From social fragmentation to individual vulnerabilities: Perspectives for the future of Psychology

Abstract

This paper presents a socio-historical perspective on the symposium’s theme “The Risks, Inequalities and Social Fragmentation linked towork”. The paper first recalls that evidence of social fragmentation and adult vulnerability gathered beginning in 1895 formed the basis for today’s major currents in psychology. The paper then shifts the “fragmentation-vulnerability” logic using the concepts of precariousness and psychological vulnerability. The paper finally suggests that by distinguishing between human fragility and adult vulnerability, psychology can better understand both the current day obsession with risk prevention and today’s adult tendency to oscillate between fragmentation, which induces vulnerability, and conciliation, which is exhausting.

Keywords

• fragmentación social, vulnerabilidad adulta, fragilidad humana, trabajo.