Peter Herriot – författare

This book introduces the prominent role that fundamentalists play in religious, cultural, and political arenas.

It begins by investigating religious fundamentalist groups and their psychological motivations for this counter-cultural adherence. Their extremely varied actions, argues the author, are based on two fundamental beliefs: that God speaks to them personally through his Word; and that they are involved in a cosmic war between God and Satan.. Subsequent chapters explore how fundamentalisms meet universal psychological needs for meaning, identity, agency, and self-esteem. Moving from individual psychology to social context, the latter half of the book explores how fundamentalist movements derive and exercise their authority and how leaders may strategise to appeal to external societies. The closing chapters seek to place the growth of fundamentalisms and their continued popularity in the social context of modernity and populism.

With engaging discussion questions and suggestions for further reading, this book is ideal for students of social science and religion, as well as readers interested in the psychological roots of fundamentalism.

This book introduces the prominent role that fundamentalists play in religious, cultural, and political arenas.

It begins by investigating religious fundamentalist groups and their psychological motivations for this counter-cultural adherence. Their extremely varied actions, argues the author, are based on two fundamental beliefs: that God speaks to them personally through his Word; and that they are involved in a cosmic war between God and Satan.. Subsequent chapters explore how fundamentalisms meet universal psychological needs for meaning, identity, agency, and self-esteem. Moving from individual psychology to social context, the latter half of the book explores how fundamentalist movements derive and exercise their authority and how leaders may strategise to appeal to external societies. The closing chapters seek to place the growth of fundamentalisms and their continued popularity in the social context of modernity and populism.

With engaging discussion questions and suggestions for further reading, this book is ideal for students of social science and religion, as well as readers interested in the psychological roots of fundamentalism.

How does a religious fundamentalist come to embrace a counter-cultural world view?

Fundamentalism can be analysed from a variety of perspectives. It is a type of belief system which enables individuals to make sense of their lives and provides them with an identity. It is a social phenomenon, in which strictly religious people act according to the norms, values, and beliefs of the group to which they belong. It is a cultural product, in the sense that different cultural settings result in different forms of fundamentalism. And it is a global phenomenon, in the obvious sense that it is to be found everywhere, and also because it is both a reaction against, and also a part of, the globalising modern world.

Religious Fundamentalism deals with all of these four levels of analysis, uniquely combining sociological and psychological perspectives, and relating them to each other. Each chapter is followed by a lengthy case study, and these range from a close textual analysis of George W. Bush’s second inaugural speech through to a treatment of Al-Qaida as a global media event.

This book provides a comprehensive social scientific perspective on a subject of immense contemporary significance, and should be of use both to university students and also to students of the contemporary world.

How does a religious fundamentalist come to embrace a counter-cultural world view?

Fundamentalism can be analysed from a variety of perspectives. It is a type of belief system which enables individuals to make sense of their lives and provides them with an identity. It is a social phenomenon, in which strictly religious people act according to the norms, values, and beliefs of the group to which they belong. It is a cultural product, in the sense that different cultural settings result in different forms of fundamentalism. And it is a global phenomenon, in the obvious sense that it is to be found everywhere, and also because it is both a reaction against, and also a part of, the globalising modern world.

Religious Fundamentalism deals with all of these four levels of analysis, uniquely combining sociological and psychological perspectives, and relating them to each other. Each chapter is followed by a lengthy case study, and these range from a close textual analysis of George W. Bush’s second inaugural speech through to a treatment of Al-Qaida as a global media event.

This book provides a comprehensive social scientific perspective on a subject of immense contemporary significance, and should be of use both to university students and also to students of the contemporary world.

Originally published in 1970, this was Peter Herriot’s first book. In this objective, critical evaluation of a rapidly expanding field, Professor Herriot examines language as skilled behaviour, generative linguistics and psychology, behaviourist approaches to meaning, language acquisition and impairment, and language and thought. He stresses throughout the necessity for empirical research and for experimental verification of hypotheses; he also feels that language behaviour should be analysed in a comprehensive form, placing emphasis not only on structural aspects but also on the importance of meaning and context to any account of language. Today it can be read and enjoyed in its historical context.

