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Enactment: A necessary conceptual review
1Pontificia Universidad Católica Argentina, Departamento de Psicología, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Abstract:
Enactment as a psychoanalytic concept was coined by Jacobs in 1986. Since then, it has developed within the psychoanalytic community as a concept. Originally, enactment described an aspect of countertransference expressed through subtle actions within the analytic process, as distinct from noisier performances that fall within the spectrum of "acting out". Nowadays, the concept of enactment poses some difficulties that should not be ignored. As a theoretical concept, enactment has a complex epistemological position, and as a clinical concept it sheds light on contemporary psychoanalytic practices. This paper explores the results from an empirical and conceptual research work, focusing on the history, translations and usages of the term "enactment", and its comparison with related terms. It will also consider the epistemological perspective regarding the current status of enactment as a scientific concept and its relationship with the psychoanalytic theoretical field.
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