assistant District Attorney for Manhattan, including his co-founding of George magazine and his life with Carolyn Bessette. Part Three speculates on the future of John’s professional career and his marriage had the couple lived a full life. Emerging in this part is a strong impression that John was destined for a life in politics and that he would have succeeded in this quest. John’s marriage to Caroline Bessette and the possible directions of their partnership is analyzed. Borrowing from quantitative research methods in personality psychology, JFK Jr.’s personality traits on a popular and well-validated measure of personality is assessed. His personality profile is then compared to select U.S. presidents throughout history. Part Four provides additional theoretical and research methods information. The leading theories of personality and psychosocial development first introduced in Part One are expanded. Finally, ethical issues related to John’s psychobiography are explored and discussed. Additionally, the illustrations and tables supplement the text in exemplifying relevant data. This book will be an insightful resource to address unanswered questions about JFK Jr.’s life and potential future had he lived a full life.

This reference work offers comprehensive perspectives on servant leadership. Featuring a cadre of leading world-class scholars, practitioners, and contributing authors from diverse fields of inquiry, it aims to collate research on servant leadership with a particular focus on its moral and spiritual dimensions.It is divided into sections that center on topics such as character, philosophical influences, diversity and inclusion, critiques of servant leadership as well as examples of servant leaders Though first introduced in the 1970 by Robert Greenleaf, the field of servant leadership is still lacking consensus on a definition and a theoretical framework. The goal of this reference work is to begin to fill this gap by assembling the scholarship of the top scholars in this field and providing a go-to source for information on the theory and practice of servant leadership. This handbook will serve as an essential resource for researchers, scholars, and students of organizational behavior, human resource management, and business ethics, as well as consultants and business leaders interested in discovering the best leadership models to suit contemporary organizations.