You do not currently have permission to view the full text for this document. Please sign in to an account with an active subscription or contact support.
Nancy Hollander's (1998) paper is both important and topical despite the fact that it refers to historical events which are not very recent. Its importance lies in the fact that it addresses the crucial facet of analytical theory and practice which relates to wider societal dimensions as well as to social action. This is a thorny facet which never loses its topicality because, as analysts, we constantly face the challenge as to how to reconcile our position in response to violations of freedom, human dignity and justice in socio-political contexts, outside our consulting rooms. Although her paper refers to the political turmoil and oppression in one specific region, that of Central and South America, the same challenge is posed wherever there are violations of human rights. Moreover, similar concerns exist in all societies at all times, in connection with relatively minor incidents and circumstances where, nevertheless, ethical and moral issues are at stake. In these situations, the principles remain the same, regardless of the scale and specificity of the occasion.
The dilemma we face in relation to this kind of challenge questions some fundamental assumptions about the nature of the analytical enterprise. Psychodynamic theories, as they are applied to traditional analytical settings, tend to be based on a paradigm which is predominantly formulated within a pathology/deficit model, and which emphasizes the intrapsychic dimension at the expense of the social realities. How, then, can theories and practices which emanate from such a paradigm be in a position to offer us anything of relevance in turbulent socio-political contexts?
In response to this challenge, Hollander turns to attachment theory with her own selective emphasis and modifications, which she presents in a personal, moving and poetic style. Her choice of attachment theory fits well with the material she discusses, and her selection of personal narratives of survivors and victims of oppression to illustrat