Exploring the Dynamic Unconscious: Intersubjectivity and the Raced-Self in Vertically Infected HIV-Positive Adolescents

<p class="first" id="d416909e86">This paper explores intrapsychic life as a site of socio-political insertion from birth. The first part of this paper engages with the psychoanalytic theory of Melanie Klein on the notion of the dynamic unconscious an...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Ruby Patel, Tanya Graham
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Pluto Journals 2019-11-01
Series:International Journal of Critical Diversity Studies
Online Access:https://www.scienceopen.com/hosted-document?doi=10.13169/intecritdivestud.2.2.0055
_version_ 1797833954787590144
author Ruby Patel
Tanya Graham
author_facet Ruby Patel
Tanya Graham
author_sort Ruby Patel
collection DOAJ
description <p class="first" id="d416909e86">This paper explores intrapsychic life as a site of socio-political insertion from birth. The first part of this paper engages with the psychoanalytic theory of Melanie Klein on the notion of the dynamic unconscious and the Oedipal situation as key processes in the development of the self. The paper goes on to discuss the critical contemporary position taken up by scholars who have highlighted the racialisation of the Oedipus complex and its use in justifying racial hierarchies. Furthermore, the paper engages with the unconscious as an intersubjective organising principle. Franz Fanon's psychoanalytic framework, that deals with colonial subjectivity, is reviewed here in order to explore how the raced-self becomes imposed and internalised. The second part of the paper locates this theoretical argument within the context of HIV. Intrapsychic development, which comes to be located in our unconscious mind from birth, cannot be understood outside of specific socio-political considerations. The unique developmental challenges of HIV for those who are vertically infected cannot be taken for granted, and there must be more deliberation on the ways in which intersubjective, politically aware versions of psychoanalysis can be used to inform clinical knowledge and practice in working with vertically infected HIV-positive adolescents in South Africa. </p>
first_indexed 2024-04-09T14:31:08Z
format Article
id doaj.art-14b80e34fcdd483da095883336e257a2
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 2516-550X
2516-5518
language English
last_indexed 2024-04-09T14:31:08Z
publishDate 2019-11-01
publisher Pluto Journals
record_format Article
series International Journal of Critical Diversity Studies
spelling doaj.art-14b80e34fcdd483da095883336e257a22023-05-03T15:34:55ZengPluto JournalsInternational Journal of Critical Diversity Studies2516-550X2516-55182019-11-0122557110.13169/intecritdivestud.2.2.0055Exploring the Dynamic Unconscious: Intersubjectivity and the Raced-Self in Vertically Infected HIV-Positive AdolescentsRuby PatelTanya Graham<p class="first" id="d416909e86">This paper explores intrapsychic life as a site of socio-political insertion from birth. The first part of this paper engages with the psychoanalytic theory of Melanie Klein on the notion of the dynamic unconscious and the Oedipal situation as key processes in the development of the self. The paper goes on to discuss the critical contemporary position taken up by scholars who have highlighted the racialisation of the Oedipus complex and its use in justifying racial hierarchies. Furthermore, the paper engages with the unconscious as an intersubjective organising principle. Franz Fanon's psychoanalytic framework, that deals with colonial subjectivity, is reviewed here in order to explore how the raced-self becomes imposed and internalised. The second part of the paper locates this theoretical argument within the context of HIV. Intrapsychic development, which comes to be located in our unconscious mind from birth, cannot be understood outside of specific socio-political considerations. The unique developmental challenges of HIV for those who are vertically infected cannot be taken for granted, and there must be more deliberation on the ways in which intersubjective, politically aware versions of psychoanalysis can be used to inform clinical knowledge and practice in working with vertically infected HIV-positive adolescents in South Africa. </p>https://www.scienceopen.com/hosted-document?doi=10.13169/intecritdivestud.2.2.0055
spellingShingle Ruby Patel
Tanya Graham
Exploring the Dynamic Unconscious: Intersubjectivity and the Raced-Self in Vertically Infected HIV-Positive Adolescents
International Journal of Critical Diversity Studies
title Exploring the Dynamic Unconscious: Intersubjectivity and the Raced-Self in Vertically Infected HIV-Positive Adolescents
title_full Exploring the Dynamic Unconscious: Intersubjectivity and the Raced-Self in Vertically Infected HIV-Positive Adolescents
title_fullStr Exploring the Dynamic Unconscious: Intersubjectivity and the Raced-Self in Vertically Infected HIV-Positive Adolescents
title_full_unstemmed Exploring the Dynamic Unconscious: Intersubjectivity and the Raced-Self in Vertically Infected HIV-Positive Adolescents
title_short Exploring the Dynamic Unconscious: Intersubjectivity and the Raced-Self in Vertically Infected HIV-Positive Adolescents
title_sort exploring the dynamic unconscious intersubjectivity and the raced self in vertically infected hiv positive adolescents
url https://www.scienceopen.com/hosted-document?doi=10.13169/intecritdivestud.2.2.0055
work_keys_str_mv AT rubypatel exploringthedynamicunconsciousintersubjectivityandtheracedselfinverticallyinfectedhivpositiveadolescents
AT tanyagraham exploringthedynamicunconsciousintersubjectivityandtheracedselfinverticallyinfectedhivpositiveadolescents