Unmasking superhuman abilities and double lives, this analysis showcases nearly two dozen psychologists as their essays explore the minds of pop culture's .
Table of contents
- The Psychology of Superheroes : Robin S. Rosenberg :
- Top Authors
- The Psychology of Superheroes : An Unauthorized Exploration
Sometimes, when the evening breeze sends shivers down my spine as I wander empty streets glistening from the rain, I begin to wonder if danger lurks around the next corner. It almost always does, though my path never intersects. In these moments, however, I like to imagine that I'm more courageous, more righteous, more just than the selfish, meek and mild-mannered person I've grown to be.
The truth is that I'm not. Oh, I have my moments, times when I can't help but intercede, but my victories are Sometimes, when the evening breeze sends shivers down my spine as I wander empty streets glistening from the rain, I begin to wonder if danger lurks around the next corner. Oh, I have my moments, times when I can't help but intercede, but my victories are small, my heroics without ceremony. An Unauthorized Exploration is a collection of essays that explore the sociological, psychological and philosophical implications of heroes, antiheroes, villains, and their real-world counterpoints of everyday people.
All of them have their merits, but most seem to delve loosely into the psychology, making general points instead of diving to the depths of psychology's impacts and implications with regards to our superhuman symbols of escapism. The friend who passed this book on to me said the book was too deep for the average comic fan, and he's likely correct. For me, as a student of sociology, media studies, and social psych, the depth wasn't nearly great enough. As with most non-fiction, it seemed the most fascinating points were the one barely touched on.
If you're seeking a survey of psychology under the guise of pop culture, this book is a fine example a well-balanced foray, but if you're truly looking to twist your mind around difficult concepts and examine the way in which a pop medium captures the mores and tropes we exhibit in both normal and extreme situations, it doesn't quite fit the bill. Apr 13, Mira rated it it was amazing. Okay, this is NOT a psychology book, strictly speaking. Nor is it a superhero book, strictly speaking. But for those of us who love both of those topics, it's a great, easy and fun read. Some articles are better written than others, some offer more insights than others, but over-all it's a fun book that allows superhero junkies think about things from different perspectives.
I especially love the chapter about Anti-Heroes as these are my favorite protagonists, a la Preacher and The Punisher. I Okay, this is NOT a psychology book, strictly speaking. It's a book I have lent to therapists and comic-book junkies alike. May 05, Jim Jewell rated it liked it. It seems like they take their subject far less seriously than I do, and don't really delve in deep. This is for those who would call it "quirky," but not for anyone willing to engage in serious scholarship about comics.
You'd get deeper discussion hanging out with the nerds in the local comic shop. Mar 09, Anthony rated it liked it. Good stuff, but nowhere near the heights of Travis Langley's masterclass of a book, Batman, and Psychology. Taking into account that this is an anthology, I would still say it was a little bit disjointed. If you have an interest in superheroes or psychology, there are some amazing essays Feb 05, Daniel Mello rated it it was amazing.
I LOVE the psychological analyzation of superheroes overall, and this particular collection of academicians do a thorough job in deconstructing the thought processes behind my favorite heroes' actions! Such perspectives make these characters that much more tangible. May 27, Mohammed Alsobaie rated it really liked it. Not quite what I expected, but entertaining nonetheless. Not for everyone, though. Jun 02, Dr. Andrew rated it it was amazing. Overall a great book, especially the chapter analyzing The Punisher. Oct 10, Ben rated it really liked it.
Some good, some less good analyses of superhero behavior or psychological concepts illustrated with superheroes. Jan 29, Morgan Mussell rated it liked it Shelves: Read my full review on my blog: Aug 22, Phoenix rated it really liked it Shelves: Our Heroes, Our Selves A collection of essays, some tongue in cheek, others serious, that tackle the mythos of modern fictional heroes as extended reflections of ourselves. The premise itself is a bit sketchy as the characters themselves are the constructs by specific individuals, not society as a whole so what is read into them should not be over generalized though one could argue that the popularity of a superhero is a reflection of what we admire.
Nevertheless the questions raised are quite int Our Heroes, Our Selves A collection of essays, some tongue in cheek, others serious, that tackle the mythos of modern fictional heroes as extended reflections of ourselves.
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- The Psychology of Superheroes: An Unauthorized Exploration - Google Книги.
Nevertheless the questions raised are quite intriguing: Why do superheroes prefer crime fighting to relation ships with the opposite sex? How are superheroes defined by their moral code that hilites the differences between them and super villains. This includes quasi anti-heroes such as the Punisher, Hulk, Marv Sin City and Wolverine unlike most X-men, Wolverine kills who do bad things for good reasons. Why does Batman focus on punishing criminals vs helping victims and why doesn't Bruce Wayne do something about either about the apparently criminal administration of Arkham Asylum, the high rate of recidivism apparently Arkham creates more criminals than it cures or its flawed security which allows to many escapes.
