White Privilege: Psychoanalytic Perspectives

White Privilege: Psychoanalytic Perspectives explores the concept of unearned white privilege and its perpetuation of racially prejudicial notions. It examines the structure of racial categories, privilege, guilt, and power and their impact on political positions and psychoanalytic psychotherapy. The book offers a new agenda for understanding and offering analytic practice in contemporary society.

Format: Hardback
Length: 80 pages
Publication date: 28 September 2020
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

White Privilege: Psychoanalytic Perspectives delves into the intricate relationship between race and society, shedding light on the profound impact it has on both clinical practice and everyday life. The concept of unearned white privilege forms the foundation of much of the efforts aimed at raising racial consciousness. In this thought-provoking book, Neil Altman delves deep into this notion, uncovering hidden assumptions that perpetuate racially prejudicial notions, despite the purported goal of dismantling them.

The book takes a comprehensive approach, examining the very structure of racial categories that are socially constructed and based on false notions of physical or psychological differences among people. Altman critically examines related concepts such as privilege, guilt, and power, challenging the societal norms and hierarchies that perpetuate these imbalances. He also explores the artificial polarization of political positions into categories of liberal, left, and conservative, right, which further contributes to stereotyping and hinders mutual respect, dialogue, and understanding.

White Privilege: Psychoanalytic Perspectives goes beyond theoretical discussions and offers practical insights into the implications of these ideas for the theory and practice of psychoanalytic psychotherapy. Through clinical illustrations and case studies, Altman demonstrates how these concepts can be applied to understand and address social problems and their manifestations in therapy today.

This book is a valuable resource for clinicians, psychoanalytic therapists, and anyone interested in social problems and their impact on society and therapy. It provides a fresh perspective on understanding and addressing racial disparities, promoting empathy, and fostering inclusive and equitable practices. By challenging the status quo and promoting a more nuanced understanding of race and privilege, White Privilege: Psychoanalytic Perspectives contributes to the ongoing dialogue about social justice and equity.

Weight: 238g
Dimension: 144 x 222 x 12 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780367503505