The Social Unconscious and the Herd

NEWS , ANALYSIS , OPINION FOR THE PSYCHOANALYTIC COMMUNITY ISSUE 20 SPRING 2016 Thinking Time to Training Societal about get out of and the collapse retirement our heads psychiatric 4 6 10placement 16 Similarly, the fascist leader, as described or reflection. Since the analysts or in ‘Freudian Theory and the Pattern of psychoanalytically informed theorists are Fascist Propaganda’, is distinguished from part of the same society in which these The social the followers in expressing more freely meanings are embedded, and in which the drives which incite the member of the many of the same things are taken for crowd to follow, in being less inhibited granted and remain unquestioned; and in voicing what is latent in them, thereby since they take part in the same social unconscious allowing them the vicarious gratification unconscious, they are not necessarily of merging with this passion. in a better position than anyone else to spot dehumanising practices of which and the herd Authoritarian populist movements they are part. I have elsewhere described construe immigrants, refugees, asylum how we can refer to condensation and seekers, black people, Roma and Muslims displacement, and other characteristics By Lene Auestad as enemies, threats to one’s community of primary process logic, as unfolding in and one’s ‘way of life’. The ‘other’ is public space when people are portrayed depicted in dehumanising terms as as masses and become mere objects of diseases, insects or vermin that threaten discourse, and when groups are depicted E ARE LIVING in dark Or: why this individual, rather than to destroy the body politic. In other words, as inwardly homogenous entities that times. Right-wing another, could be asked of the leader or as fundamental anxieties to do with are rigidly distinct. For instance, white populist movements of the follower of a right-wing populist, the destruction of one’s self, or attacks middle-class people in this society are spreading and nationalist movement; another question on one’s body, which are exploited for habitually displace racism onto white Wgaining in power throughout Europe and to which psychoanalysis could contribute. the political purposes of reinforcing a working-class people and perceive it as beyond. These are shocking and A further question, why is this particular nation-state as an imagined closed unit a quality belonging over there. This is frightening days. category of people being targeted today, which successfully expels ‘foreign bodies’, allowed for because it is a shared social is one that is better answered by current pollutants or difference. structure of displacement, supported and One of the foremost promises in Donald social conditions, by relations of power. not questioned by social practices. Thus Trump’s electoral campaign was that In other words, the fantasies involved knowledge and experience of unconscious he would erect a wall on the border in prejudices against ‘others’, in social ‘What is dynamics as such, though important, is with Mexico and have Mexico pay stigmatisation and denigration, in ideas pathological today in itself insufficient without genuine and for it. Hungary did raise a fence with of what constitutes the qualities of the ‘us’ equal encounters with social positions, barbed wire last autumn on its border and the ‘them’ are remarkably constant may become the environments and practices. to Serbia and Croatia. While refugees – though the targets vary in time and in dominant trend of were drowning in the Mediterranean last space. The new nationalisms’ answer to a felt spring and the party voted to deny access tomorrow.’ need for belonging, significance and to Syrian refugees, the politician of the Rather than understanding the current security is an imagined unit which has populist right-wing Progress Party in political mood of increasing nationalism In one sense, psychoanalysis is in a unique the features of an ‘I’ made ‘we’, replacing Norway, Per Sandberg, sported a t-shirt and ethnocentrism, of idealisation of what position when it comes to understanding individual narcissism with group with a picture of an anchor displaying the the nation-state has defined as falling and interpreting such discourses, due to narcissism. Togetherness is allowed for text ‘good journey – sea adventure’. within the boundaries of the ‘we’, and the the unconscious meanings they draw upon in so far as the members of the in-group denigration of those defined as ‘others’ and exploit. Though this is complicated are imagined as being all the same, and What can psychoanalytic thinking as exemplifying pathology in contrast to when we reflect on the fact that these contribute to understanding such a perceived normality, I propose to see meanings are socially embedded in Continues over the page phenomena? What constitutes its these tendencies as qualities of the social everyday practices, in social norms and fruitfulness and what are its limitations? unconscious of these societies. The point is standards for what and whom counts, I would like to argue that