The Cultural Complex : Contemporary Jungian Perspectives on Psyche and Society

How do cultural complexes affect the collective psyche? Based on Jung's theory of complexes, this book offers a new perspective on the psychological nature of conflicts between groups and cultures by introducing the concept of the cultural complex. This modern version of Jung's idea offers an original view of the forces that prevent human attempts to bring a peaceful, collaborative spirit to conflict between groups. Leading analysts and academics from a range of cultural backgrounds present their own perspective on the concept, demonstrating how the effects of cultural complexes can be felt in the behaviour of disenfranchised, oppressed and traumatised groups across the world. Ultimately, a clearer understanding of the source and nature of group conflict is reached through discussion of central subjects including: \* Collective trauma and cultural complexes\* Exploring racism: a clinical example of a cultural complex\* Cultural complexes in the history of Jung, Freud and their followers. The Cultural Complex represents a valuable contribution to analytical psychology and will undoubtedly also stimulate dialogue in the fields of sociology, political science and cultural studies. Book Cover......Page 1 Title......Page 4 Contents......Page 5 List of figures......Page 10 Notes on contributors......Page 12 Acknowledgements......Page 16 Introduction......Page 18 The cultural complex in the psyche of the group......Page 28 The cultural complex and archetypal defenses of the group spirit: Baby Zeus, Elian Gonzales, Constantine's Sword, and other holy wars (with special attention to ~the axis of evil~)......Page 30 Malinchismo: betraying one's own......Page 52 A long weekend: Alice Springs, Central Australia......Page 63 The foot-race for a prize......Page 79 When a religious archetype becomes a cultural complex: Puritanism in America......Page 81 Trauma and abuse: the development of a cultural complex in the history of Latin America......Page 95 Postmodern consciousness in the novels of Haruki Murakami: an emerging cultural complex......Page 107 Corruption: symptom of a cultural complex in Brazil?......Page 119 What does it mean to be in ~The West~? Psychotherapy as a cultural complex;~Foreign~ insights into ~domestic~ healing practices......Page 141 The cultural complex in the psyche of the group and the individual......Page 162 Collective trauma and cultural complexes......Page 164 Light the seven fires;seize the seven desires......Page 188 Cultural complexes in the history of Jung, Freud and their followers......Page 202 The cultural complex in the psyche of the individual: clinical cases......Page 214 A cultural complex operating in the overlap of clinical and cultural space......Page 216 Exploring racism: a clinical example of a cultural complex......Page 229 A clinical encounter with a cultural complex......Page 240 The cultural complex and individuation of the group......Page 254 Ubuntu;a contribution to the ~civilization of the universal~......Page 256 Towards a theory of organizational culture: integrating the ~other~ from a post-Jungian perspective......Page 268 On the politics of individuation in the Americas......Page 279 Index......Page 292 Social Sciences Book Cover 1 Title 4 Contents 5 List of figures 10 Notes on contributors 12 Acknowledgements 16 Introduction 18 The cultural complex in the psyche of the group 28 The cultural complex and archetypal defenses of the group spirit: Baby Zeus, Elian Gonzales, Constantine's Sword, and other holy wars (with special attention to ~the axis of evil~) 30 Malinchismo: betraying one's own 52 A long weekend: Alice Springs, Central Australia 63 The foot-race for a prize 79 When a religious archetype becomes a cultural complex: Puritanism in America 81 Trauma and abuse: the development of a cultural complex in the history of Latin America 95 Postmodern consciousness in the novels of Haruki Murakami: an emerging cultural complex 107 Corruption: symptom of a cultural complex in Brazil? 119 What does it mean to be in ~The West~? Psychotherapy as a cultural complex;~Foreign~ insights into ~domestic~ healing practices 141 The cultural complex in the psyche of the group and the individual 162 Collective trauma and cultural complexes 164 Light the seven fires;seize the seven desires 188 Cultural complexes in the history of Jung, Freud and their followers 202 The cultural complex in the psyche of the individual: clinical cases 214 A cultural complex operating in the overlap of clinical and cultural space 216 Exploring racism: a clinical example of a cultural complex 229 A clinical encounter with a cultural complex 240 The cultural complex and individuation of the group 254 Ubuntu;a contribution to the ~civilization of the universal~ 256 Towards a theory of organizational culture: integrating the ~other~ from a post-Jungian perspective 268 On the politics of individuation in the Americas 279 Index 292 How do cultural complexes affect the collective psyche?

Based on Jung's theory of complexes, this book offers a new perspective on the psychological nature of conflicts between groups and cultures by introducing theconcept of the cultural complex. This modern version of Jung's idea offers an original view of the forces that prevent human attempts to bring a peaceful, collaborative spirit to conflict between groups.

Leading analysts and academics from a range of cultural backgrounds present their own perspective on the concept, demonstrating how the effects of cultural complexes can be felt in the behaviour of disenfranchised, oppressed and traumatised groups across the world. Ultimately, a clearer understanding of the source and nature of group conflict is reached through discussion of central subjects including:

* Collective trauma and cultural complexes
* Exploring racism: a clinical example of a cultural complex
* Cultural complexes in the history of Jung, Freud and their followers.

The Cultural Complex represents a valuable contribution to analytical psychology and will undoubtedly also stimulate dialogue in the fields of sociology, political science and cultural studies.

"Based on Jung's theory of complexes, this book offers a new perspective on the psychological nature of conflicts between groups and cultures by introducing the concept of the cultural complex. This modern version of Jung's idea offers an original view of the forces that prevent human attempts to bring a peaceful, collaborative spirit to conflict between groups. The Cultural Complex represents a valuable contribution to analytical psychology and will undoubtedly also stimulate dialogue in the fields of sociology, political science and cultural studies."--Jacket Since the fall of the Berlin wall and the collapse of the binary world view of conflicting superpowers that it symbolized, an endless parade of ethnic, racial, religious, gender, national and regional factions have emerged on the world stage with their long simmering feuds bubbling over.