Marse: A Psychological Portrait of the Southern Slave Master and His Legacy of White Supremacy

Marse: A Psychological Portrait of the American Southern White Elite Slave Master and His Enduring Impact is a book that explores the psychology of white slave owners in the American South, revealing their delusional beliefs, defense mechanisms, and psychopathologies. It uses forensic psychology to analyze their personality formation, defense mechanisms, and stress, and how they created a delusional worldview that sanctioned cruel instruments of punishment and robbed Blacks of their human rights. The book is timely in light of the seismic shift in race relations in the United States.

Format: Hardback
Length: 384 pages
Publication date: 01 March 2022
Publisher: Prometheus Books

Marse: A Psychological Portrait of the American Southern White Elite Slave Master and His Enduring Impact delves into the psyche of the white men who formed the southern planter class. Written by a clinical and forensic psychologist, this book offers a psychological autopsy of the mind and slaveholding behavior, shedding light on the enduring roots of white supremacy and the hidden wound of racist slavery that continues to impact all Americans today.

Marse meticulously details and illuminates the psychological mechanisms employed by southern slave masters to justify owning another human being as property, as well as the societal norms that perpetuated this practice. Through the use of forensic psychology, Kirkpatrick analyzes the personality formation, defense mechanisms, and psychopathologies of slave masters. He explores their delusional beliefs and assumptions about black Africans, which extended to a forceful cohort of white slaveholding women. These individuals twisted Christianity to promote slavery as a positive good, distorting its teachings to suit their own purposes.

Marse delves into the masters' stress and fears, and how they developed psychologically fatal defense mechanisms to cope with the realities of slavery. He explores the sources, such as diaries, letters, autobiographies, and sermons, that provide insight into the slaveholders' worldview, which sanctioned cruel instruments of punishment and the laws and social policies of domination used to rob Blacks of their human rights. In the context of the seismic shift in race relations our nation is currently experiencing, this book is particularly timely as it advances our understanding of the South's self-defeating romance with racist slavery and its latent and chronic effects.

The parallels between the psychology of antebellum slaveholding and todays racism are undeniable. Both eras witnessed the perpetration of violence and oppression based on racial superiority, with slaveholders using psychological tactics to maintain control and dominance over their slaves. The psychological mechanisms employed by slave masters, such as delusions of grandeur, projection, and denial, are still evident in todays racist discourse and behavior.

Furthermore, the societal norms that supported slavery in the past continue to shape our society today. The legacy of racial inequality and discrimination persists, with marginalized communities facing systemic barriers to success and equality. The psychological impact of racist slavery, which has left deep scars on the psyche of Black individuals and communities, remains a pressing issue that requires ongoing attention and healing.

In conclusion, Marse: A Psychological Portrait of the American Southern White Elite Slave Master and His Enduring Impact is a groundbreaking work that sheds light on the complex psychology of slaveholding and its enduring impact on American society. Through the use of forensic psychology and a comprehensive analysis of historical sources, Kirkpatrick provides a valuable contribution to our understanding of the roots of white supremacy and the ongoing struggle against racism. This book is a must-read for anyone interested in exploring the psychological dimensions of historical trauma and its impact on contemporary society.

Weight: 703g
Dimension: 237 x 165 x 35 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781633887572