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A contemporary Kleinian contribution to understanding racism
Brian Rasmussen1, Daniel Salhani
1University of British Columbia.
The Social Service Review
|September 29, 2010
Summary
This study uses Kleinian psychoanalysis to explain racism and microaggressions, offering a deeper understanding of unconscious racial bias and its impact on social interactions.
Area of Science:
- Psychoanalytic theory
- Social work
- Psychology
Background:
- Racism and microaggressions are significant social issues.
- Existing models inadequately explain the interplay between social factors and the psyche in racism.
Observation:
- Contemporary Kleinian psychoanalytic concepts offer a novel framework for analyzing racism.
- Key concepts include projection, projective identification, splitting, developmental positions, envy, and reparation.
Findings:
- This article proposes an explanatory model linking the social and the psyche in understanding racism.
- It deepens the conceptualization of unconscious racism by integrating Kleinian concepts.
- Kleinian concepts illuminate both internal psychological and external social dimensions of racialized encounters.
Implications:
- Understanding the dynamic interaction between the psyche and social factors is crucial for effective antiracist interventions.
- This framework can inform social work practice and policy.
- Further research can explore the application of these concepts in diverse cultural contexts.
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