In this book the authors develop the theory of the tripartite matrix, consider music as a form of non-verbal communication as a sub-dimension of the matrix, and to present empirical studies of the matrices of peoples in three societies in the Middle-East. The first volume of this series addressed the group analytic theory of the social unconscious, attempting to clarify the definition of the concept itself, indicating some of its main elements, and comparing it to the Jungian collective unconscious, the Morenoian co-unconscious, and to the study of the link and the bond by Pichon-Rivière (Hopper & Weinberg, 2011). The second volume considered the socio-cultural transmission of myths, and presented several empirical studies of the foundation matrices of contemporary societies, emphasising the importance of social trauma and the continuing consequences of them (Hopper & Weinberg, 2016). The study of these three volumes will provide an appreciation of the depth and breadth of this field of enquiry, which is at the very heart of the project of Group Analysis. Reviews and Endorsements: "This outstanding collection of essays from clinicians and academics of international renown in the fields of group analysis, psychoanalysis, and sociology, addresses the social unconscious in depth and breadth. Especially important is the focus on theory as well as illustrations of it in reference to Europe and the Middle East."
- Frances Griffiths, group analyst and executive coach, and chair of the Board of Trustees, Institute of Group Analysis, UK "A great book! A very productive international scientific team provides us with the state-of-the-art theory of the social unconscious, as well as timely illustrations of it, with special reference to peoples and societies in the Middle East. In the tradition of Norbert Elias and S.H. Foulkes, this highly civilized book is a working tool for scientists and a fascinating,
informative text for students and colleagues alike."
- Pieter Hutz, diploma sociologist, training group analyst, and chair of Deutsche Gesellschaft für Gruppenanalyse und Gruppenpsychotherapie "With new perspectives and further conceptualisation of the social unconscious and the foundation matrix, this volume combines in-depth theoretical discussions with empirical studies and analyses, which contribute to an enhanced understanding of the concepts and their applications – not least to the complex socio-political processes of peoples and societies in the Middle East. Well written by authors of high international standing in the field of group analysis, their contributions will be important for my colleagues in the world of group psychotherapy and the study of group processes."
- Thor Kristian Island, MD, psychiatrist, group analyst, former director of the Institute of Group Analysis, Norway, and member of the board of the Int'l. Assoc. for Group Psychotherapy and Processes "Once again, the scope and richness of the social unconscious is revealed. In weaving together many theoretical threads from group analysis, psychoanalysis, and sociology, the study of the matrix is indeed extended and re-configured. Essential hypotheses are illustrated. The importance of patterns of non-verbal communication is recognized. This book is essential for the formation of scholars and clinicians."
- Carla Penna, PhD, psychoanalyst, group analyst in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and past president of the Brazilian Association of Group Psychotherapy Table of Contents: Acknowledgements
About the Editors and Contributors
Introduction—Earl Hopper and Haim Weinberg Part I: Theory
1) The concepts of the social unconscious and of the matrix in the work of S. H. Foulkes—Dieter Nitzgen and Earl Hopper
2) The fluid and the solid—or the dynamic and the static: some further thoughts about the conceptualisation of foundation matrices, processes of the social unconscious, and/or large group identities—Regine Scholz
3) The national habitus: steps towards reintegrating sociology and group analysis—Gad Yair
4) The inner organisation of the matrix—Juan Tubert-Oklander Part II: Non-Verbal Communication
5) The unbearable appeal of totalitarianism and the collective self: an inquiry into the social nature of non-verbal communication—Helena Klímová
6) The musical foundation matrix: communicative musicality as a mechanism for the transmission and elaboration of co-created unconscious social processes—Linde Wotton Part III: Empirical Studies of the Social Unconscious and the Dynamic and Foundation Matrices of Middle Eastern Peoples and Societies
7) The social unconscious of Israeli Jews: described and analysed by an Israeli living in North America—Haim Weinberg
8) “Black holes” as a collective defence against shared fears of annihilation in a small therapy group and in its contextual society—Yael Doron
9) The social unconscious of the Palestinian people—Sa’ed Tali
10) “After the last sky”: Palestine, Palestinians, social memory—Martin Weegmann
11) The social unconscious of the Egyptian people: an application of some of the ideas of Bion and Klein—Mohamed Taha
12) Fundamental terror of ISIS: the story of a reversed family—Eran Shadach, Shulamit Geller, Yoram Schweitzer, and Einav Yogev Epilogue
Index About the Editors: Earl Hopper, PhD, is a psychoanalyst, group analyst, certified group therapist, and organisational consultant in private practice in London. A Distinguished Fellow of the American Group Psychotherapy Association, an Honorary Member of the Group Analytic Society International, and an Honorary Member of the Institute of Group Analysis, he is a supervisor and training analyst for many psychotherapy organizations in England. He is alos a former President of the International Association for Group Psychotherapy and Group Processes (IAGP), and a former Chairman of the Association of Independent Psychoanalysts of the British Psychoanalytical Society. Haim Weinberg, PhD, is a psychologist, group analyst, and certified group therapist in private practice. He teaches at the Wright Institute, Berkeley, and the Alliant International University, Sacramento, as well as leading a group psychotherapy Doctoral Program at the professional School of psychology, Sacramento. He is a past President of the Israeli Group Psychotherapy Association, and the president-elect of the Northern Group Psychotherapy Society. |
