Decolonising Recognition Project – Call for Authors

As a group analyst with a long experience in social and cultural group work I would like to draw your attention to a newly started DECOLONISING RECOGNITION PROJECT:

https://decolonising.openrecognition.org/

Recognition is a complex topic, has ethical, social and psychological dimensions, infusing many aspects of our lives. Evidently the various ways we are recognised and recognise others play an important role in shaping our identiy, our society, our world.  In recent years the intersubjective, relational turn in psychoanalysis formulates theories of the self (identity) based on dialogical interaction between me/you, inner/outer world – postulating personality development (identity formation) as an ‚interaction process‘, implying being human is only possible in relation and interdependency with other human beings. In other words: that the other must be recognized as another subject and vice versa. This means that we have a need for recognition and that we have a capacity to recognize others in return, thus making mutual recognition possible.

Taking this into account, group work (in small, median or large size) is based on mutual recognition. In groups recognition and misrecognition play a vital role. Recognition is acted in and acted out – at the centre of any dynamic between group members and nearly at the heart of the group matrix, infusing most aspects of group processes (inclusion/exclusion;  power/powerlessness; autonomy/dependence; individual/social; spoken/unspoken ….).

With two colleagues, Serge Ravet and Patrick Werquin, I started a worldwide DECOLONISING RECOGNITION PROJECT. The first step is a call for authors‚ Decolonising Recognition, collecting contributions for an open access book exploring the manifold dimensions of  “recognition” and the emancipatory power of recognition practises, wrestling with hegemonic power-relations on individual, societal, cultural and political levels.

Considerable attention could be paid to introduce, focus, explain, design, present group analytical, relational, intersubjective approaches to map + discover mis or unrecognized potentials and related theoretical and practical knowledge. Background is, that group analysis and group relational knowledge are relatively under discussed in this context – until now). Moreover, possible contributions could focus on‚ Decolonialisation Recognition, illuminating   the struggles for recognition, e.g., of former colonised indigenous groups, of ethnic or religious minorities, of LGBTQs, of prisoners, of refugees –  fighting for equal human rights, for justice, for self-respect, self-esteem and/or a safe space.

Seen in this light DECOLONISING RECOGNITION refers in general to map the unseen, the unheard, the invisible, mostly unconscious, often marginalised perspectives of everyday life and is primarily an reflective, dialogical and collective project. Sometimes the UNSEEN are living human beings, sometimes other valuable goods (self-esteem, respect, ethical questions, underestimated knowledge and practises …)

We appreciate your efforts and contributions.

Thank you also for sharing it with others! If there are any questions to possible contributions, don’t hesitate to contact me:

Dr. Regina Klein (PhD)
schreibhaftig@gmail.com