An Introduction

I am pleased to introduce to Contexts’ readers the article on “exchange” prepared for the Group Analytic Dictionary (GAD), by Israeli colleague Orit Mass-Goldman.  Exchange is an important concept in the theoretical field of group analysis and was introduced by Foulkes, in 1944, in his first article prepared with Eve Lewis, as the fourth specific therapeutic factor in group analysis.

Mass-Goldman brings us Foulkes’ (1944) definition of the concept highlighting its relevance to group analytic groups, presenting as well reflections from various articles, especially those published by Louis Zinkin in The Psyche and Social World (1994) and Christine Thornton in Group Analysis in 2004 and discussions brought by Farhad Dalal in his book Taking the Group Seriously (1998). The piece prepared by Mass-Goldman invites us to delve into the complexity of the idea of exchange and its relations to the early experiences of childhood, classic psychoanalysis, group-as-a-whole, and social context. It enhances the importance of explorations, information, and communications that are exchanged in the group, concerning the creation of conscious and unconscious group cultures. Moreover, as Mass-Goldman discusses, exchange needs to be explored in its unconscious aspects and needs to be examined in the different dimensions/levels that are at stake in group analytic groups.

Exchange brings us to the core of group analysis, and as discussed by Zinkin, Thornton, and Mass-Goldman is, as a concept, complementary to another important group analytic factor – mirroring. Exchange and mirroring bring to the fore the importance of difference and sameness in groups, mainly because exchange implies difference and mirroring sameness. In this sense, the dialectics established between both, between “owning and sharing” (Zinkin 1994, p.11) are vital not only for healthier life-groups but also to development and change in therapeutic groups.

Mass-Goldman also highlights the relevance of exchange and mirroring and the creation of identification, and identity. As she affirms:

“Identity is formed in each individual by the internalization of innumerable interactions and identifications with others” ( Mass- Goldman, 2020).

“‘Identity is not fixed, but a phenomenon that is embedded in a network of social interactions and relations’ (Dalal, 1998, in Thornton, 2004, p. 317) exchange (as the encounter with difference), is the central mechanism of this process” (Mass-Goldman, 2020).

In this sense, exchange is fundamental for the creation of different figurations of personal and group life in civilization.

Group Analytic Dictionary entries make group analytic professionals visit and revisit, the cornerstones of the group analytic project. Orit Mass-Goldman’s article encourages group analysts from different corners of the world to continue the research and bring more contributions to such a complex topic. In this regard, it would be interesting, as an invitation to connect the concept of exchange with similar developments on the vinculo theory of the Argentinian Enrique Pichon-Rivière (1971).

References

Brown, D. & Zinkin, L. (1994). Exchange as a Therapeutic Factor in Group Analysis. In The Psyche and the Social World (p. 99-117). London: Jessica Kingsley.

Foulkes, S.H. & Lewis, E. (1944). Group Analysis: A study in the treatment of Groups on Psycho-Analytic Lines. In Therapeutic Group Analysis. London: Karnac, 2002. Originally published in 1964.

Mass-Goldman, O. (2020) Exchange. Group-Analytic Contexts, September issue.

Pichon-Rivière, E. (1971). El Proceso Grupal. Buenos Aires: Nueva Vision.

Thornton, C. (2004). Borrowing My Self: An Exploration of Exchange as a Group-Specific Therapeutic Factor.  In Group Analysis. 37(2):305–320.

Carla Penna
drcarlapenna@gmail.com