This fascinating book makes an important contribution to the history of
the social sciences. It tells the largely hidden story of how social
psychology became an international social science, vividly documenting
the micro-politics of a virtually forgotten committee, the Committee on
Transnational Social Psychology, whose work took place against the
back-drop of some of the most momentous events of the twentieth century.
Overcoming intellectual, institutional and political obstacles,
including the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia, and the military coups
in Chile or Argentine, the committee struggled to bring social
psychology to global recognition, not as part of a programme of
intellectual imperialism, but motivated by a mixture of intellectual
philanthropy and self-interest. Few authors could tell this unique
story. Serge Moscovici is undoubtedly the best-placed insider to do so,
together with Ivana Markova providing a lucid, erudite and carefully
documented account of the work of this remarkable group.
This book will be an essential resource for any scholar interested in
the history of social psychology, as well as upper-level students
studying the history of the social sciences.