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Psychohistory

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The neutrality of this article is disputed.

For the fictional use of the term "psychohistory", see psychohistory (fictional)

Psychohistory is the study of the psychological motivations of historical events, combining the insights of psychotherapy with the research methodology of the social sciences to understand the emotional origin of the social and political behavior of groups and nations, past and present.

Description

Psychohistory derives many of its insights from areas that are ignored by conventional historians as shaping factors; in particular, childbirth, parenting practise, child abuse and willful neglect. The often hidden historical roles of incest, infanticide, and child sacrifice are considered. Pschohistory holds that human societies can evolve into and out of infanticidal practices and has coined the term ' early infanticidal childrearing ' to descibe the kind of child abuse and neglect observed by many anthropologists.


Pschohistory holds that most political scientists and historians teach "realism" and "neo-realism"; ie. that social behaviour is rational, not irrational, and that international violence is for economic gain, not loss. Psychohistorians contemplate that often social behaviour is a self-destructive re-enactment of earlier abuse and neglect. They hold that unconscious flashbacks to early fears and destructive parenting dominate individual and societal behaviour.

Areas of Psychohistorical Study

There are three inter-related areas of psychohistorical study.

  • The History of Childhood - which looks at such questions as:-
    • How have children been raised throughout history,
    • How has the family been constituted,
    • How & why has it changed over time,
    • The changing place & value of children in society over time,
    • How & why our views of child abuse and neglect have changed,
    • Why there is still such denial about the reality of child abuse.
  • Psychobiography - which seeks to understand individual historical people and their motivations in history.
  • Group Psychohistory - which seeks to understand the motivations of large groups in history.

Emergence As A Discipline

Sigmund Freud is probably most qualified to be described as the inventor of the field as his works, such as Civilization and Its Discontents, often included historical analysis supported by his theories of psychoanalysis. Lloyd deMause was a pioneer in the field of psychohistory and continues to be extremely influential in it. Other notable psychohistorians include Alice Miller and Julian Jaynes, though they are rarely thought of as such. Notable examples of psychobiography are those by Lewis Namier, who wrote of the British House of Commons and Fawn Brodie, who wrote of Thomas Jefferson.

Independence as A Discipline

Lloyd deMause and others have argued that psychohistory is a field of scientific inquiry with its own peculiar methods, objectives and theories and that it is separate from history and anthropology. Some historians , social scientists and anthropologists have argued that their disciplines , do in fact , attempt to describe motivations in their respective fields of study and that Psychohistory is not a separate subject .

Others have dismissed deMause's theories and motives arguing that the emphasis given by Psychohistory to what can only be speculation on the psychological motivations of people in history make it a completely undisciplined field of study.

Doubt has also been cast on the viability of the application of post-mortem psychoanalysis, which is a concept that neither Freud nor the post-Freudian schools of psychoanalysis had in mind while developing their theories.

Psychohistorians reply that the difference is one of emphasis; in conventional study narrative and description is central and psychological motivation is hardly touched on. In psychohistory motivation takes centre stage. Psychohistory has been credited with helping to revitalise the historical biography.

Organisations and Centers of Study

The principal centre for psychohistorical study is The Institute for Psychohistory which has 19 branches around the globe and has for 30 years published The Journal of Psychohistory. Its director is Lloyd deMause,

The International Psychohistorical Association, is the professional organisation for the field of psychohistory. It publishes “Psychohistory News” and has a psychohistorical mail order lending library. It hosts an annual convention.

Psychohistory is taught at a few universities as an adjunct to history or social science or as a post graduate study. The following have published course details; Boston University, City University of New York, University of Nevada, State University of New York, at Rockland, and Wesleyan University, Middletown, Connecticut.

References

  • Demause, Lloyd ; Foundations of Psychohistory; Creative Roots Pub ; ISBN: 094050801X (January 1982)
  • Demause, Lloyd ; Emotional Life of Nations ; Publisher: Other Press; ISBN: 1892746980 (June 1, 2002)
  • Lawton, Henry W.; The Psychohistorian's Handbook; New York: Psychohistory Press, ASIN: 0914434276 (1989)
  • Loewenberg, Peter ; Decoding the Past: The Psychohistorical Approach; Transaction Pub; ISBN: 1560008466 (August 2002)
  • Jacques Szaluta, Psychohistory: Theory and Practice;Publisher Peter Lang ; ISBN: 0-8204-1741-6 (Published it in 1999)
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