Freud and Culture by Eric Smadja

Freud and Culture by Eric Smadja

In this book Eric Smadja explores the representations of society and culture that Freud developed in the course of his work. Distinct from contemporary sociological and anthropological conceptions, they led to his construction of a personal socio-anthropology that was virulently criticised by the social sciences. But what exactly is meant here by 'culture' and 'society'? Do we mean Freud's own Viennese society or Western, 'civilised' society in general? In addition, Freud was interested in historical and 'primitive' societies from the evolutionist perspective of the British anthropologists of his time. This book considers the interrelationship between these different societies and cultures, and raises many questions. What constitutes a culture? What are its essential traits, its functions, its relationships with society, with nature, and with other aspects of 'reality' or of the 'external world'? How did Freud construct the idea of culture? What roles does culture play in the development of the individual, in the construction and functioning of his or her psyche? This book offers some answers and presents the Freudian central notion of Kulturarbeit, which is constructed from a strictly Freudian perspective.

Eric Smadja is a psychiatrist, a psychoanalyst, a member of the Societe psychanalytique de Paris and of the International Psychoanalytical Association (IPA), a couples psychoanalyst and also an anthropologist, and associate member of the American Anthropological Association. In 2007 he was awarded the IPA's Prize for 'Exceptional Contribution made to Psychoanalytical Research.' He is the author of various books, including 'Laughter' (2011); 'The Oedipus Complex' (2009); 'The Human Couple: A Multidimensional History' (2011); and 'Couples in Psychoanalysis' (2013).

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9781782202080
ISBN 10	1782202080
Title	Freud and Culture
Author	Eric Smadja
Series	The International Psychoanalytical Association Psychoanalytic Ideas And Applications Series
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Paperback
Publisher	Routledge
Year published	2015-03-25
Number of pages	208
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.