Social Trauma – An Interdisciplinary Textbook PDF
Preview Social Trauma – An Interdisciplinary Textbook
Andreas Hamburger Camellia Hancheva Vamık D. Volkan Editors Social Trauma – An Interdisciplinary Textbook Social Trauma - An Interdisciplinary Textbook Andreas Hamburger Camellia Hancheva • Vamık D. Volkan Editors Social Trauma – An Interdisciplinary Textbook Editors Andreas Hamburger Camellia Hancheva International Psychoanalytic University Department of Psychology Berlin Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski” Berlin, Germany Sofia, Bulgaria Vamık D. Volkan University of Virginia Charlottesville, VA, USA ISBN 978-3-030-47816-2 ISBN 978-3-030-47817-9 (eBook) https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-47817-9 © Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021 This work is subject to copyright. All rights are reserved by the Publisher, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilms or in any other physical way, and transmission or information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed. The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. The publisher, the authors, and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication. Neither the publisher nor the authors or the editors give a warranty, expressed or implied, with respect to the material contained herein or for any errors or omissions that may have been made. The publisher remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. This Springer imprint is published by the registered company Springer Nature Switzerland AG The registered company address is: Gewerbestrasse 11, 6330 Cham, Switzerland Introduction Despite all progress in civilization and technology, collective violence has re- emerged over and again throughout history, afflicting large social groups and leav- ing traumatic scars not only in the individual survivors’ mental life but also in the collective memories of the involved groups. Social trauma influences group iden- tity; it shapes individual and collective coping processes as well as transgenera- tional transmission. The sequelae of violence targeted against whole groups may embrace psychopathological symptoms in both victims and perpetrators that differ substantially from general traumatic symptoms, but specifically these sociotrau- matic experiences afflict also whole social environments. Thus, social traumatiza- tions must be understood and treated in a wider conceptual frame, connecting clinical psychology and psychiatry to all societal aspects. As social trauma is rooted in collective violence, it depends on social mechanisms if and how it leads to long- term clinical symptoms or unconscious transgenerational traces. It may affect whole societies through loss of social and political confidence. The background of the textbook at hand is a series of teaching and research net- work, funded by German Academic Exchange Service DAAD, gathering together scholars and students from over 20 nationalities at 7+ universities on the Balkans and Germany. Students shared their research projects and took part in elective (mas- ter, postgraduate) Course Social Trauma. For the last 5 years, over 800 students enrolled in the course and many of them are still in the field of social trauma research and/or practice. The book chapters will explore the intersection of clinical and social aspects of traumatic experiences in postdictatorial and post-war societies, forced migration, and similar circumstances from a variety of perspectives, including conceptual approaches, treatment methods, and research strategies. The book provides neces- sary knowledge for treatment, which beyond good clinical practice requires inter- disciplinary efforts to understand social denial, retraumatization, and transgenerational transmission. Accrued from a 7-year interdisciplinary and inter- national dialogue, the book presents multiple scholarly and practical views from clinical psychology and psychiatry to social and cultural theory, developmental psy- chology, memory studies, law, research methodology, ethics, and education. It gives v vi Introduction a basis for university teaching as well as an overview for all who are involved in the modern issues of victims of social violence. The book is organized in nine sections: Part I: Theory of Social Trauma The opening section of the book brings together chapters that fundamentally outline the concept of social trauma and mark out its interdisciplinary dimension. As Andreas Hamburger explains in his introductory chapter, these are above all Vamık Volkan’s concept of “chosen trauma,” Jan and Aleida Assman’s concept of cultural trauma, the approach to collective trauma advocated by Alexander, Eyermann, Sztompka, and others, and the concept of historical trauma, prominently repre- sented by Jörn Rüsen. In the following chapters, all these approaches are presented by the original authors. Part II: Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy of Social Trauma In comparison to other, more sociologically and historically oriented important text- book in the field, the present volume focusses on connecting the social aspect to the clinical reality of social trauma. As Andreas Hamburger describes in his opening chapter, this does not mean in any way that all individuals affected by or being part of a socially traumatic experience will develop clinical symptoms. But, on the other hand, in psychotherapeutic and practice, we see many patients whose suffering can- not be addressed without taking into account that they are social trauma survivors— even more, in the history of and psychotherapy, they have often been denied recognition as survivors of social trauma. This, however, is a necessary condition to meet their requirements and to provide them with an adequate therapy. The