Understanding Vulnerabilities in Contemporary Society: Psychological Insights and Reflections

"The book explores the constructs of "vulnerability", with an aim to move beyond the linguistic and normative appropriation of the word. It does this by uncovering diverse life experiences of varied individuals and communities who have largely remained unseen and unheard. With dynamically transitioning socio-cultural circumstances, the boundaries demarcating the included vs excluded, the accepted vs the unacceptable other, the endeared vs the disparaged, continue to multiply. As we struggle with these numerous identities and categories, we are forced to encounter compounded vulnerabilities. The book explores the various ways in which an individual needs to experience, address and even embrace vulnerability in order to ensure survival. To help readers arrive at a broad understanding of the many underlying concerns, the book covers diverse issues such as gender, sexuality, adolescence, child abuse, exploitation, forced migration, homelessness. Based on rigorous empirical work, the book provides critical insights for psychosocial and clinical interventions and will especially be of interest to psychologists, therapists and counsellors"-- Provided by publisher.