Codependent Forevermore
Subtitle: The Invention of Self in a Twelve Step Group
Publisher: Univ of Chicago Pr (Tx); University of Chicago Press
Published: August 30, 2007
Language: eng
Format: Paperback
Number of pages: 210
ISBN-13: 9780226384726
Subjects: Psychopathology - General; Psychology; Co-Dependents Anonymous; Codependency; Identity (Psychology); Self; Social aspects; United States; Sociology
First sentence: The discourse of codependency and the support group Codependents Anonymous exist today because of the trail blazed by Adult Children of Alcoholics, or ACoA.
Description: "It is now time for a sophisticated look at why the self-help industry - particularly Codependents Anonymous - works for millions of people, and Leslie Irvine infiltrated CoDA to find out."--BOOK JACKET.

"Through extensive interviews with CoDA members, case studies, and the meetings she attended regularly, Irvine develops a perspective on contemporary Americans' sense of self. She explores the idea that selfhood is a narrative accomplishment, achieved by people telling stories to themselves and about themselves.

She shows how Alex, Paul, Liz, and many others create a sense of self by combining elements of autobiography, culture, and social structure all within the adopted language of psycho-spirituality."--BOOK JACKET.

"By following the progress and tribulations of CoDA members, Irvine gets to the heart of widespread American conceptions of relationships, selfhood, and community. Amidst the increasingly shrill criticism of the Twelve Step ethos, her reasoned and considered analysis of these groups reveals the sources of both their power and their popularity."--BOOK JACKET.