CRITICA

Margarita Cerejido, Karim Dajani, Orna Guralnik and Klaus Poppensieker presented papers, followed by a discussion by Stephen Seligman.

This panel reflects some of the richness of the current move to assert a “social psychoanalysis” as fully central and legitimate as an essential part of the analytic enterprise-theoretically and clinically.  All of the presenters stressed the priority of thinking of culture and social influences in our theories of personality organization, intrapsychic life and psychopathology and development.  This also means that social, historical, political-economic and cultural matters—past and present—deserve a central role in our interventions, to be taken up explicitly and specifically- not as secondary to some other set of dynamics (such as conflict, family history, fantasy).   This was applied specifically to “the infantile.”  Historical observations, clinical implications and case material were included.

Central questions about cultural matters such as gender, race, political tyranny and other kinds of power inequities were raised.  How can we best rethink our own theories to take the problematics of our cultures and political economies into account? How can analysis contribute to the general understanding of these issues?  What does, or should “psychoanalytic activism” mean?  

The historical-cultural perspective was also applied to our own institutions.  What are the obligations of analytic institutions and practitioners, and also analysis as a theory, to consider our social position and our effect on social welfare, including our relationship to prevailing social orders?  The panelists referred to various examples, including the German analytic organizations grappling with the history of Nazism that Klaus and his colleagues have shown us, the Caberniti affair in Brazil, the US (and other analytic groups) exclusion of LGBQT applicants and patients, etc. 

All the presenters currently live and practice analysis in the US, but have come to this country from other regions—Israel/Palestine/Lebanon, Western Europe, South America.  This likely contributes to a cosmopolitan sensibility and creative perspective on cultural and sociopolitical influences.  The strength of the panel thus suggests the vitalities of cultural diversity and the formidable and creative potentials and effects of immigration. 

The complete papers will be published in an upcoming issue of the International Journal of Applied Psychoanalytic Studies.