To be or not to be three: a clinical narrative, an unanswered question

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 113-128
Author(s):  
Jill Savege Scharff
Keyword(s):  
Family Of Origin ◽  
Social Research ◽  
Couple Relationship ◽  
Unanswered Question ◽  
The Unconscious ◽  
Potential Child ◽  
Psychoanalytic Literature ◽  
Clinical Narrative ◽  
Psychoanalytic Understanding ◽  
Psychoanalytic Writing

The psychoanalytic literature deals with parenthood as a developmental stage but barely addresses the couple's preconception of fertility intentions. The author reviews the available literature from social research and psychoanalytic writing. Working with a couple over family of origin conflicts, she uncovers the hidden conflict over the wish to have or not have a child, reveals unconscious fantasies about the potential child, and deals with conflict in the otherwise compatible couple relationship itself. The author offers this clinical vignette to extend psychoanalytic understanding of the unconscious fantasies involved. She concludes with a discussion of transference towards the couple therapist as an infection to be avoided, an annoying parent to speed away from, and a disturbing child about whom the couple was ambivalent.

The Racist Enjoyments and Fantasies of International Development

2020 ◽  
pp. 236-264
Author(s):  
Ilan Kapoor
Keyword(s):  
International Development ◽  
White Supremacy ◽  
The Unconscious ◽  
Psychoanalytic Understanding ◽  
The Many ◽  
Definition Of

This chapter explores racist enjoyments and fantasies of international development. The small size of the literature on racism in international development is revealing of the relative silence on the issue in this field. There is repeated exclamation in this same literature about such silence, yet with nary a reference to the unconscious. What appears to be missing is precisely a psychoanalytic understanding of this silence. Although scholars underline a general reticence in talking about racism in development, they proceed to speak about it even so, pointing out the many ways in which it manifests. Yet it seems difficult to understand how racism can be both denied and furtively confessed without recourse to the notion of the unconscious. In fact, “a silence that nonetheless speaks” is the very psychoanalytic definition of the unconscious. Moreover, what remains unexplained is why such racism cannot be publicly or “officially” uttered. Could it be because the racism that supports development is obscene? Is it because development is sustained, willy-nilly, by alluring (unconscious) fantasies of domination and white supremacy, with the result that people actually enjoy racism? Is this why racism cannot be easily admitted (or eliminated)?

Recurring Thoughts on Unconscious Ego Resistances

1992 ◽  
Vol 40 (4) ◽  
pp. 1089-1115 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fred Busch
Keyword(s):  
The Unconscious ◽  
The Past ◽  
Resistance Analysis ◽  
Psychoanalytic Understanding

Analysis of the unconscious ego resistances is one of those clinical concepts more honored in the breach than in the observance. This same point has been made periodically over the past fifty years. It has not been sufficiently realized that a true psychoanalytic understanding of resistance analysis could only begin with Freud's second theory of anxiety. Freud himself never fully embraced this theory, and clinical contributions since then have varied in their ability to use the techniques inherent in the second theory of anxiety. Recent contributions to the literature have not eliminated the espousal of theories of resistance based on earlier views of anxiety. Reasons cited for this include: the ambiguities in Freud's writing, the direction of the early ego theorists, and proclivities toward deeper interpretations.

scholarly journals Jokes, the unconscious and social subjectivity: from the “latent narratives” to the groupal bond

2016 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 24
Author(s):  
Marc Barbeta ◽  
María Jesús Izquierdo Benito
Keyword(s):  
Social Context ◽  
Focus Groups ◽  
Group Dynamics ◽  
Social Research ◽  
Discussion Group ◽  
The Other ◽  
The Unconscious ◽  
Research Material ◽  
The One ◽  
Methodological Reflection

The purpose of this paper is to propose a psychosociological approach to the configuration of human bonds, on the one hand, and a methodological reflection on the analysis, on the other. The bonds are analyzed in their less explicit side, in order to reveal those emotional and representational elements which tend to express themselves an unclear and obscure way. The empirical research material has been a set of jokes told in different focus groups, with participants located in similar social positions. We analysed the associative chains developed in group dynamics, presenting methodological schemes for each particular analysis. The “latent accounts” arising from the analysis of each discussion group exhibit significant differences which are expressive of link models specific to each social context. Additionally, the phenomenon of the joke is confirmed as a valuable tool for social research.

The Psychic Economy and Fetishization of Traumatic Lived Experience

2018 ◽  
pp. 195-220
Author(s):  
Peter Capretto
Keyword(s):  
Lived Experience ◽  
Social Research ◽  
Social Relation ◽  
Philosophy Of Religion ◽  
Continental Philosophy ◽  
Traumatic Experience ◽  
Double Bind ◽  
Ethical Standards ◽  
Philosophy And Religion ◽  
Psychoanalytic Understanding

Trauma theorists have thoroughly named the impossibility of adequately witnessing to the traumatic experience of others. Yet the demand of trauma researchers to study and advocate on behalf of survivors leaves them in a double bind, wherein lowering the ethical standards of their social relation appears not only tempting, but necessary. Through examinations of Freud’s psychoanalytic understanding of the psychic economy of trauma and Heidegger’s phenomenological critique of the concept of lived experience, this chapter argues that trauma theorists in philosophy and religion must be attentive to the fetishization of the traumatic lived experience of others, specifically as a libidinal symptom of our inevitable failure to satisfy the impossible demands of witnessing. This more quotidian attention to our psychic motivation supplements the transcendent task of conceptually understanding the psychic exteriority of others in trauma, thereby elevating the ethical standards the continental philosophy of religion sets for social research into trauma.

scholarly journals Coparenting in the family of origin and new parents’ couple relationship functioning.

2018 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 206-216 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jia Yan ◽  
Anna Olsavsky ◽  
Sarah J. Schoppe-Sullivan ◽  
Claire M. Kamp Dush
Keyword(s):  
Family Of Origin ◽  
Relationship Functioning ◽  
Couple Relationship ◽  
The Family
Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document