I am a Professor of Psychology in the School of Human and Community Development at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa and a registered Clinical Psychologist.
Abstract This article is based on a qualitative research study that explored the impact of trauma... more Abstract This article is based on a qualitative research study that explored the impact of trauma experienced by child Holocaust survivors who were interned in concentration camps for periods of time during their childhood/adolescence. A conceptual model of a traumatic bereavement was developed based on the analysis of in-depth, repeated interviews conducted with nine elderly survivors. Despite the passing of many decades the impact of Holocaust related trauma exposure was evident in the narratives of child survivors both in the form of traumatic stress symptoms and features of traumatic bereavement. The term catastrophic grief is proposed to properly capture the devastation and despair associated with the scale and complexity of Holocaust related loss in child survivors. Catastrophic grief appeared to be compounded by associated affects. The authors suggest the presence of a “Trauma Trilogy” in these child Holocaust survivors, consisting of interlinked difficulties in dealing with catastrophic grief, survivor guilt and anger, that are intimately entwined and appear central to catastrophic loss. This constellation of suffering inevitably contributed to leanings toward despair in the negotiation of Erikson’s final life conflict phase of integrity versus despair.
In taking a constructively critical view on the Apartheid Archive Project, an area that warrants ... more In taking a constructively critical view on the Apartheid Archive Project, an area that warrants consideration is the possible role of self-representation in the construction of the archive itself. Although narratives have and will continue to be collected through various channels, one of the primary means of submission is a Web-based portal. Thus far, many of the contributions have been offered by the research team and their associates, and to a lesser extent the general public. Contributors are able to submit anonymously or append their identities to the narratives if they so wish (see www.apartheidarchive.org). This means of participation suggests that self-representation is likely to be salient for many contributors. While it is evident that many of the analyses that have already been offered on different aspects of the contents of the archive have taken cognisance of discursive and performative elements of the kind identified as important in Potter and Wetherell’s (1987) and Butler’s (1999) work, there seems to be some merit in continuing to consider self-representation as implicated in a narrative-based archive in a focused way.
Abstract This article is based on a qualitative research study that explored the impact of trauma... more Abstract This article is based on a qualitative research study that explored the impact of trauma experienced by child Holocaust survivors who were interned in concentration camps for periods of time during their childhood/adolescence. A conceptual model of a traumatic bereavement was developed based on the analysis of in-depth, repeated interviews conducted with nine elderly survivors. Despite the passing of many decades the impact of Holocaust related trauma exposure was evident in the narratives of child survivors both in the form of traumatic stress symptoms and features of traumatic bereavement. The term catastrophic grief is proposed to properly capture the devastation and despair associated with the scale and complexity of Holocaust related loss in child survivors. Catastrophic grief appeared to be compounded by associated affects. The authors suggest the presence of a “Trauma Trilogy” in these child Holocaust survivors, consisting of interlinked difficulties in dealing with catastrophic grief, survivor guilt and anger, that are intimately entwined and appear central to catastrophic loss. This constellation of suffering inevitably contributed to leanings toward despair in the negotiation of Erikson’s final life conflict phase of integrity versus despair.
In taking a constructively critical view on the Apartheid Archive Project, an area that warrants ... more In taking a constructively critical view on the Apartheid Archive Project, an area that warrants consideration is the possible role of self-representation in the construction of the archive itself. Although narratives have and will continue to be collected through various channels, one of the primary means of submission is a Web-based portal. Thus far, many of the contributions have been offered by the research team and their associates, and to a lesser extent the general public. Contributors are able to submit anonymously or append their identities to the narratives if they so wish (see www.apartheidarchive.org). This means of participation suggests that self-representation is likely to be salient for many contributors. While it is evident that many of the analyses that have already been offered on different aspects of the contents of the archive have taken cognisance of discursive and performative elements of the kind identified as important in Potter and Wetherell’s (1987) and Butler’s (1999) work, there seems to be some merit in continuing to consider self-representation as implicated in a narrative-based archive in a focused way.
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