Title: “Awakening social psychology: mindfulness, embodiment, and transformation in
capitalism”
Abstract:
Whilst interest in ‘mindfulness-based approaches’ across a wide array of fields (e.g. health,
education, business) burgeons, the relevance of mindfulness meditation to social psychology
(and other social sciences) has been left largely unexplored, and critical debate about the
place of mindfulness in capitalism is scant. I will discuss the potential relevance of
mindfulness meditation and related contemplative practices for social psychologists against
the backdrop of transdisciplinary turns to discourse, embodiment, and affect arguably taking
place across the social sciences and humanities. I will argue that mindfulness meditation
might be a beneficial topic and resource for social psychologists theoretically,
methodologically and ethically. I chart its varying possible uses: therapeutic technique; selfcare practice; study skill; research tool; psychosocial research methodology; practice for
awakening and transformation. I suggest that social psychologists interested in mindfulness
meditation might engage in its embodied practice but also become interested in its ancient
and radical Pāli Buddhist roots. Appreciation of this early history, along with engagement
with current philosophy and social theory, might open up a space for critical debate about
mindfulness. We need to ask difficult questions about the functions of mindfulness in modern
capitalist societies and institutions, especially universities, where academic staff and students
find themselves under increasing pressure to become ‘academic capitalists’.
Steven Stanley, School of Social Sciences, Cardiff University
StanleyS1@Cardiff.ac.uk
Biography
Steven Stanley is a Lecturer in the School of Social Sciences at Cardiff University. He
completed his Ph.D. ‘Doctoral Dilemmas: Towards A Discursive Psychology of Postgraduate
Education’ (2005) in the Department of Social Sciences at Loughborough University. A social
psychologist interested in the critical and qualitative study of social life, he also teaches
mindfulness and Qigong courses and retreats, both inside and outside of university contexts.
He is particularly interested in the potentials of early Pāli Buddhist ideas and practices, as
well as modern retreat practice, for potentially reorienting our relationship to life in
capitalism. In his research, he has investigated historical changes in meanings of mindfulness
and meditation, ethics and politics of the mindfulness movement, mindfulness meditation as a
psychosocial research methodology, interactional aspects of ‘inquiry’ sequences in
mindfulness courses, and pluralism in mindfulness-based mental health care interventions.
His teaching explores mindfulness and socially engaged Buddhism as styles of contemplative
education for psychology, social science and Social Work. He has completed the Committed
Dharma Practitioner Programme (Gaia House/Sharpham House) and Pāli Summer School
(Oxford Centre for Buddhist Studies).
Selected Publications (please email Steven to request electronic copies)
Stanley, S., Barker, M., Edwards, V., & McEwen, E. (in press). Swimming against the
stream? Mindfulness as a psychosocial research methodology. Qualitative Research in
Psychology, Special Issue on ‘Researching the Psychosocial’.
Crane, R.S., Stanley, S., Rooney, M., Bartley, T., Cooper, L., & Mardula, K. (in press).
Disciplined improvisation: characteristics of inquiry in mindfulness-based teaching.
Mindfulness.
Stanley, S. (2014a). Mindfulness. In T. Teo (Ed.) Encyclopedia of Critical Psychology (pp.
1186-1192). New York: Springer.
Stanley, S. (2014b). Meditation. In T. Teo (Ed.) Encyclopedia of Critical Psychology (pp.
1163-1168). New York: Springer.
Stanley, S. (2013). "Things said or done long ago are recalled and remembered": the ethics of
mindfulness in early Buddhism, psychotherapy, and clinical psychology. European
Journal of Psychotherapy and Counselling, 15 (2), 151-162.
Stanley, S. (2012a). Intimate distances: William James' introspection, Buddhist mindfulness,
and experiential inquiry. New Ideas in Psychology, 30 (2), 201-211.
Stanley, S. (2012b). From discourse to awareness: rhetoric, mindfulness, and a psychology
without foundations. Theory & Psychology, 23 (1), 60-80.
Stanley, S. (2012c). Mindfulness: towards a critical relational perspective. Social and
Personality Psychology Compass, 6 (9), 631-706.