Sustainability and Social Justice

Tamara Dembo’s Socio-emotional Relationships

Document Type

Book Chapter

Abstract

This chapter describes the concept of socio-emotional relations. Tamara Dembo often wrote about the relationship between the person and the environment and is known for emphasizing that handicaps may be seen as existing in the environmental rather than personal part of the life space. Dembo points out that a person is in relationships with strangers, acquaintances, co-workers, professionals, friends, and family members, and that these others may be disinterested, mildly interested in one, or personally concerned and involved. Dembo notes that tolerance, appreciation, and respect are "neighboring" relations to acceptance. Dembo's emphasis on "twoness" suggests that her work can be related to that of J. Macmurray, who argued that the dyad was the basic unit of the personal and made dyadic relations the basis of his philosophy. Dembo distinguishes between two types of distance, one that is created by abandonment and rejection, and an other which has to do with inequality.

Publication Title

Thinking in Psychological Science: Ideas and Their Makers

Publication Date

1-1-2017

First Page

265

Last Page

279

ISBN

9781315135618

DOI

10.4324/9781315135618-13

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