Psychoanalytic Culture: Psychoanalytic Discourse in Western Society

The language of psychoanalysis has irrevocably shaped 20th Century culture in countless ways. In this major book, Ian Parker provides a fascinating and accessible overview of the place of this extraordinary intellectual movement in our culture today. Parker systematically reviews the key psychoanalytic theories while exploring throughout their significance to modern life. Freud and object relations theory is directed toward group processes, religion, and war; the Frankfurt School is used to examine modern individuality, authoritarianism and changes in culture, and the Lacanian tradition to account for language, representation and self-improvement. The theoretical analysis incorporates throughout the work of key figures ranging from Adorno, Habermas, and Fromm to Klein, Kristeva, Winnicott, and Zizek. Psychoanalytic Culture is a magnificent exploration of themes that lie at the heart of contemporary society. It will be essential reading for students and academics in psychoanalysis, psychotherapy, psychology, sociology and cultural studies.