contri- butions in this section focus on the interdependency of the personal therapeutic relation and the acknowledgment of social conditions. Therapeutic approaches, however, are not only working on the individual level—there is also a social healing dimension that neighbors and expands the traditional clinical approach. In the chap- ters by M. Gerard Fromm, Gamze Ozcuremez, Diana Ridjic, Thomas Maurer and Willi Butollo, Luise Reddemann and Ljiljana Joksimović, Susanne Metzner, Beatrix Weidinger von der Recke and Konrad Schnabel, a wide range of clinical approaches is discussed, connecting clinical practice and theory with the long-lasting shadows of the past. Introduction vii Part III: Developmental Psychology of Social Trauma Developmental issues in social trauma research and practice start with recognition of multiple potential traumatic factors and influences in child development and their long-term consequences in psychological well-being and social functioning of generations of people. Both Streeck-Fischer and Hadžić emphasize the unique- ness of individual experience of social events depending on age-related abilities to integrate emotional experience, and availability of support and help. Environmental conditions influence how the traumatic stress is processed or turned into chronic dysfunction. Recognizing the impact of trauma on personality, cognitive, and emotional functioning of individuals and destruction of sense of social togetherness, Streeck- Fischer warns against the psychiatrization or medi- calization of mental disorders, which are more or less socially caused, and points out the importance of moving forward the social trauma perspective. The rela- tional nature of both traumatic and protective factors in development is a shared perspective of all the authors. Holl and Taubner point out the importance of attachment and mentalization in the context of transgenerational transmission of social trauma. They argue that an effective framework for intervention programs to reduce the psychopathological and intergenerational risk of trauma should be based on understanding of mentalization as a protective factor for children at risk. Hancheva describes the impact of social trauma on individual development through the vicissitudes in meaning-making processes, the sense of agency, iden- tity development, and the sense of epistemic trust, which hinder social dialogue and thus the adaptation to ever-changing social and cultural context. Part IV: Memory Studies For more than half a century memory research is intricately related to both human sufferings and social processes. Constructions of individual and social life history are a mixture of subjective interpretations of objective facts and events. In their chapter: Neurobiology of Memory in Trauma Survivors, Koso-Drljević and Husremović present results of studies on war veterans, drawing a complicated pic- ture of symptoms, memory and other cognitive dysfunctions and impaired social and personality functioning. Implications of untreated PTSD among traumatized individuals on the creation of collective mainstream beliefs and narratives are dis- cussed. A complicated process of development of autobiographical narrating in regard of traumatic events and/or collective violence is strongly dependent on nar- rative input of reliable others and social groups to whom person belongs. Habermas and Bartoli point out an optimistic developmental line in the increasing ability of adolescents to contextualize their experience in an autobiographical and social–his- torical context that makes possible distancing from collective traumatic experiences and at the same time including historical events in their collective identity. The viii Introduction mediating and supporting role of the parents in narrative construction is unquestion- able but the existing of subtle, mostly unconscious, processes in transgenerational transmission of trauma is also recognized. Grand and Salberg draw attention to the psychoanalytic perspective on massive trauma, incorporates ethics, history, politics, social justice, and broader acknowledgment of a familial unconscious. In the course of ethical considerations, Hancheva reminds of the need to maintain a difficult bal- ance between relief of suffering and truth recovery when doing research, making therapy or forming an expert position in regard of recovered memories of individual or social trauma. Part V: Social Psychology of Trauma Langer and Brehm provide a socio-psychological perspective on social trauma and collective violence. A twofold explanation is developed around group behaviors, in particular social situations, on one side, and historically and socio-culturally anchored prejudices and attitudes, on the other. The authors argue that social trauma in post-conflict societies traced at individual, institutional, and social levels requires both effective practical measures and convincing theoretical developments, taking into account both the perspective of the perpetrator and the victim’s narrative. In the same venue, Porobić offers a possible framework for transgenerational recovery, for conflict resolution and reconciliation from war-related social traumas via peace education, enabling educators and students to reflect and self-reflect, to take differ- ent perspectives, and to become capable of through experiential learning. An inter- esting example of psychosocial support model in low-resource settings is provided by Eltayeb. She describes the Ahfad Trauma Centre and its work based on mobiliza- tion of the existing cultural norms of trust, social support, reciprocity, and by abid- ing by strict ethical guidelines. Difficulties in enhancing cultural adaption that encompasses Afro-Arab cultures in addition to gender and political issues are viv- idly described. At the