Call for Papers
The Psychoanalytic Subject in a Fractured World:
Culture, Power, and the Politics of Existence
Rutgers University Continuing Education Conference Center, New Brunswick, NJ
Hybrid Conference
October 23-25, 2025
Journal Board Meeting, Sunday, October 26, 8:00-9:30am EST
Executive Board Meeting 9:45-12pm EST
DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS: April 15, 2025
Conftool portal now open
https://www.conftool.net/apcs2025/
In our increasingly polarized and fragmented world, marked by social unease and political division, this conference seeks to critically re-examine the ways in which we can understand the interplay of power, politics, and culture in shaping the psychoanalytic subject. We propose to explore the intricate dance between individual experience, the powerful forces of society, and the ever-present influence of the unconscious, asking how a psychoanalytic lens can illuminate and help us navigate the complex challenges of our time. We hope to broaden psychoanalytic investigations of culture, fostering conversations that bridge diverse scholarly perspectives and clinical practices We envision a dynamic exchange between scholars from various disciplines—including the arts, literature, film, television studies, architecture, and beyond—and psychoanalytic thinkers and clinicians of diverse orientations. We particularly encourage explorations of how culture, in its broadest sense, influences the very formation of the subject, the limitations placed on individual agency, and the ways in which we understand ourselves and our place in the world. We are interested in how the "vexed thematics of agency" play out in contemporary society, and what possibilities exist for transgressive subjectivities in the face of inherited melancholia, the pressures of neoliberal institutions, and the pervasive "cunning of recognition."
This conference hopes to dive into explorations of the multifaceted ways in which power operates through cultural forms, shaping everything from individual identity to collective action. We will grapple with critical questions such as: How can we understand the resurgence of authoritarianism and its psychological appeal? What is the significance of the rise of "sense-making" in contemporary cultural objects? How do we make sense of the pervasive sense of pain and alienation that characterizes so much of modern life? How do cultural narratives shape collective trauma and resilience, and what are the psychological consequences of political marginalization? We are interested in contributions that explore the internalization of the sovereign order in the superego, as highlighted by Jacqueline Rose, and how both great literature and psychoanalysis can unsettle "all idealized, official rhetorics." These issues are especially pressing for subaltern groups, whose subjectivity may be obscured by inherited racial melancholia and whose agency is often denied by neoliberal institutions. We seek to understand the possibilities for transgressive subjectivities in these circumstances, and to explore what happens when the capacity to think and create is frozen, when critical thought and transgressive cultural production are foreclosed, and when neoliberal technologies are designed to undermine solidarity, collective action, and what Mbembe calls the "politics of fellowship." We invite you to join us in exploring these critical issues. Topics/themes for panels, roundtables, conversation plenaries, and study hour discussions devoted to the work of a single theorist/scholar/practitioner/author/director or concept may include:
Culture as Resistance and Oppression: Examining psychoanalytic and/or psycho-social understandings of culture as both a creative and repressive force, exploring how cultural identity is threatened, and analyzing how cultural narratives influence collective trauma and resilience.
The Psyche in Political Times: Analyzing the psychoanalytic implications of fear-based politics, understanding scapegoating, polarization, and dehumanization through a psychoanalytic lens, and exploring the resurgence of authoritarianism and its psychological appeal.
The Political in the Psychoanalytic Clinic: Discussing how the political climate enters the therapeutic space, exploring clinical challenges and opportunities when working with marginalized patients, and considering transference and countertransference in politically charged contexts.
The Minority Experience in a Polarized Culture: Examining the internalization of societal prejudice and its impact on mental health, exploring intersectionality in psychoanalysis (race, gender, class, etc.), and considering the dislocation of identity in hostile political climates.
Cultural Creation in the Face of Adversity: Investigating art, literature, and humour as acts of resistance, considering the role of psychoanalysis in fostering creativity amid repression, and exploring collective cultural practices as pathways to healing and solidarity.
Globalization, Digital Culture, and the Unconscious: Analyzing the impact of digital media on collective consciousness, exploring the psychological implications of globalized “culture” and the loss of local identity, and examining the rise of conspiracy theories and their psychoanalytic roots.
Psychoanalysis and Activism: Discussing how psychoanalysts can engage with social justice movements, exploring ethical dilemmas related to clinical neutrality and activism, and considering how to heal collective wounds by bridging psychoanalysis and community outreach.
The Legacy of Political Trauma: Examining the intergenerational transmission of trauma in politically oppressed groups, exploring how psychoanalysis can contribute to the healing of historical injustices, and considering the cultural scars left by recent political events.
The Pain(s) and Possibilities of Existence: Exploring pain as a modern affect, considering how to generate meaning in a seemingly silent universe, examining the repression of the psychoanalytic subject, and exploring pain and jouissance, pain and sublimation, and pain in clinical practice.
Representation as Fetish or as Working-Through of Pain: Investigating the representation of pain in art and culture, considering the role of representation as fetish or as working-through, and examining the intersection of pain, trauma, and creativity.
Spaces and Spatial Practices: Exploring the relationship between space, culture, and the psychoanalytic subject, considering how spatial practices shape individual and collective experience.
The Frankfurt School and Eros: Re-engaging with the work of the Frankfurt School and exploring the concept of Eros in relation to culture, society, and the individual.
Eternal Returns: Exploring the movement from reminiscence to repetition, and considering the (im)possibility of newness as cultural productions increasingly only seem to fund repetitions (the number of re-make films in Hollywood) and the promise of a return politically (Make America Great Again).
Individual paper proposals may be submitted, as well as symposium, roundtable, conversation hours or working session proposals.
Most sessions will be 90 minutes long. Individual papers will be grouped into themed panels.
SPEAKING TIME IS LIMITED TO ENSURE TIME FOR ALL, AND TIME FOR DISCUSSION
Panel and symposium formats presume no more than 15 minutes per speaker
Roundtables presume no more than 7 minutes per speaker
Conversation Hours should include a diversity of perspectives on a chosen topic.
All panels should reserve at least 30 minutes for audience participation
At APCS, we value conversation. Keeping your own remarks within the allotted time helps to ensure that all participants can engage in the dialogue. We hope that all presenters will offer their ideas in a conversational style (avoiding PowerPoint presentations where possible) and we also invite you to think of alternate formats that promote discussion.
APCS encourages all participants to reflect on the social importance of their contribution and to articulate that value in their presentation. It is our view that the psychoanalytic investigation of culture and society constitutes a unique and indispensable means of understanding AND intervening in our most serious social problems, and we encourage proposals that work to further this project.
We welcome submissions from a broad range of disciplines and psychoanalytic schools of thought. The conference will be of interest to psychoanalytically informed scholars in the social and political sciences, media, cultural and literary studies, and to clinicians and practitioners concerned to explore themes related to the psychic, the social and social justice.
Please check back at this website for updates or email Conference Co-Chairs (Marilyn Charles, Erica Galioto and Carol Owens)