Unconscious ties that bind – attending to complexes in the classroom: part 2

ABSTRACT

Continuing the argument from Part 1, regarding the cultural unconscious and cultural complexes, a case is made for the significance of attending to the unconscious in the classroom. Understanding of cultural and familial complexes and the way parental psychology gets replayed within schools aims to bring greater awareness to the psychology of group life. Here specific attention is given to the family unconscious, family complexes, family soul, and the ancestors – both personal and archetypal. A method borrowed from family constellation work and rooted in African traditions of healing is outlined. This method is offered in an effort to unlock unconscious familial patterns whereby the emergence of new images may not only contribute to healing but also might have long-term effects on learning. Transgenerational patterns shaped by traumatic experiences, life events, cultural and environmental factors affect students, and so their learning. Parallel findings in epigenetics are also considered to be able to better contribute in long-lasting ways to resolving conflict, as well as to understanding deeper issues affecting our relations within education.

KEYWORDS:

• Ancestors
• the dead
• familial unconscious
• familial complexes
• family constellation
• transgenerational
• epigenetics

This article is related to:

Unconscious ties that bind – attending to complexes in the classroom: part 1

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes on contributor

Alexandra L. Fidyk, PdD, poet, philosopher, and psychotherapist, serves as Associate Professor in the Department of Secondary Education, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada. Her work draws upon analytical psychology, Buddhist thought, process philosophy and poetic inquiry. She is past president (elect) of the Jungian Society of Scholarly Studies, and editor of a forthcoming collection of pedagogical essays, Jung in the Classroom (Routledge).

Notes

1. (Dirkx, 2008; Dobson, 2008a, 2008b, 2009, 2011; Doll, 1995, 2000; Fidyk, 2008, 2009a, 2009b, 2010a, 2010b, 2011a, 2011b, 2012, 2013a, 2013b, 2013c, 2013d, forthcoming; Jones, Clarkson, Congram & Stratton, 2008; Slattery & Selig, 2009; Leonard & Willis, 2008; Lindley, 1993, 1994; Mayes, 1999, 2001a, 2001b, 2001c, 2002a, 2002b, 2003a, 2003b, 2003c, 2005a, 2005b, 2005c, 2005d, 2005e, 2007, 2009, 2010a, 2010b, 2010c, 2012; Mayes & Williams, 2013; Neville, 2012, 2014; Pinar, Reynolds, Slattery, & Taubman, 1995; Pinar 2004; Pines, 2002; Romanyshyn, 2013; Semetsky, 2003, 2008, 2009; Shaker, 1982, forthcoming; Shaker & Heilman, 2008).

2. Attention to ecology is another contribution of post-Jungian development critically important to education; however, due to the delimitations of this paper, a case for it will not be made here.

3. During his assignment as missionary to the Zulus, he continued his studies at the University of Pietermaritzburg and the University of South Africa, where he received a BA and a University Education Diploma that entitled him to teach at public high schools.

4. First Nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples of Canada.