Originally published in 1970, this was Peter Herriot’s first book. In this objective, critical evaluation of a rapidly expanding field, Professor Herriot examines language as skilled behaviour, generative linguistics and psychology, behaviourist approaches to meaning, language acquisition and impairment, and language and thought. He stresses throughout the necessity for empirical research and for experimental verification of hypotheses; he also feels that language behaviour should be analysed in a comprehensive form, placing emphasis not only on structural aspects but also on the importance of meaning and context to any account of language. Today it can be read and enjoyed in its historical context.

The Employment Relationship presents a controversial perspective on an area hitherto dominated by industrial relation experts and radical sociological theorists. Exploring some of the metaphors commonly used to describe the employment relationship, Peter Herriot argues that it is often their dark rather than their bright side which best expresses how employees really feel. Human resources sometimes feel like human discards! The main culprits in this situation, he suggests, are the top managers who fail to treat employment as a relationship and employees as individuals. He concludes that management rhetoric must be replaced by real dialogue and points to three issues where this is most crucial: employee compliance, contractual inequalities and the need for organisational change. The Employment Relationship will make essential reading for all managers and occupational psychologists. It will also be of interest to students of work psychology, human resource management or organisational behaviour.

The Employment Relationship presents a controversial perspective on an area hitherto dominated by industrial relation experts and radical sociological theorists. Exploring some of the metaphors commonly used to describe the employment relationship, Peter Herriot argues that it is often their dark rather than their bright side which best expresses how employees really feel. Human resources sometimes feel like human discards! The main culprits in this situation, he suggests, are the top managers who fail to treat employment as a relationship and employees as individuals. He concludes that management rhetoric must be replaced by real dialogue and points to three issues where this is most crucial: employee compliance, contractual inequalities and the need for organisational change. The Employment Relationship will make essential reading for all managers and occupational psychologists. It will also be of interest to students of work psychology, human resource management or organisational behaviour.

First published in 1974, Attributes of Memory rejected the prevalent stress on the structure of memory. It suggests that the view of memory as a sequence of stores through which information passes is mistaken. Instead, the author emphasizes the coding process of memory by which the nominal stimulus, the stimulus as presented, is transformed into the functional stimulus, the stimulus as coded. Dr Herriot proposes that there are many different forms of coding, and that efficiency of recall or recognition performance is a function of the nature of coding employed. He suggests that the subject’s linguistic system is the most frequently employed linguistic device; that is, that the underlying attributes and rules of language are used automatically when material is verbal. Since the basic function of language is to communicate meaning, those forms of coding which are meaningful in nature are most effective in memory.

The book cites a great deal of experimental evidence, including many studies of the time. As well as stating a point of view, it should be useful to undergraduate and postgraduate students as a review of the early literature, read in its historical context.

First published in 1974, Attributes of Memory rejected the prevalent stress on the structure of memory. It suggests that the view of memory as a sequence of stores through which information passes is mistaken. Instead, the author emphasizes the coding process of memory by which the nominal stimulus, the stimulus as presented, is transformed into the functional stimulus, the stimulus as coded. Dr Herriot proposes that there are many different forms of coding, and that efficiency of recall or recognition performance is a function of the nature of coding employed. He suggests that the subject’s linguistic system is the most frequently employed linguistic device; that is, that the underlying attributes and rules of language are used automatically when material is verbal. Since the basic function of language is to communicate meaning, those forms of coding which are meaningful in nature are most effective in memory.

The book cites a great deal of experimental evidence, including many studies of the time. As well as stating a point of view, it should be useful to undergraduate and postgraduate students as a review of the early literature, read in its historical context.

Language is the basic means of communication in the classroom. It is therefore vital that teachers should know something about its acquisition, development, possible defects and the ways in which they may understand and develop its communicative powers.

