Conversion Therapy
A Social Psychological Analysis
Format:Hardback
Publisher:Taylor & Francis Ltd
Publishing:9th Mar '27
£171.99
This title is due to be published on 9th March, and will be despatched as soon as possible.
Why does ‘conversion therapy’ persist despite broad professional consensus that it is unethical? This book examines how such practices can appear legitimate and compelling amid stigma and identity dilemmas.
Drawing on historical material, advocacy texts and interviews with people who experienced conversion practices in the UK, Adam Jowett traces conversion therapy from medical and psychological pathologisation to the contemporary ex-gay movement showing how advocates defend and rebrand such practices. Combining rhetorical and social identity approaches to social psychology, the book conceptualises conversion therapy as a socially organised response to identity conflict that reinforces heterosexual and cisgender norms and anti-LGBTQ stigma. It examines how these practices can reinforce the conflicts they purport to resolve and how identities are managed amid continuing stigma after disengagement. It concludes that effective responses must extend beyond prohibition to address wider social conditions sustaining conversion therapy.
The book will interest students and scholars across social psychology, gender and sexuality studies, sociology, religious studies and mental health. Its analysis will also be relevant to mental health professionals, faith leaders, advocates and policymakers concerned with conversion practices and supporting LGBTQ people experiencing identity conflict.
'Conversion therapy is justified by a rhetoric of rights, freedom and choice that appeals to all of us - especially those whose rights are at risk. By revealing the complexity of lives behind this rhetoric, Jowett teaches social psychologists how attention to the dynamics of social movements and social norms can lead to a compelling intervention in an ongoing policy debate.'
Peter Hegarty, Professor, School of Psychology & Counselling, The Open University, UK.
'Adam Jowett presents a fresh take on a familiar topic: so-called conversion “therapy.” From a social psychological perspective, he explains the environmental forces that oblige someone to undergo these ineffective and potentially harmful methods, analyzes the social and cultural institutions that sustain them, and shares the latest scientific information debunking these practices. This volume belongs on the shelf of anyone interested in this topic.'
Douglas C. Haldeman,Ph.D., National University, Pleasant Hill, CA, USA.
ISBN: 9781032008325
Dimensions: unknown
Weight: unknown
200 pages