1st Edition
From Crowd Psychology to the Dynamics of Large Groups Historical, Theoretical and Practical Considerations
From Crowd Psychology to the Dynamics of Large Groups offers transdisciplinary research on the history of the study of social formations, ranging from nineteenth-century crowd psychology in France and twentieth-century Freudian mass psychology, including the developments in critical theory, to the study of the psychodynamics of contemporary large groups.
Carla Penna presents a unique combination of sociology, psychoanalysis, and group analysis in the study of social formations. This book revisits the epistemological basis of group analysis by introducing and discussing its historical path, especially in connection with the study of large groups and investigations of the social unconscious in persons, groups, and societies. It also explores early work on group relations and contemporary research on the basic-assumption group in England, particularly Hopper’s theory of Incohesion as a fourth basic assumption. From Crowd Psychology to the Dynamics of Large Groups enables the reader to map out the field of the unconscious life of crowds illuminating the darkness of twenty-first century collective movements.
The reflections in this book present new perspectives for psychologists, psychoanalysts, group analysts, sociologists, and historians to investigate the psychodynamics of contemporary crowds, masses, and social systems.
Acknowledgments
Series Foreword by Earl Hopper
Introduction
CHAPTER ONE
Nineteenth-century crowd psychology
CHAPTER TWO
Twentieth-century Freudian mass psychology
CHAPTER THREE
Twentieth-century left-wing mass psychology
CHAPTER FOUR
Reflections on a society of individuals
CHAPTER FIVE
The Northfield experiments: the cradle of group work in England
CHAPTER SIX
Group relations and Bion’s legacy
CHAPTER SEVEN
Towards new basic assumptions in groups
CHAPTER EIGHT
Foulkes and group analysis: the development of the theory of the social unconscious
CHAPTER NINE
Large-group psychodynamics in group analysis
CHAPTER TEN
Traumatic experience in the unconscious life of social systems: Earl Hopper’s theory of the fourth basic assumption of Incohesion: Aggregation/Massification or (ba) I: A/M
Epilogue
References
Index
Biography
Carla Penna, PhD, is a psychoanalyst and a group analyst in Brazil. She is a member of the Psychoanalytic Circle of Rio de Janeiro and the Group Analytic Society International.
"Carla Penna takes us on a journey through centuries of thought about persons who are both social beings as well as sentient ones. Her book is more than a set of reflections, as it comprises a comprehensive survey of the political and sociological nature of groups, communities, and societies. It then considers the various contemporary forms of therapy in groups. We are invited to see how social theorists such as Kurt Lewin or Norbert Elias contributed to therapeutic thinking, whilst therapeutic practice has informed sociological thinking. This multi-dimensional picture shows human beings within the matrix of the societies which humans have created, and how that matrix can heal us as well as form us." - R.D. Hinshelwood, psychiatrist, psychoanalyst, Professor of Psychoanalysis, University of Essex
"At last a helpful and scholarly account of the theoretical history of Large Group Theory. The book is to be recommended for forging a link between sociology, psychoanalysis, and up to date group analysis. Readers are left in no doubt that large group phenomena can only be comprehended in an inter-disciplinary way and that there are more ways than one to look at human gatherings in large numbers." - Gerhard Wilke, group analyst, an independent organizational consultant in London, and an Associate of the Ashridge Business School
"From Crowd Psychology to the Dynamics of Large Groups is an essential addition to the literature on how to understand, and live with, the demands of our troubled times. Moving with great clarity and energy through the history of hordes, herds, masses, and crowds, and drawing from her deep understanding of group psychologies and group analysis, Carla Penna offers both a balanced and well-informed guide to group theory and a set of innovative ideas for confronting social and psychological reality." - Stephen Frosh, PhD, Professor of Psychosocial Studies, Birkbeck, University of London
"Carla Penna's book From Crowd Psychology to the Dynamics of Large Groups: Historical, Theoretical and Practical Considerations is a monumental research project. The book is rich with facts and ideas, describing the development of the concept of the crowd, the birth of the work of Bion (the Tavistock Institute) and Foulkes (Group Analysis), the unstructured psychodynamic Large Group, Unconscious Social Processes, and Hopper's fourth basic assumption of Incohesion. Penna integrates sociology, psychology, and group analysis in a very fluent and smooth way. Her historical research is broad and reveals many important facts from the end of the nineteenth century until today. This breadth is breathtaking. In today's world, at the beginning of the third decade of the twenty-first century, flooded by social conflicts, polarization, divisiveness, and mass impact of social media, this book is essential in order to understand the large social group unconscious processes. Its perspective allows the reader to take some distance from current political, sociological, and cultural crises and to look at them from a wider angle. This book is highly recommended for sociologists, historians, psychologists, psychotherapists, group therapists, group analysts, and anyone who is interested in understanding more about unconscious social processes." - Haim Weinberg, PhD, psychologist and group analyst in California and Israel, past President, Israeli Association for Group Psychotherapy, and former Director of International Programs, Professional School of Psychology, California
"Carla Penna puts at our disposition her encyclopedic knowledge on phenomena involving large numbers of persons. She approaches the context of masses with psychoanalytic and group analytic tools, first 'mapping the field' of the unconscious life of crowds, illuminating the darkness of the twenty-first century crowds and masses." - Robi Friedman, PhD, group analyst, past President of the Group Analytic Society International
"This book represents an impressive tour de force. The author takes us on an exciting journey into a transdiciplinary analysis and investigation of the psychodynamics of the larger group, starting with Durkheim and Le Bon over Freud to the Frankfurt School, the Northfield experiments, Bion and Foulkes, ending up with Hopper’s fourth basic assumption of Incohesion. It is an outstanding achievement and it is warmly recommended." - Gerda Winther, MA, psychologist, former Associate Professor at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Copenhagen , and past President of the Group Analytic Society International
"Carla Penna’s particular view from Brazil, combined with her many years of experience as practitioner, teacher, and academic of psychoanalysis and group analysis, enables a full study of where we are now in understanding large groups. She provides an expansive perspective with access to writers from Latin America and Europe often with her own translations." - Dr Jale Cilasun, BM FRCPsych, consultant psychiatrist, specialist in medical psychotherapy and group analyst
"This is a much-needed book – in time and on time. In a world where crowds take many different forms globally and virtually, transcending lives everywhere, this transdisciplinary study investigates crowds as social and psychological phenomena historically and contemporary based on an impressive command of knowledge. However, the focus turns to the social unconscious as the most important tool for the understanding of the complicated and often incomprehensible processes that go on in the large groups that forms the crowds. The author is a psychoanalyst and group analyst and is drawing on theories and clinical experience of large group dynamics where the interaction in the social unconscious between the individual and the large group takes place." - Anne Lindhardt, psychiatrist, trained group analyst, former Director of Mental Services, Copenhagen, and Chairperson of Institute of Group Analysis Copenhagen
