67th Annual Conference

Friday, February 26

Session 311

The Social Unconscious: Theory and Practice

Chair:                    

Dieter Nitzgen, M.A., Dip.Ed., Private Practice, Freiberg, Germany

Panelists:

Stephanie Fariss, JD, LCSW, Private Practice, Chicago, Illinois

Marina Mojovic, M.A., Private Practice, Belgrade, Serbia

Carla Penna, M.A., Private Practice, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

 The social unconscious refers to the existence and constraints of social, cultural and communicational arrangements of which people are unaware. It is the co-constructed shared unconscious of members of a certain social system and includes shared anxieties, fantasies, defenses, myths, and memories. In this open session we will explain what the social unconscious means and distinguish it from Jung's collective unconscious. Two of the presenters will bring examples of manifestations of the social unconscious from the societies: Brazil and Serbia.

Learning Objectives:

The attendee will be able to:

1. Define the social unconscious.

2. Distinguish the social unconscious from Jung's collective unconscious.

3. Apply the social unconscious to specific societies.

Course References:

Dalal, F. (2001). The Social Unconscious: A Post-Foulkesian Perspective. Group Analysis 34(4): 539–555.

Hopper, E. (1996). 'The Social Unconscious in Clinical Work', Group 20(1): 7–42.

Hopper, E. (2001). 'The Social Unconscious: Theoretical Considerations', Group Analysis 34(1): 9–27.

Jung, C. G. (1959/1980). The Concept of the Collective Unconscious; Collected Works, vol. 9, part 1, para. 87-110. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.

Weinberg, H. (2007) So What Is This Social Unconscious Anyway? Group Analysis, 40(1). pp. 35-49.