Ian Ernest Craib (12 December 1945 – 22 December 2002) was an English sociologist and

psychotherapist Psychotherapy (also psychological therapy, talk therapy, or talking therapy) is the use of Psychology, psychological methods, particularly when based on regular Conversation, personal interaction, to help a person change behavior, increase hap ...

. He was educated at

Trinity School of John Whitgift The Trinity School of John Whitgift, also known as Trinity School, is a independent boys' day school with a co-educational sixth form, located in Shirley Park, Croydon. Part of the Whitgift Foundation, it was established in 1882 as Whitgift ...

, and the South Bank Polytechnic, eventually receiving his doctorate at the

Victoria University of Manchester The Victoria University of Manchester, usually referred to as simply the University of Manchester, was a university in Manchester, England. It was founded in 1851 as Owens College. In 1880, the college joined the federal Victoria University. A ...

. He went on to join the

University of Essex The University of Essex is a public university, public research university in Essex, England. Established by royal charter in 1965, it is one of the original plate glass university, plate glass universities. The university comprises three camp ...

in 1973, eventually rising to the chair of Professor of Sociology. During his time at the university, he gained an international reputation in

sociology Sociology is the scientific study of human society that focuses on society, human social behavior, patterns of Interpersonal ties, social relationships, social interaction, and aspects of culture associated with everyday life. The term sociol ...

, and is widely read as a theoretician who ably links sociology and

psychoanalysis PsychoanalysisFrom Greek language, Greek: and is a set of theories and techniques of research to discover unconscious mind, unconscious processes and their influence on conscious mind, conscious thought, emotion and behaviour. Based on The Inte ...

. In the mid-1980s, he received qualification as a

and group analyst, bringing together his interests in the reciprocal effects between individuals, groups and societies. In the late 1980s he was central — along with Karl Figlio, Joan Busfield, Ken Plummer and John Walshe — to the creation of a master's degree in

Sociology Sociology is the scientific study of human society that focuses on society, human social behavior, patterns of Interpersonal ties, social relationships, social interaction, and aspects of culture associated with everyday life. The term sociol ...

and

Psychotherapy Psychotherapy (also psychological therapy, talk therapy, or talking therapy) is the use of Psychology, psychological methods, particularly when based on regular Conversation, personal interaction, to help a person change behavior, increase hap ...

, organised jointly by the

and the Mental Health Trust. This was one of the first university courses of its type in the country, combining clinical experience with theoretical thinking. Craib's working-class origins influenced his understanding of class systems and the politics of power, and this partly explains his attachment in his late teens to Trotskyist parties. He later rejected them, however, because of their authoritarianism. Unfair treatment and unequal distribution of power and influence angered him. In the psychoanalytic field he encouraged the sharing of the difficulties, pain, joy and fun of group

psychotherapeutic Psychotherapy (also psychological therapy, talk therapy, or talking therapy) is the use of psychological methods, particularly when based on regular personal interaction, to help a person change behavior, increase happiness, and overcome prob ...

work. The need to get things right, the wonder at how interpretations were so often lost and ignored, the question of whether one should be working with the deep unconscious in therapeutic groups or making comments at the overt conscious level were constant themes that he brought to discussions. He died of cancer on 22 December 2002, at the age of 57.

Bibliography

* ''Existentialism and Sociology — a Study of Jean-Paul Sartre'',

Cambridge University Press Cambridge University Press was the university press of the University of Cambridge. Granted a letters patent by King Henry VIII in 1534, it was the oldest university press in the world. Cambridge University Press merged with Cambridge Assessme ...

, 1976 * ''Modern Social Theory – from Parsons to Habermas'', Harvester-Wheatsheaf, London, 1984 * ''Psychoanalysis and Social Theory: The Limits of Sociology'', Harvester Wheatsheaf, 1989 * ''Modern Social Theory: from Parsons to Habermas'', Harlow: Pearson, 1992 * ''Anthony Giddens'', Routledge, 1992 * ''The Importance of Disappointment'',

Routledge Routledge ( ) is a British multinational corporation, multinational publisher. It was founded in 1836 by George Routledge, and specialises in providing academic books, academic journals, journals and online resources in the fields of the humanit ...

, 1994 * ''Classical Social Theory'', Oxford, 1997 * ''Experiencing Identity'', Sage, 1998

References

External links

Obituary - The Guardian

Obituary - The Times
{{DEFAULTSORT:Craib, Ian 1945 births 2002 deaths Academics of the University of Essex Alumni of London South Bank University Alumni of the Victoria University of Manchester British psychotherapists British sociologists