Psychoanalysis, International Relations, and Diplomacy

Psychoanalysis, International Relations, and Diplomacy
Author: Vamik D. Volkan
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 134
Release: 2018-05-15
Genre: Psychology
ISBN: 0429917872

The author has three goals in writing this book. The first is to explore large-group identity such as ethnic identity, diplomacy, political propaganda, terrorism and the role of leaders in international affairs. The second goal is to describe societal and political responses to trauma at the hands of the Other, large-group mourning, and the appearance of the history of ancestors and its consequences. The third goal is to expand theories of large-group psychology in its own right and define concepts illustrating what happens when tens of thousands or millions of people share similar psychological journeys. The author is a psychoanalyst who has been involved in unofficial diplomacy for thirty-five years. His interdisciplinary team has brought "enemy" representatives, such as Israelis and Arabs, Russians and Estonians, Georgians and South Ossetians, together for dialogue. He has spent time in refugee camps and met many world leaders.

Psychoanalysis as a Subversive Phenomenon

Psychoanalysis as a Subversive Phenomenon
Author: Amber M. Trotter
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
Total Pages: 121
Release: 2019-12-03
Genre: Psychology
ISBN: 1498573339

In Psychoanalysis as a Subversive Phenomenon: Social Change, Virtue Ethics, and Analytic Theory, Amber M. Trotter examines the radical sociopolitical roots of psychoanalysis and contends that psychoanalytic practices can and should be used to promote social change today. Trotter illustrates how analytic theory and practice could function subversively in contemporary American culture. This book is recommended for students and scholars of psychology, sociology, political science, cultural studies, and philosophy.

Large-Group Psychology

Large-Group Psychology
Author: Vamik Volkan
Publisher: Phoenix Publishing House
Total Pages: 192
Release: 2020-06-01
Genre: Psychology
ISBN: 1912691663

2021 Gradiva Award Winner Following the deadly 2017 white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, numerous recent, and fatal, attacks on mosques, churches, and synagogues occurring worldwide, and increasing totalitarianism and paranoia spreading through many countries, Dr Vamik Volkan could no longer ignore the urge to write a new book about large-group problems. In many countries, people are asking the metaphorical question "Who are we now?" and coming up with seemingly opposite answers. This book looks into the reasons why this is happening. With a summary of Sigmund Freud's ideas about large groups - which focus on the individual - Dr Volkan builds on this base to explain what large-group psychology is in its own right and applies it to present-day society. How it develops in adulthood, the psychology of decision-making and political leader/follower relationships, political propaganda, and exaggerated narcissism in leaders are all examined. We are all members of at least one large group. Looking into large-group identity provides background data for investigating the spread of racism, authoritarian regimes, malignant political propaganda, wall building, and interferences with democratic processes and human rights issues. Large-Group Psychology: Racism, Societal Divisions, Narcissistic Leaders and Who We Are Now is the perfect book for those questioning what is happening in society today and why.

A Psychoanalytic Study of Political Leadership in the United States and Russia

A Psychoanalytic Study of Political Leadership in the United States and Russia
Author: Karyne E. Messina
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
Total Pages: 115
Release: 2024-05-20
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 1040019447

A Psychoanalytic Study of Political Leadership in the United States and Russia: Searching for Truth provides psychoanalytic insight into the motives of this complex and contradictory figure. The contributors, from different professional and academic backgrounds, use a range of methods including quantitative research and literary analysis to shed light on Putin’s background, outlook and current actions. Reflecting a range of perspectives on how Putin’s background may have informed his beliefs and his actions, particularly with respect to the invasion of Ukraine, the book brings together diverse viewpoints. A Psychoanalytic Study of Political Leadership in the United States and Russia will be of great interest to psychoanalysts and to readers seeking to understand the complex dynamics of populist leadership.

A Psychoanalytic Understanding of Trauma

A Psychoanalytic Understanding of Trauma
Author: Joseph Fernando
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
Total Pages: 253
Release: 2022-12-16
Genre: Psychology
ISBN: 1000807053

A Psychoanalytic Understanding of Trauma presents a theory of the nature of trauma and post-traumatic mental functioning based on the concept of the ‘zero process’. Joseph Fernando presents a novel, comprehensive, and clinically useful theory of trauma. The author first presents theories of trauma and describes the zero process, related to the breakdown of various ego functions, such as memory and integration, during trauma. Rather than replacing Freud’s ideas of the primary process and repression, Fernando expands on the idea of the mind to include both types of functioning, identifies how they can be differentiated, and examines the different therapeutic techniques they require. He also considers how trauma impacts the construction of reality, the role of human development, the relation of trauma and borderline disorders, and the development of therapeutic technique. Through the unique illustration and narration of cases of three patients, Fernando presents conceptual and clinical innovations. A Psychoanalytic Understanding of Trauma will be of great interest to psychoanalysts and psychoanalytic psychotherapists in practice and in training.

