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.
As psychoanalytic theory evolved it became clear that, contrary to earlier hypotheses on personality development, closure was shifted to an ever later point, from the resolution of the oedipal phase to adolescence, until we finally arrived at the current view (influenced by Erik Erikson's work on the life cycle) where we don't talk of a closure point but rather of different developmental tasks at different phases of life, with a potential for continuous growth. With this came a growing acceptance of analysis in the later years of life. The volume under review focuses on the middle years (roughly late 30s to 60s), attempting to define the developmental tasks of this period, the problems that typically may arise, discussed from various angles (biological, psychological and sociological) and theoretical frameworks. It represents the major current trends in psychoanalytic thinking.
The book is divided into several parts: Theoretical Papers, Special Groups, The Biological-Psychoanalytic Interface, Clinical Papers and Applied Psychoanalysis. By the nature of such a review it is impossible to do complete justice to all the contributions. I therefore chose to focus on some highlights.
In the theoretical part we have representatives of the traditional instinct theory (Milton Horowitz), object-relations theory (Arnold Modell), and self-psychology (Paul Ornstein).
Dr Horowitz traces the persistence of core unconscious fantasies throughout life, without changes in the expression of the fantasy (in the form of its derivatives) with each developmental phase. He sees the persistent unconscious fantasy as a structure of the mind which is the basis for both character and symptom formation. He finds a typical resistance in middle age, in externalizing the conflict on marriage or the work situation. This is a lucid exposition illustrating how theory informs one's clinical work.
Dr Modell's paper is filled with his usual erudition and is densely argued. In line with his long-stan