From Self to Social Relationships

What moves and motivates us in our lives? Martijn van Zomeren suggests it is 'selvations' - the feeling of changes in social relationships. This book challenges entrenched selfish views of social motivation and provides a new, integrative relational alternative. It will be of interest to psychology, sociology and anthropology scholars.

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What is it that moves and motivates us in our lives? Martijn van Zomeren proposes that social relationships are at the essence of this key question and, in a fascinating investigation into human motivation, he develops a novel and integrative psychological theory termed 'selvations theory'. The theory suggests that we are essentially relational beings that seek to regulate relationships in response to felt changes in our network of relationships (selvations). However, we need to do this in culturally appropriate ways and this is where our culturally construed self comes to be of use. From Self to Social Relationships constitutes a powerful argument about human essence, integrating major theories in and around psychology, which has strong implications for the study and practice of social motivation.