Dissertation Title:

The Image of Archetypal Dismemberment: Myth, Art, and Immigration

Candidate:

Pierson K. Matthews

Date, Time & Place:

December 8, 2019 at 12:00 pm
Studio, Lambert Road campus


Abstract

The problem of mythological, cultural, physical, social, and psychological dismemberment is explored within the context of the collective unconscious, the past and present cultural milieu, and particular artists works. This research focused on how the archetype of dismemberment was manifested in the World War I era and again now in the current era of globalization and mass immigration. The analysis of the works of the particular visual and literary artists I focused on revealed many common themes such as shame, meaninglessness, alienation, loneliness, and violence. Another prominent recurrent theme was the challenge of balancing isolation with community. Shame was such a dominant common theme that it seemed appropriate to name our current era the “Age of Shame.” Ours is an era of intensified social divisions that leads to a radical lack of any toleration of differences. Indeed, Eli Sagan thinks that we have regressed to the level of archaic cultures that had zero tolerance for differences. Refugees and economic migrants have become the latest victims of unjust discrimination and intolerance. These are clearly evidences of social dismemberment. The study calls on depth psychologists to help us articulate the dangers of archetypal scapegoating in a culture like ours that is so rooted in violence and human sacrifice.

Note

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Details
  • Program/Track/Year: Depth Psychology with Specialization in Jungian and Archetypal Studies, Track Y, 2011
  • Chair: Dr. Christine Downing
  • Reader: Dr. Lori Pye
  • External Reader: Dr. Jackie Hayes
  • Keywords: Archetypal, Art, Culture, Dismemberment, Immigration, Myth, Refugee, Scapegoat, Shame, Violence