Suggestion and its Role in Social Life: VM Bekhterev; By Strickland LH (Ed.), Dobreva-Martinova T...
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Suggestion and its Role in Social Life: VM Bekhterev; By Strickland LH (Ed.), Dobreva- Martinova T (translator). Transaction Publishers, New Brunswick, 1998, 187 pp, $39.95 (cloth). Vladimir Bekhterev (1857–1927) was one of the fore- most Russian social scientists of his day working predo- minantly in the fields of psychology and neurolinguistics although many areas of the social sciences were also of concern to him. His skills and interests were varied and ranged from using hypnotism as a tool to aid his clinical practice through to under- taking some of the earliest forms of sociological investi- gation. During his career Bekhterev worked on a wide range of research initiatives across numerous locations in Russia from which he published over 600 works. Bekhterev is not as well known outside his native Rus- sia as his work deserves, although there are a small and growing number of people who have developed a specialist interest in both the man and his work. Due to the breadth of his work and the fact that he is not as renowned as some of his peers, this book will be of interest to social historians, social psychologists, politi- cal psychologists and other social scientists, particularly those interested in suggestion, auto-suggestion and hyp- nosis. The text provides valuable insights into the think- ing of perhaps the leading contemporary of Pavlov. The work in this book was originally presented as a lecture in 1897 then expanded through three editions with the latter being published as a monograph in 1908. His examination of the role of psychology in politics, and to some degree the role that suggestion plays in this, placed him at odds with the political orthodoxy of the day. It is probable that this is a key factor behind his work being suppressed until recently in Russia and may even have contributed to his some- what mysterious death in 1927 (Yuriev, 1992). Bekhterev used suggestion as a practical aid in therapy and held a longstanding desire to understand how suggestion related to groups. This drove him to establish a large number of research projects focusing upon specific scientific questions through to establishing the large and, at the time very prestigious, Psychoneur- ological Institute in St. Petersburg. In this text Bekh- terev uses suggestion as the basis for explaining the social world of his day in Russia, Europe and North America. He argues that suggestion is not merely as- sociated with hypnosis and provides a series of examples to demonstrate how suggestion is also associ- ated with waking states. He even argues that it has had a central role in important historical events such as the Russian revolution. A number of case studies are pre- sented throughout the book which highlight the role that suggestion played in society. Bekhterev uses the notion of ‘mass epidemics’ as a method of explaining the power of suggestion upon groups in these case stu- dies. He argues that mystical doctrines, cults, various religions and stock market crashes can all be explained in this way and are all seen as a testament to the power of suggestion. However, at the heart of Bekhterev’s work is a focus upon the ways that the individual and the group interact and to some extent his work could be regarded as a forerunner to that of cultural theorists such as Mary Douglas and Michael Thompson. The case studies that Bekhterev puts forward as examples of how suggestion can be viewed as a powerful social force evoke parallels with many moral panics of the present time. The role of suggestion in the responses of societies worldwide through ‘nimbysm’ to sex oen- ders, mentally ill people, arsonists and other groups who are often on the fringe of societies easily demon- strates how Bekhterev’s work has a modern relevance. As important is the fact that Suggestion and its Social Role is political psychology as well as a socio- logical treatise on the nature of suggestion. The exam- ination of the dynamic between the individual and the group is true social science and is not confined within a particular discipline. In his analysis of the psychol- ogy of mass epidemics Bekhterev argues, a little naively, that groups need leaders particularly at times of trauma and that they best lead through suggestion rather than persuasion or coercion. Revolutions are presented in some of the case studies as support for this argument. Although there is very little empirical evidence presented in the text this is probably an arti- fact of the style of the times. Nevertheless, the power of the argument is strong and in a similar manner to the style of Goman who also presented limited evi- dence yet was as powerfully convincing in his logic. As a result of this political aspect to Bekhterev’s work it is understandable that it is only more recently that his works are being acknowledged in Russia. The eorts of Strickland and Dobreva-Martinova should ensure a still wider audience beyond his homeland and they should be commended for their perseverance and enthusiasm in bringing this text to wider and modern audiences. References Yuriev, A., 1992. Introduction to Political Psychology. St. Petersburg Publishing, St. Petersburg. Tony Ryan Department of Applied Social Science, Cartmel College, Lancaster University, Lancaster LA1 4YL, UK 0277-9536/00/$ - see front matter # 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved. PII: S0277-9536(99)00382-2 Book Reviews / Social Science & Medicine 50 (2000) 1511–1514 1512
Transcript of Suggestion and its Role in Social Life: VM Bekhterev; By Strickland LH (Ed.), Dobreva-Martinova T...
