By Steven Knoblauch (USA) and Alejandro Ávila-Espada (Spain)
Co-chairs, Colloquium Series
This November IARPP sponsored another challenging online colloquium focused on the paper by Sue Grand (USA) entitled “God at an Impasse: Devotion, Social Justice, and the Psychoanalytic Subject” (Psychoanalytic Dialogues, 23:449-463, 2013). Once again an international panel was assembled to launch and guide the discussion with questions and comments for Grand to further develop. The panel consisted of Ross Alistair (UK), Galit Atlas (USA), Denise Goldfajn (Brazil), David Goodman (USA), Marie Hoffman (USA), Berrak Kerahoda (Turkey), María José Mezzera (Chile), Marg Pearl (New Zealand), Alejandra Plaza (Mexico), and Jill Salberg (USA). The colloquium was paused on Wednesday, November 9, after the elections in the United States created tremendous shock and concern with an unexpected and uncertain outcome.
When the colloquium was resumed the following day, both the panelists and many contributors launched into a most moving, significant, and educational set of explorations which covered many questions raised by Grand’s paper. Specifically, the colloquium participants discussed the effect of sociopolitical forces on subjectivity and clinical interaction, particularly when issues of religious belief differ so significantly between analyst and patient. Additionally, issues concerning difference and power, which the US election raised to a heightened pitch internationally, were brilliantly woven into the discussion, providing a rich relational context for the clinical considerations being raised. During the two weeks of this exchange, 1,902 subscribers to the colloquium received posts. Including our author, moderators, and panelists, 95 individuals offered 272 posts. Those participating represented 16 different countries. Following is a list of number of participants by country:
Australia 4
Brazil 1
Canada 6
Chile 3
Germany 1
Israel 5
Italy 2
Mexico 2
New Zealand 6
Peru 2
Portugal 1
Spain 3
Sweden 1
Turkey 2
United Kingdom 9
United States 47
We look forward to hearing about our upcoming colloquia in 2017 from our new moderating team of Adrienne Harris (USA) and Rina Lazar (Israel). It has been an amazing experience to serve as moderators of the colloquium series and get to know so many of you through this work over the last three years.
Steven Knoblauch, PhD
Email Steven Knoblauch
Website: http://stevenknoblauchphd.com
Alejandro Ávila Espada, PhD
Email Alejandro Ávila Espada
Website:http://www.psicoterapiarelacional.es
