ON THE POLY TICS OF POSTMODERN PSYCHOLOGY

Deliberation on the political implications of postmodern psychology is essential, and Kendall and Michael (1997) raise a variety of interest ing and important issues. Attempting to avoid the culs-de-sac created by their fast and loose characterizations of both positions and politi cs, I focus chiefly on the forms of theory favored by postmodern psych ology. I contrast the political implications of actor-network theory, favored by Kendall and Michael, with efforts of theorists to replace e ssentialist views of the self with conceptions of socially constituted being. All theory will necessarily bring privileges; reflexivity is n o exit from ideology.