psychoanalytic not that characterising certain extremists and who is not worthy of attention thinking is indeed invaluable when it as mad or ill in some ways is entirely comes to grasping what is at stake in wrong; it may indeed often be fitting. The such political movements, and that it point is rather that focusing one’s is a tragedy that its insights have been attention here may distract lost from mainstream social science, from a more serious issue indeed are avoided by it. At the same – the spread of attitudes time I would like to caution against previously thought of as a too uncritical reliance on some of extremist in the general its individualist assumptions when population. When that confronted with social phenomena. happens traits that used to be seen as ‘abnormal’ In witnessing these contemporary become normal in the sense manifestations, of shutting out, of being common, and their general humiliating and mocking a threatening social acceptance makes them recede other – an imagined other in so far as from view. To paraphrase Adorno the subject who does it is concerned, et. al., personality patterns that have but with real consequences of suffering been dismissed as pathological because and ultimately death for those who are they diverge from the manifest trends or targeted, what are the questions we dominant ideas in a society have turned would want to ask? Perhaps, what fears or out to be but exaggerations of what was fantasies are played on in the rhetoric of almost universal below the surface. Thus the politicians who enforce these agendas, what is pathological today may, with would be a highly relevant question to ask, changes in social conditions, become the and one that psychoanalysis is supremely dominant trend of tomorrow. equipped to explore, and (therefore) often left out in debates today. 2 NEW ASSOCIATIONS ISSUE 20 SPRING 2 0 1 6 Richard Sherry, in a challenging article, As well as taking the profession’s messages Editorial asks us to think how we address the to policy makers and politicians, a key profession’s often indifference to these role for the BPC is to support registrants societal issues; ‘to transform the very in their day-to-day clinical work. One privileged training we have received area we are increasingly recognising is to better apply these to the real world the issue of our ageing profession and problems.’ A theme of course that New retirement. This provokes very real A precarious Associations returns to regularly – anxieties for many of our registrants, and how do we articulate a voice for the Gill Barratt, Georgina Hardie, Judith profession in the wider political debate Philo and Ruth Pitman thoughtfully and policy making arena? How do we explore this sensitive issue in their joint balance get to Lene Auestad’s position where article. our psychoanalytic stance, with its focus on reflection, is seen as a much needed We are currently developing a range By Gary Fereday insight when Britain’s education system is of ‘good practice’ guides that are likely moving in the opposite direction, focusing to cover a range of issues that includes on efficiency and less thought? dealing with retirement as well as other concerns such as: clinical records and data HIS EDITION of New to say to policy makers, academics and ‘How well do protection; implications of the Equalities Associations carries its professionals from other disciplines. Act; and child protection. usual diverse range of we understand articles designed to provoke We face huge challenges as a global the intersection In many ways the BPC’s diverse work thoughtT and debate. The articles are society: on the political right we have a US mirrors the complexity and diversity of varied in their themes but there is a presidential candidate appearing to stoke between the articles in this edition, many of which challenge posed as to how psychoanalysis, up fear of ‘others’, with talk of building reflect on the theme of precarity. The with its focus on the individual and the walls to keep the ‘other’ out; on the left we individual, the precarious balance we have to strike to inner world, can and should relate better have North Korea aggressively parading group, a system ensure that we simultaneously support to the outer world and societal factors that its missile technology, presumably to and critically review the potential that affect individuals. mask the dire economic reality of day- and society?’ psychoanalytic thinking can add to to-day life of its citizens; and (surely wider societal issues, as well as support Lene Auestad argues that not only has dwarfing other concerns) we have climate With relatively limited resources (we are individual registrants in the complex job psychoanalytic thinking been lost from change scientists gathering data that a profession that is small in numbers) the of working with their clients, results in mainstream social science, but is even suggests our world is warming up at an BPC is working hard to respond to the a rich and dynamic mix of possibilities avoided by it.

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