Tidsskrift for Norsk Psykologforening - ideologiske og normative endringer 1974-2007

In modern liberal democracies development points towards dissolution of norms, defragmentation and dehumanization according to some authors (e.g.Vetlesen, 2004). The idea behind this study has been to investigate whether the focus of The Journal of the Norwegian Psychological Association (The Journal hereafter) has changed in accordance with such changes in the surrounding society. A critical psychological perspective is used to find out if and how The Journal has changed during the last 30 years, and if it has, in what direction. Furthermore, the content of The Journal is divided along classical psychological dividing lines; to investigate if possible changes may be found. An analytical method in three steps is designed, consisting of 1: Counting and describing of simple categories, 2: classification of profession in subdiciplines and kinds of content, and 3: discursive close reading. The results show among other things that ideological changes may be found in The Journal by less focus on union matters and fewer articles with a critical perspective. I did not find, however, according to the hypothesis, that qualitative methods are being less used today than 30 years ago. The discursive close reading puts the light on the negative effects of a neutral research language that makes the subject of research to an objective. The author claims that to fully exert the emancipatory potential in psychology, the Journal have to fight dehumanisation and inequality by being overt about the influence on the Journal from the historical and the subjective, and to be critical towards essentialism and the deportation of the subjects of science