Fratriarchy: The Sibling Trauma and the Law of the Mother

Juliet Mitchell's book "Fratriarchy" explores the psycho-social world and its lateral relations, arguing that the mothers prohibition of her toddler attacking a new or expected sibling is a rite of passage from infancy to childhood. It uses Freud, Klein, Winnicott, Bion, Pontalis, and others to show how the collective social world matches the individual family world examined by established psychoanalysis. It is essential reading for analysts, psychotherapists, psychologists, and anyone who wants to re-think the ubiquity of unconscious processes.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 224 pages
Publication date: 03 February 2023
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

In her groundbreaking work, "Fratriarchy," Juliet Mitchell delves deeper into her theories on sibling trauma and the Law of the Mother. Drawing from her experience as a psychoanalytic practitioner, she explores the profound implications of using feminist questions to examine the psycho-social world and its interconnected relationships.

Mitchell argues that the mothers prohibition of her toddler attacking a new or expected sibling serves as a rite of passage from infancy to childhood. This fundamental force shapes our later lateral relationships and social practices. Throughout the book, Mitchell employs the term "Fratriarchy" to highlight the side-to-side interaction between sisters and brothers and their social heirs, alongside the traditional up-down axis of fathers and sons. By critically and affirmatively engaging with the works of Freud, Klein, Winnicott, Bion, Pontalis, and others, "Fratriarchy" demonstrates how the collective social world aligns with the individual family world examined in established psychoanalysis.

Over decades since Mitchell's earlier work on psychoanalysis and feminism, which emphasized the need for psychoanalysis to understand the position of women, "Fratriarchy" now challenges psychoanalysis to embrace the evolving practices and theories of global feminism. This volume is a must-read for analysts, psychotherapists, psychologists, and anyone seeking to re-examine the prevalence of unconscious processes. It will also appeal to students and educators in social theory, psychoanalysis, group analysis, gender studies, and feminism.

Weight: 374g
Dimension: 155 x 234 x 15 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032364407