Peter Herriot describes the relationship with thinking, with personal and social development and its manifestations in the classroom. All this is described from the point of view of the psychologist and incorporates many of the findings of contemporaneous psychological research. But the author carefully avoids the jargon of psychology nor does he assume any prior knowledge of linguistics or psychology. Thus Language and Teaching should be especially useful to the student of education or those already engaged in teaching. It is a primer of communication.

Language is the basic means of communication in the classroom. It is therefore vital that teachers should know something about its acquisition, development, possible defects and the ways in which they may understand and develop its communicative powers.

Peter Herriot describes the relationship with thinking, with personal and social development and its manifestations in the classroom. All this is described from the point of view of the psychologist and incorporates many of the findings of contemporaneous psychological research. But the author carefully avoids the jargon of psychology nor does he assume any prior knowledge of linguistics or psychology. Thus Language and Teaching should be especially useful to the student of education or those already engaged in teaching. It is a primer of communication.

The attacks on the World Trade Centre and the Pentagon in the United States of September 11th, 2001 brought the phenomenon of religious fundamentalism to the world''s attention.Sociological research has clearly demonstrated that fundamentalists are primarily reacting against modernity, and believe that they are fighting for the very survival of their faith against the secular enemy. But we understand very little about how and why people join fundamentalist movements and embrace a set of beliefs, values and norms of behaviour which are counter-cultural. This is essentially a question for social psychology, since it involves both social relations and individual selves.

Drawing on a broad theoretical perspective, social identity theory, Peter Herriot addresses two key questions: why do fundamentalists identify themselves as an in-group fighting against various out-groups? And how do the psychological needs for self-esteem and meaning motivate them? Case studies of Mohammed Atta, the leader of the 9/11 hijackers, and of the current controversy in the Anglican Church about gay priests and bishops, demonstrate how fruitfully this theory can be applied to fundamentalist conflicts. It also offers psychologically sensible ways of managing such conflicts, rather than treating fundamentalists as an enemy to be defeated.

Religious Fundamentalism and Social Identity is unique in applying social identity theory to fundamentalism, and rare in that it provides psychological (in addition to sociological) analyses of the phenomenon. It is a valuable resource for courses in social psychology which seek to demonstrate the applicability of social psychological theory to the real world.

The attacks on the World Trade Centre and the Pentagon in the United States of September 11th, 2001 brought the phenomenon of religious fundamentalism to the world''s attention.Sociological research has clearly demonstrated that fundamentalists are primarily reacting against modernity, and believe that they are fighting for the very survival of their faith against the secular enemy. But we understand very little about how and why people join fundamentalist movements and embrace a set of beliefs, values and norms of behaviour which are counter-cultural. This is essentially a question for social psychology, since it involves both social relations and individual selves.

Drawing on a broad theoretical perspective, social identity theory, Peter Herriot addresses two key questions: why do fundamentalists identify themselves as an in-group fighting against various out-groups? And how do the psychological needs for self-esteem and meaning motivate them? Case studies of Mohammed Atta, the leader of the 9/11 hijackers, and of the current controversy in the Anglican Church about gay priests and bishops, demonstrate how fruitfully this theory can be applied to fundamentalist conflicts. It also offers psychologically sensible ways of managing such conflicts, rather than treating fundamentalists as an enemy to be defeated.

Religious Fundamentalism and Social Identity is unique in applying social identity theory to fundamentalism, and rare in that it provides psychological (in addition to sociological) analyses of the phenomenon. It is a valuable resource for courses in social psychology which seek to demonstrate the applicability of social psychological theory to the real world.

Originally published in 1973, this volume looks at the organisation of memory data in, what at the time was termed, ‘mental handicap’. The first part surveys recent work in this important area, giving a general account of experiments and findings. The second part reports a particular piece of research on memory in people with learning difficulties, then called ‘subnormal individuals’.

Very much of its time, in terms of the terminology, this was an important book for anyone concerned with people with intellectual disabilities and for experimental psychologists involved with the processes of memory.