The Psychology of Liberty

This is a wise, learning, and loving exploration of a good word from Old English: ‘Freedom.' —Rick Perlstein, Historian and Journalist, The American Prospect This is both a sweeping interdisciplinary assessment of humankind and a personal story of a unique scholar among us. —Jane Close Conoley, President of University of California – Long Beach, USA Under Kerr’s keen eye, the potential of liberty is critically interrogated. This book is roadmap for living differently, for living better. —Daniel X. Harris, Professor, RMIT University School of Education, Melbourne, Australia A clear case that by playing, telling stories, creating, and seeking a deeper consciousness we can have joyous lives. —José M. Tirado, writer, psychologist, and educator This book introduces a new concept of liberty, based on the idea that being free means being the humans we evolved to be in our first 200,000 years. With perspectives from psychology, anthropology, and sociology, the author shows how throughout history, dominant individuals and status hierarchies have injured our psychological and physical well-being. Readers discover simple behaviors that make humans feel free (like gossiping, playing, making, and storytelling) and are prompted to a compelling reflection threats to this freedom. Psychology of Liberty: Reclaiming Everyday Freedom explores the dynamics of creative families, communities, and societies, showing how they sustain human freedom. The author identifies new pathways to freedom, drawing from examples of resistance to authoritarianism. In this timely and ambitious book, the author combines personal narrative with academic research to make complex ideas accessible. Barbara A. Kerr is the Williamson Family Distinguished Professor of Counseling Psychology at the University of Kansas, USA. She is an American Psychological Association Fellow and Fulbright/National Science Foundation Arctic Scholar. Her research has focused on the development of talent, creativity, and optimal human states. A scholar, psychotherapist and community activist, her works promote creative freedom.