Scientific Pollyannaism
Subtitle: From Inquisition to Positive Psychology
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan
Published: Jun 27, 2019
Language: eng
Format: hardcover
Number of pages: 241
ISBN-13: 9783030159818
Description: This book argues that the story of the orphan girl Pollyanna (namely, her strategy of playing the "glad games" to manage loss, abuse, and social prejudice) serves as a framework for critiquing historical forms of Western scientific Pollyannaism. The author examines Pollyannaism as it relates to the sciences, demonstrating how the approach has been used throughout modern Western history to enforce happiness and to criticize negative human emotional states. These efforts, carried out by scientists and popularized as scientific, focus on negating the role of the environment and on promoting varied forms of emotional control. Ultimately, the book emphasizes strategies used to compel individuals into becoming Pollyannas about science itself.
Notes: Source title: Scientific Pollyannaism: From Inquisition to Positive Psychology