This module aims to provide students with an understanding of the distinctive character of psychological thinking when the concept of a deep unconscious is introduced; that is, an unconscious whose origins, content and processes are not just outside our awareness, but are far removed from those of conscious life. Sigmund Freud called this form of psychology 'depth psychology', and it includes the traditions that grew from his work and from that of Carl Jung.
The theories of psychoanalysis and of analytical psychology are fascinating and significant in their own right, both in their importance in clinical practice and as conceptual systems. They also introduce a profound, new dimension to the understanding of society, culture and politics. Indeed, Freud and Jung (whose work is explored in a separate module PA209 Jung) wrote extensively in these areas, as well as on clinical practice.
This module will provide an introduction specifically to the theories of Freud, and will also explore their significance in social and cultural analysis. In these areas, psychoanalysis provides both models of social and cultural phenomena, and methods for studying them, based mainly on an understanding of the unconscious, of nuclear complexes (e.g., the Oedipus complex) and Freud's fundamental discovery, the transference.
- Module Supervisor: Leonardo Niro