Suggestion and its Role in Social Life: VM
Bekhterev; By Strickland LH (Ed.), Dobreva-
Martinova T (translator). Transaction Publishers, New
Brunswick, 1998, 187 pp, $39.95 (cloth).
Vladimir Bekhterev (1857±1927) was one of the fore-
most Russian social scientists of his day working predo-minantly in the ®elds of psychology andneurolinguistics although many areas of the socialsciences were also of concern to him. His skills and
interests were varied and ranged from using hypnotismas a tool to aid his clinical practice through to under-taking some of the earliest forms of sociological investi-
gation. During his career Bekhterev worked on a widerange of research initiatives across numerous locationsin Russia from which he published over 600 works.
Bekhterev is not as well known outside his native Rus-sia as his work deserves, although there are a small andgrowing number of people who have developed a
specialist interest in both the man and his work. Due tothe breadth of his work and the fact that he is not asrenowned as some of his peers, this book will be ofinterest to social historians, social psychologists, politi-
cal psychologists and other social scientists, particularlythose interested in suggestion, auto-suggestion and hyp-nosis. The text provides valuable insights into the think-
ing of perhaps the leading contemporary of Pavlov.The work in this book was originally presented as a
lecture in 1897 then expanded through three editions
with the latter being published as a monograph in1908. His examination of the role of psychology inpolitics, and to some degree the role that suggestion
plays in this, placed him at odds with the politicalorthodoxy of the day. It is probable that this is a keyfactor behind his work being suppressed until recentlyin Russia and may even have contributed to his some-
what mysterious death in 1927 (Yuriev, 1992).Bekhterev used suggestion as a practical aid in
therapy and held a longstanding desire to understand
how suggestion related to groups. This drove him toestablish a large number of research projects focusingupon speci®c scienti®c questions through to establishing
the large and, at the time very prestigious, Psychoneur-ological Institute in St. Petersburg. In this text Bekh-terev uses suggestion as the basis for explaining thesocial world of his day in Russia, Europe and North
America. He argues that suggestion is not merely as-sociated with hypnosis and provides a series ofexamples to demonstrate how suggestion is also associ-
ated with waking states. He even argues that it has hada central role in important historical events such as theRussian revolution. A number of case studies are pre-
sented throughout the book which highlight the role
that suggestion played in society. Bekhterev uses thenotion of `mass epidemics' as a method of explaining
the power of suggestion upon groups in these case stu-dies. He argues that mystical doctrines, cults, variousreligions and stock market crashes can all be explained
in this way and are all seen as a testament to the powerof suggestion. However, at the heart of Bekhterev'swork is a focus upon the ways that the individual and
the group interact and to some extent his work couldbe regarded as a forerunner to that of cultural theoristssuch as Mary Douglas and Michael Thompson.
The case studies that Bekhterev puts forward asexamples of how suggestion can be viewed as a powerfulsocial force evoke parallels with many moral panics ofthe present time. The role of suggestion in the responses
of societies worldwide through `nimbysm' to sex o�en-ders, mentally ill people, arsonists and other groupswho are often on the fringe of societies easily demon-
strates how Bekhterev's work has a modern relevance.As important is the fact that Suggestion and its
Social Role is political psychology as well as a socio-
logical treatise on the nature of suggestion. The exam-ination of the dynamic between the individual and thegroup is true social science and is not con®ned within
a particular discipline. In his analysis of the psychol-ogy of mass epidemics Bekhterev argues, a littlenaively, that groups need leaders particularly at timesof trauma and that they best lead through suggestion
rather than persuasion or coercion. Revolutions arepresented in some of the case studies as support forthis argument. Although there is very little empirical
evidence presented in the text this is probably an arti-fact of the style of the times. Nevertheless, the powerof the argument is strong and in a similar manner to
the style of Go�man who also presented limited evi-dence yet was as powerfully convincing in his logic.As a result of this political aspect to Bekhterev's work
it is understandable that it is only more recently that his
works are being acknowledged in Russia. The e�orts ofStrickland and Dobreva-Martinova should ensure a stillwider audience beyond his homeland and they should
be commended for their perseverance and enthusiasm inbringing this text to wider and modern audiences.
References
Yuriev, A., 1992. Introduction to Political Psychology. St.
Petersburg Publishing, St. Petersburg.
Tony RyanDepartment of Applied Social Science, Cartmel
College, Lancaster University,Lancaster LA1 4YL, UK
0277-9536/00/$ - see front matter # 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
PII: S0277-9536(99 )00382-2
Book Reviews / Social Science & Medicine 50 (2000) 1511±15141512
