This course will offer an orientation to psychoanalytic theory through close readings of selected papers, mapping the field's development from Freud through the relational turn, and laying the groundwork for deeper study. Each session is centered on a moment when the field revised its understanding of the mind and/or therapeutic change, and is anchored by one of the most-cited papers on PEP-Web. In addition to clarifying key concepts, we will read each paper with several critical questions in mind: What problem was this theory trying to address? What social and historical conditions shaped its emergence? Who is the normative subject in this theory? What might it illuminate — and what might it exclude?
Dates and Time:
2nd and 4th Thursdays, 7:00PM - 8:30PM Pacific Time, for 8 sessions
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January 14, 2027
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January 28, 2027
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February 11, 2027
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February 25, 2027
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March 11, 2027
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March 25, 2027
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April 8, 2027
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April 22, 2027
Location: Online via Zoom (a link will be sent to you upon completion of your registration form in a confirmation email).