THE PARADOX OF NORMALITY – THE RETURN OF NORMALCY AND ITS CONSEQUENCES (NORMALITETENS PARADOKS – NORMALITETENS GENKOMST OG DENS KONSEKVENSER) Dr. Anders.

Præsentationer af emnet: "THE PARADOX OF NORMALITY – THE RETURN OF NORMALCY AND ITS CONSEQUENCES (NORMALITETENS PARADOKS – NORMALITETENS GENKOMST OG DENS KONSEKVENSER) Dr. Anders."— Præsentationens transcript:

1 THE PARADOX OF NORMALITY – THE RETURN OF NORMALCY AND ITS CONSEQUENCES (NORMALITETENS PARADOKS – NORMALITETENS GENKOMST OG DENS KONSEKVENSER) Dr. Anders Dræby Sørensen, 2015 © Dept. of Sociology, University of Copenhagen Anders Dræby Sørensen

2 BACKGROUND AND PROBLEM Background: Today, existential suffering (e.g. anxiety, stress, depression) is primarily conceived as individual psychological deviations from normal functioning (dysfunctions), representing individual misadaption. In conventional psychiatry, psychology and psychotherapy such mental or behavioral disorders are treated from a strategy of normalizing and readapting the individual. This disregards the fact that existential suffering is (also) a social phenomenon. The real causes are not prevented, and treatment is often inadequate. Problem: How is it possible to understand, identify and handle existential suffering as a social phenomenon that has a complex relationship to social normality? Anders Dræby Sørensen

3 PART 1: SOCIOLOGICAL UNDERSTANDING OF EXISTENTIAL SUFFERING How is existential suffering grounded in the social experience of dialy life and the cultural norms and ideals of society? There is a tradition in sociology of studying social pathologies as social factors that cause/increase social disorganization, social problems and/or deviant social behaviour (e.g. Willig & Østergaard 2005). Existential sociology must focus on how people's experience of social processes and paradoxes is associated with the experience of existential suffering. Anders Dræby Sørensen

4 PART 1: SOCIOLOGICAL UNDERSTANDING OF EXISTENTIAL SUFFERING Social normality may be defined as the common sense, which regulates social order and guides our lives from the assertion that ”everything is in the best order”, which has a comforting purpose (Holzhey-Kunz 1996). I n theory, existential suffering is associated with powerlessness in the face of this life strategy and depression, anxiety and stress may be conceived as forms of passive resistance to the requirements of social normality. Empirical research – discourse analysis/phenomenological research into the experience/articulation of social normality amongst people with distress (and perhaps people with rebellious attitude/active resistance) Anders Dræby Sørensen

5 PART 2: SOCIOLOGICAL DIAGNOSIS OF EXISTENTIAL SUFFERING How does the social experience of present social anomailies relate to the experience of existential suffering? Relating to Michel Foucault (1978/79), Kaj O. Pedersen (2011) and Emmy van Deutzen (2009), the competition state makes the individual responsible for optimizing him-/herself as human capital from life ideals of success, well-being and happiness. This increases human powerlessness against social normalization, which appear as experiences of failure, unhappiness and discomfort. Because of individualization and competition, resistance is turned inwards. Empirical research – discourse analysis/phenomenological research into the experience/articulation of present social norms and ideals amongst people with distress Anders Dræby Sørensen

6 PART 3: SOCIOLOGICAL THERAPY How is it possible to prevent or minizme existential suffering? Relating to Michel Foucault and Friedrich Nietzsche, a social and cultural approach to existential therapy is developed. How is it possible to empower individuals and society by increasing their: Individual life capability to actively resist impossible requirements of social normality? Living from a sustainable life ideal, life unfolding, which can be defined as the unfolding of all human potentials and aspects of life in a diverse interaction between people (cf. Eudaimonia - ε ὐ δαιμονία) Anders Dræby Sørensen