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.
The nature and function of idealization have been closely defined within the over-all framework of the psychoanalytic theory of socialization and of social psychology. Idealizations mediate between an individual's drive-related wishes and the cultural tradition. Mitscherlich-Nielsen distinguishes between the progressive and regressive functions of idealizations which occur in the psychic economy of individuals and collectivities, and details the significance of idealizations for political action. She illustrates her