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New Books in Psychoanalysis

New Books in Psychoanalysis

By: Marshall Poe
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 Interviews with Scholars of Psychoanalysis about their New Books Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/psychoanalysisNew Books Network Science
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Episodes
  • Psychoanalytic Defenses and the Battle Over America's Classrooms

    Psychoanalytic Defenses and the Battle Over America's Classrooms
    May 6 2025
    This episode delves into the intense conflicts surrounding race, history, and education in America, asking why classrooms have become such volatile battlegrounds. Moving beyond surface-level political or ideological debates, two psychoanalysts, Drs. Karyne Messina and Felecia Powell-Williams apply some of the tools of psychoanalysis to uncover the deeper, often unconscious, psychological forces at play. The discussion explores how the enduring legacy of racism in the United States, particularly the unacknowledged weight of historical trauma and guilt related to anti-Blackness, fuels a societal "War on Knowing." Central to this analysis are the defense mechanisms mobilized, both individually and collectively, to ward off the psychic pain associated with confronting uncomfortable truths. The episode focuses particularly on Denial, examining its manifestation not just as simple lack of knowledge, but as an active refusal to acknowledge the ongoing realities of systemic racism, its historical roots, and its contemporary impact. This denial serves to protect a cherished, often idealized, national or group identity from information that would create profound dissonance and distress. Furthermore, the discussion explores the powerful role of Splitting and Projective Identification. These complex mechanisms involves unconscious splitting of people into good and bad groups followed by casting off unwanted or unbearable aspects of the self or the group (such as guilt, aggression, or vulnerability related to racism) while attributing them to the external 'other' – be it individuals, groups, or institutions. The target is then subtly induced to feel or behave in line with the projection, allowing the projector to disavow these difficult feelings while simultaneously controlling or attacking the externalized 'badness'. In the context of racism, this can manifest as projecting blame, divisiveness, or even racism itself onto those advocating for racial justice or onto institutions perceived as challenging dominant narratives. The episode argues that this "War on Knowing," driven by defenses like Denial and Projective Identification, plays out with particular ferocity in educational settings. Prestigious universities like Harvard and Columbia, often seen as centers of knowledge production and increasingly engaging with their own complex histories, including ties to slavery, become potent symbolic targets. Actions directed at these institutions – such as investigations into admissions policies (affirmative action), attacks on diversity initiatives, or challenges to curricula addressing systemic racism (like Critical Race Theory) – can be understood from a psychoanalytic perspective. Listeners will hear an exploration of the profound psychological costs of this ongoing battle: the invalidation and potential re-traumatization experienced by students of color, the fragile and incomplete understanding fostered in white students shielded by these defenses. Ultimately, the episode suggests that meaningful progress requires moving beyond mere factual debate or political maneuvering. It calls for recognizing these powerful unconscious dynamics and fostering approaches rooted in the psychoanalytic concept of "working through" – creating spaces capable of containing the difficult emotions associated with confronting historical truths, rather than perpetuating cycles of defense, projection, and acting out. This psychoanalytic perspective offers a crucial, if challenging, lens for comprehending the deep-seated resistance to fully knowing and reckoning with racism in America. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/psychoanalysis
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    36 mins
  • Gohar Homayounpour, "Persian Blues, Psychoanalysis and Mourning" (Routledge, 2022)

    Gohar Homayounpour, "Persian Blues, Psychoanalysis and Mourning" (Routledge, 2022)
    Apr 21 2025
    In this episode, Matthew Pieknik and Christopher Russell speak with Gohar Homayounpour about her book Persian Blues, Psychoanalysis and Mourning (Routledge, 2023) Psychoanalysis is, Homayounpour tells us early in the interview, “a profession for dreamers, for people who don't know what to do with themselves. for freaks. This is not a profession for people in suits at universities who have a clear idea of the status quo. It's the absolute opposite. It's the carnival, you know, it's still unofficial, it's the subversive because that's the discourse of the unconscious. But this is a dangerous business, you know, and it should be for both analytic subjects in the room. I'm in favor of absence. I'm in favor of disturbance. I'm in favor of pollution and darkness. I think these are things that need to be celebrated.” In Persian Blues, Psychoanalysis and Mourning, Gohar Homayounpour plays a theme and variations on loss, love, and family against the backdrop of Iran’s chaotic recent past. Homayounpour is simultaneously Shahrzad, the fearless storyteller, and Shahrzad’s analyst: subjecting fairy tales to fierce new insights, while weaving an indigo thread through her own devastation on the death of her father and the wonders and horrors of motherhood. A blue thread, or melody, runs though the separations and emigrations of her family and patients driven or broken apart by war, and likewise through the fraught world inhabited by Persian women. This book breaks new psychoanalytic ground, offering a radical rejection of traditional clichés about Iran, and Iranian women, but its unsparing elegance transcends any political agenda, bridging the ocean of a shared and tragic humanity. Persian Blues, Psychoanalysis and Mourning will be of great interest to psychoanalysts and psychoanalytically informed readers, as well as those interested in grief, Iran, and women’s experiences. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/psychoanalysis
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    1 hr and 27 mins
  • What it Means to Forget

    What it Means to Forget
    Apr 4 2025
    The recent removal of information about Black, Indigenous, and female military personnel from the Arlington National Cemetery’s website exemplifies how cancel culture intersects with broader societal dynamics, particularly in the context of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. Under directives from the Department of Defense, pages highlighting notable veterans, such as Colin Powell, Jackie Roberson and members of the Tuskegee Airmen were deleted. These actions align with executive orders targeting DEI efforts in federal agencies, raising concerns about historical erasure and its implications for marginalized groups. This form of cancel culture—removing or altering narratives—reflects a modern-day example of erasure as a defense mechanism. Psychoanalytic theory offers insights into this phenomenon, particularly through concepts like repression and the “return of the repressed.” Erasure can be seen as a defense against confronting uncomfortable truths about systemic inequities or historical injustices. By eliminating these narratives from public platforms, institutions may unconsciously attempt to suppress collective guilt or discomfort. However, Freud’s theory suggests that repressed material often resurfaces in unintended ways, potentially fueling collective anger or demands for accountability. Other psychoanalytic defenses also play a role in cancel culture. Projection involves attributing one’s own insecurities or biases onto others, which can manifest in public condemnation of individuals or groups perceived as embodying those traits. Rationalization allows individuals or institutions to justify their actions—such as removing historical content—under the guise of compliance with executive orders or policy changes. Displacement, another mechanism, shifts focus from systemic issues (e.g., structural racism) to surface-level actions like website edits, thereby avoiding deeper engagement with societal problems. Cancel culture extends beyond institutional actions to broader societal trends. Modern examples include public figures like Andrew Cuomo and Chris Brown navigating cancellations and subsequent comebacks. These cases highlight how cancel culture can sometimes lose its potency over time, especially when individuals retain strong support bases. Social media platforms have also relaxed moderation policies, allowing previously banned accounts to return, which reflects shifting attitudes toward cancel practices. Ultimately, understanding cancel culture through psychoanalytic mechanisms reveals its complex interplay between societal norms and individual psychology. Erasure as a defense may temporarily shield institutions from scrutiny but risks perpetuating cycles of repression and backlash. Addressing these dynamics requires fostering empathy and critical dialogue to prevent harmful patterns of exclusion and suppression. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/psychoanalysis
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    48 mins

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