organizational level of social functioning, existing of coercive organiza- tional practices is discussed as representative for social trauma and diverse psycho- logical consequences. Hedrih and Husremović make an overview of the most significant existing practices in organization and trace their roots to the collective trauma, prejudices, and stereotypes, preventing recognition of diversity. The final chapter in this part brings the issue of secondary traumatization that adds another layer to complicated social dynamics of victim-perpetrator groups. Živanović and Vukčević-Marković reveal how social trauma echoes in the helpers being in the position of witnessing indirectly the aftermaths of collusions and trau- matic experiences. Introduction ix Part VI: Legal and Ethical Aspects Ozcurumez introduces another perspective and language of presenting the social trauma challenge at the level of policy makers, arguing that in the coming years, “trauma sensitive care” and “trauma sensitive policies” shall characterize the dis- cussions on legal and ethical aspects of social trauma globally, nationally, and locally. The multitude of policy actors constituting of policy makers, decision mak- ers, and implementors set the stage of a complicated design of measures to be adopted and implemented. In the next chapter, on Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGVB), the author provides a socio-ecological framework for explana- tion of SGBV in armed conflict and displacement, and links it to social trauma by bringing together structural, individual, family, and community-related processes. As a counterpoint to the sharp-cut policy regulations, an intriguing psychoanalytic approach of Arsenijević brings closer social trauma and environmental violence. The eloquent example of slow environmental violence phenomenon confronts us with another dimensions of suffering, social trauma consequences and subtle, hard to recognize, physical and emotional killing. Another example of consequences of genocide, violence, and complex traumatization is presented by Hirschelmann and Rahman Rasho. They formulate the challenge of devising a framework for elabora- tion and intervention that incorporates the characteristics of the socio-legal condi- tion and psycho-criminology with the dimensions of the psychological work with the victims. The difficult field of moral judgment and moral action in regard to social trauma is far from consistent theory, but for the research purposes, Petrović provides practi- cal guidelines and recommendations for prevention of unethical behavior based on ethical standards in trauma research. Part VII: Specific Methodology and Practice in Social Trauma Research Social trauma is the subject of multifold and increasing research activities. Students should be aware of the precise conditions and possible pitfalls of such research. Thus, the research section of the textbook presents different approaches of quantita- tive and qualitative trauma research in the specific field of social trauma. In his introductory chapter, Vladimir Hedrih is using vivid examples and straightforward questions to provoke a critical thinking stance in both interpreters of research results and researchers planning and designing studies on social trauma. The author warns against research causing or justifying social traumatic events by either sided specu- lations and political agendas or unconscious biases. As a mean for minimizing bias effects, Protić emphasizes the existing standards of good practice in conducting quantitative research and pays special attention to respecting ethical requirements in planning, conducting, and analyzing research in the social trauma field. Another x Introduction methodological chapter discusses qualitative methods and Stanković proves their potential, especially when dealing with complex and interdisciplinary sociotrau- matic phenomena. The importance of giving voice to personal and collective trauma narratives and articulating representations of traumatic experiences is acknowl- edged. Acknowledgment is a vital part of social trauma recovery and healing pro- cess. A powerful example of clash between historical and psychoanalytic reasoning in regard of historical versus reality can be found in Hamburger’s chapter on video testimonies of survivors of a traumatic historical event. One of the most difficult lessons, to bear witness and to tolerate uncertainty and ambiguity also in profes- sional position of a researcher or therapist, could be learned through this text. Part VIII: Social Trauma and Education Education as one of the main pillars of society represents a complex space of encounter where pupils gain knowledge and skills for future work, but also and even more important, internalize the values and cultural norms important for the society. In the introductory chapter, Husremović and Koso-Drljević discuss through exam- ples of postwar and post-totalitarian states, how nations or interest groups create education outcomes with the goal to install and further sustain collective identities and collective memories to protect large groups, their stereotypes, and internal interests. A vivid example of Serbian experience in education of migrants and vul- nerable groups, presented by Kovač-Cerović, supports an interdisciplinary approach and its clear benefits when tackling the social trauma issues. The concluding chapter by Scher and Malmheden is on social trauma education at the university level. It puts into perspective and contextual comparison decades of experience trauma research and education in academic field and the specificity of the international social trauma study course, which provided the breeding ground for the present textbook. Andreas Hamburger Camellia Hancheva Vamık D. Volkan
The list of books you might like
