It aims to change society just as it aims to change psychology. But, as you will discover throughout this book, mainstream psychology is also inherently value-laden. It seeks to maintain things essentially as they are, supporting societal institutions that reinforce unjust and unsatisfying conditions. Psychology is not, and cannot be, a neutral endeavour conducted by scientists and practitioners detached from social and political circumstances. It is a human and social endeavour.
Psychologists live in specific social contexts.
They are influenced by differing interests and complex power dynamics. Mainstream psychologists too often shy away from the resulting moral, social, and political implications. This book asks you to think about these implications as you make your way in the discipline of psychology. Critical historians remind us that historical accounts are not neutral. That is, historians select which events to recount and they choose among competing analytical interpretations.