Items related to Codependent Forevermore: The Invention of Self in a...
An insider's view of codependency and the group therapy established to deal with it uses extensive interview with members of Codependents Anonymous to show how group members derive an alternative sense of self from the group.
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From the Back Cover:
"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.
From Kirkus Reviews:
A scholarly exploration of the 12-step group Codependents Anonymous (CoDA) and how its participants use the group structure and process to invent and reinvent themselves. Sociologist Irvine (Univ. of Colorado, Boulder) sees the development of selfhood as ``a narrative accompishment, created in the stories people tell about themselvesand this includes stories they tell to themselves.'' CoDA was founded in 1986 by a couple who found that Alcoholics Anonymous and similar groups were not meeting participants needs for support in working on developing healthy relationships with others in their lives. CoDA differs from these other 12-step support groups in that it focuses on family systems issues, and doesn't address substance abuse issues. CoDA does share with other groups 12-step guidelines for assessing and changing one's life, and ``Twelve Traditions,'' which establish the principles and rules of the organization. Irvine's chief focus here is how CoDA gives its participants the framework and vocabulary with which they can explain themselves and understand their lives. Irvine also has two other themes: first, to explain ``what codependency is, as a cultural phenomenon.'' Second, she considers how institutions, social structure, and culture contribute to development of a self. Irvine reports here on her 17 months of ethnographic research, during which time she attended over 200 CoDA meetings in New York City and on Long Island; she both participated in meetings and conducted limited interviews with other participants. Brief illustrative examples of participants stories are included here. Irvine's examination of these subjects is beyond the needs of the casual reader, and her use of sociological terminology and investigative framework can create rough going for those not in her field. A dense, careful sociologic examination, then, of how this particular support group serves and defines its members. -- Copyright ©1999, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.
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- PublisherUniv of Chicago Pr
- Publication date2012
- ISBN 10 0226384721
- ISBN 13 9780226384726
- BindingPaperback
- Number of pages210
- Rating
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