The Psychology of Superheroes : Robin S. Rosenberg :
Incredible and Peter Parker - not very well. What do the X-men tell us about loyalty, and group conflict, though the book doesn't answer one of my questions - why are Magneto and Professor Xavier so civil and protective of each other? How does Wonder Woman position as an outsider in spite of her star spangled costume, she's a Greek from Themyscira affect her views on American women and why, designed as a feminist icon, is she still trapped by stereotype?
Particularly interesting was the final essay by Johnson, Lurye and Freeman which examined the transformation in body shape from secret identity to superhero results in a supernormal accentuation on sexuality, in particular chest to waist ratio and waist to hip ratio. Super men become more masculine, super women become more feminine in measurable ways. I also enjoyed Robert Biswas-Deniers observation that aside from wryly humorous wisecracks, Peter Parker's other super power is "hope".
Kudos also to Christopher Patrick, not only for his take on the Hulk, but for including his daughter as co-author. Additionally the book has delightful gossipy appeal, because it also us to catch up on recent story developments in our beloved heroes that some of us older readers might have missed, having given up on the avid passion of our youth.
Top Authors
Jul 28, Genevieve Georgianna rated it really liked it. While not all of them were as exciting or not all of them were as much about superheroes as others were it was still good. This is a book for people who want to explore the reasoning behind superhero's choices and how superheroes impact us. It also makes the argument in some that in our own way we are superheroes.
There is definitely something for While not all of them were as exciting or not all of them were as much about superheroes as others were it was still good.
The Psychology of Superheroes : An Unauthorized Exploration
There is definitely something for someone in there with the wide variety of topics. Authors most of them at least have absolutely no idea about comic books and superheroes. It seems like this book was originaly called "The psychology" but than someone added "of Superheroes" as a joke and the editor had to add few sentences with "Batman" or "Spiderman" in them to justify the title.
Mar 11, Naima rated it liked it Shelves: Thank you to the both of them! I approached this book assuming that I'd get information on a metatextual level about superheroes and their motives, but what I really got was an infodump on psychology in general. The majority of the essays are so basic that they're on middle school level comprehension, and very barely even touch on their original topic, the superheroes. Other essays have misogynistic and ableist themes underneath them, particularly the ones written by Chuck Tate.
Her relationships with other women platonic and familial are shown in a negative light, and essentially framed to be a 'step backwards' in equality, instead of a positive thing. Tate even points out how traditionally feminine things are seen as inferior, yet goes on to write under that assumption instead of acknowledging that Wonder Woman can be both feminine and incredibly strong. That being said, there were some decent essays in this. My favorite was 'Prejudice Lessons from the Xavier Institute', which is honestly the reason I gave this book three stars.
On top of that, there's good commentary on how Xavier rarely even advocates for mutant rights- instead martyring his X-Men to show the world that they're worthy of love by protecting them while they don't receive any respect or rights. All in all, if you're looking to read this book, those are the essays I recommend.
Jul 22, Daniel rated it liked it Shelves: This selection of essays focus on superheroes within the pages of popular culture, and attempts to apply Psychological theory to them. Generally, the essays succeed in doing this, but in a few places, the writings have moved more into Sociology, Philosophy, and Literary history. Not that this is a bad thing in itself, but something to be aware of. This said, all the essays do use normal Psychological research structure in the writing, and show the various glossary of research for those intereste This selection of essays focus on superheroes within the pages of popular culture, and attempts to apply Psychological theory to them.
This said, all the essays do use normal Psychological research structure in the writing, and show the various glossary of research for those interested in at the end of each piece. Superheroes and Philosophy William Irwin. What is a Superhero? Wonder Woman and Philosophy William Irwin. Star Wars Psychology Travis Langley.
The Psychology of the Simpsons Chris Logan. Batman and Philosophy William Irwin. Side Pieces Scott Koblish. Itsy Bitsy Joe Kelly.
Iron Man Stan Lee. Wonder Woman Psychology Trina Robbins. From Ritual to Theatre Victor Turner. Batman, Superman, and Philosophy Nicolas Michaud. Isn't It Bromantic Joe Kelly. Bestsellers in Popular Psychology. Thinking, Fast and Slow Daniel Kahneman. Mindset - Updated Edition Carol Dweck. Lost Connections Johann Hari. Gifts Of Imperfection, The: Rising Strong Brene Brown. The Happiness Trap Russ Harris. Why are super-villains so aggressive? The Psychology of Superheroes answers these questions, exploring the inner workings our heroes usually only share with their therapists.
Find a copy online Links to this item Table of contents bvbr. Allow this favorite library to be seen by others Keep this favorite library private. Find a copy in the library Finding libraries that hold this item Aufsatzsammlung Additional Physical Format: Internet resource Document Type: Robin S Rosenberg Jennifer Canzoneri. Publisher Synopsis "Many of the authors [preeminent practicing psychologists] take their subject matter and have fun with it. User-contributed reviews Add a review and share your thoughts with other readers. Add a review and share your thoughts with other readers.
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