Worked up selves: personal development workers, self-work and therapeutic cultures

"Drawing upon current literature on the history and politics of therapeutic cultures and upon original, qualitative research this book was produced in response to rapidly growing interest in the rise of new HRD practices such as coaching, soft skills training and personal development training"--Résumé de l'éditeur.

Undertaking critical analyses and challenging contemporary debates, Worked up Selves addresses the pressing question of how ideas about personal development and self-work are changing in line with wider social and cultural transformations. 'Worked up Selves' is a critical, yet accessible and engaging, up-to-date text. Using the notion of the personal development worker as a new cultural intermediary, this book thus offers a unique and qualitative picture of personal development workers and self-work within the workplace. Drawing upon current literature on the history and politics of therapeutic cultures, the book is based on original, qualitative research on the under-researched occupation of personal development practitioners such as coaches, personal development trainers, group facilitators and 'NLP' practitioners. 'Worked up Selves' is produced in response to rapidly growing interest on the part of Human Resource Managers and students, and scholars of organisational theory, in the rise of 'new' HRD practices such as coaching, 'soft skills' training and personal development training.--Résumé de l'éditeur.

Titre de l'écran-titre (visionné le 22 octobre 2010).

Changing Selves -- History of Working the Self -- Therapeutic Cultures : Practices of Social Control or Self-Creation? -- Cultural Representations of Therapeutic Cultures -- Expert Relations -- Transformations of the Self -- Getting in Touch with their Feelings? -- Worked Up Selves.