Identity politics: So what? Psychoanalytic reflexions on identity and politics

Journal title PSICOTERAPIA E SCIENZE UMANE
Author/s Berthold Rothschild
Publishing Year 2018 Issue 2018/1
Language Italian Pages 10 P. 85-94 File size 79 KB
DOI 10.3280/PU2018-001007
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Recent events in global and local politics have given space for a wider application of psychological terms in political analysis. More and more the term "identity politics" is used in the most varied circumstances. There is a long tradition of critical position against the widespread use of psychological and psychoanalytic terms and concepts by journalists and politicians, especially in the historical use of Erikson’s concept of identity of the late 1950s. It is argued that a loose application of the identity concept in politics is not only useless and redundant, but also harmful.

Keywords: Political psychology; Identity politics; History of critical psychoanalysis; Applied psychoanalysis; Identity

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Berthold Rothschild, Politica identitaria: e allora? Riflessioni psicoanalitiche su identità e politica in "PSICOTERAPIA E SCIENZE UMANE" 1/2018, pp 85-94, DOI: 10.3280/PU2018-001007