Dissecting the Superego

Dissecting the Superego
Author: Celia Harding
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 231
Release: 2018-12-07
Genre: Psychology
ISBN: 1351117084

Dissecting the Superego: Moralities Under the Psychoanalytic Microscope offers a comprehensive overview of how the superego, the workings of our moral faculties, may be understood and clinically utilised in contemporary practice. Drawing on the latest psychoanalytic thinking – as well as neurobiological, psychological and ethical perspectives- this book reinstates the superego as a central concept, and gives a clear guide to its importance in the modern world. In addition to the theoretical background of this construct, the contributors provide a clear guide to the importance of the superego in a range of pathological and everyday scenarios, and particularly in clinical settings. With an emphasis on the wider social and cultural context, Dissecting the Superego: Moralities Under the Psychoanalytic Microscope will be of interest to trainee and qualified psychotherapists, social workers, youth offender and probation workers and ethicists.

Author:
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Total Pages: 305
Release:
Genre:
ISBN: 0192661450

Who Am I?

Who Am I?
Author: Miguel Angel Gonzalez-Torres
Publisher: Karnac Books
Total Pages: 419
Release: 2024-10-17
Genre: Psychology
ISBN: 1800132247

Identity as a concept does not appear in psychoanalysis until the work of Erik Erikson in the 1950s, but today it is considered a key factor in understanding individuals and groups. It is a concept of enormous complexity, encompassing biological aspects, internalised object representations that determine the inner world of the subject, and relational aspects in the real world. Answering the question, 'Who am I really?' is a task that can span a lifetime. Constructing one's own identity involves social, cognitive-rational, and unconscious processes. These elements underpin the answer to this question and its corollary, 'What is my value?' As we move from looking at individuals in isolation to looking at groups, we are also confronted with processes of identity construction and repair - this time group identities - through movements in which sexuality and its expression in the group play a major role. This volume begins by exploring how issues of identity underlie many of the phenomena that attract our attention today, both as clinicians and as citizens. It opens with social and political phenomena such as nationalism, where identity issues are most evident, and then looks at individual nations, such as Spain, and their difficulty in maintaining a valuable identity shared by its citizens. This is followed by an analysis of some aspects of social violence and the response to it, electoral processes and the manipulation of citizens, and also the impact on personal and group identity of the contemporary dynamics in large corporations, where double-speak and the infantilisation of employees have become commonplace. In the second part, Miguel Angel Gonzalez-Torres reflects on how we can understand the sexual functioning of individuals and groups from an identity perspective, emphasising the role of female sexuality as a sentinel element that signals deep group identity dynamics. Gender identities and the social response to new proposals and attitudes in this area, the contrast between desire and submission, and the under-explored complexity of the father's role in the contemporary family unit also require a look at the role of individual and collective identity. Finally, the focus is on artistic creation. Mythical authors and mythical works always have an impact on personal and even social identity. Many cinematographic works presuppose that the authors are searching for an answer to the question of identity: who am I? Or rather, who are we? The book concludes with a reflection on the reparative effect that the urban landscape can have on citizens, through buildings and urban plans that relate to people and respond to their desires, both conscious and unconscious. The book proposes a journey through these three main areas, reflecting on the importance of the construction and repair of individual and collective identity in our lives as social beings, in our attitudes to sexuality and desire, and in our dual role as creators and viewers of art. It is the perfect book for curious minds.

How to Flourish as a Psychotherapist

How to Flourish as a Psychotherapist
Author: Brett Kahr
Publisher: Phoenix Publishing House
Total Pages: 240
Release: 2018-11-16
Genre: Psychology
ISBN: 1912691035

How do you develop a truly rich and rewarding career in psychotherapy? How can you find joy in such painful work? How do you develop your skills in the field? How can you conquer your creative inhibitions? In short, how do you flourish as a psychotherapist? Brett Kahr answers these questions, and so many more, in his brilliant new book, painting a frank portrait of the life of the psychotherapist. Taking the reader through the life cycle of the therapist, he offers lots of practical advice, from assessing one’s suitability for the career, to managing one’s finances, to preparing for death. Kahr has produced a must-read, gripping account of how you can thrive in every respect in this complex and rewarding career. How to Flourish as a Psychotherapist should be required reading for every therapist, anyone considering taking up the career, and everyone who has ever wondered what kind of person becomes a therapist.