Psycho-function in the UK:
Coming via awesome Lynne Friedli and Boycott Workfare. The statement from the British Psychologists Society (currently trying to become a chartered Royal Society) is hardly a surprise. Since its inception clinical psychology has wanted to displace and occupy the Oeidipal position of psychiatry as the Master discourse of human subjectivity. If it has to embed itself as a coercive arm of the state then it will be more than happy to do so. Meanwhile, for those outside the UK, the references to the PCS Union hangs on the fact that their membership are the people who have been administering welfare sanctions.
The news that unmployed people will face psychological testing in order to determine how much Jocentre harassment they should receive has prompted warnings from psychologists concerned about the ethics of the scheme.
Esther McVey recently announced that Jobcentre busy-bodies will soon be expected to quiz new claimants to assess their “attitudes, behavioural norms and levels of self-belief”. A small pilot scheme is currently taking place which is soon to be extended to 27,000 unemployed people. Those who fail this cranky assessment and are judged ‘disengaged’ or ‘despondant’ will no doubt face being ‘helped’ with forced unpaid work and benefit sanctions.
According to the British Psychological Society (BPS): “It is critical … that all assessments are conducted by experienced users of psychometrics – ideally under the supervision of a chartered psychologist. The success of a psychometric assessment of jobseekers will depend on sensitive, constructive and meaningful feedback about the…
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