Work and Self-Development. Issue 2 (1st July 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Dejours, Christophe; Deranty, Jean-Philippe
• Is Part Of: Critical horizons. Volume 15:Issue 2(2014)
• Page Start: 115
• Page End: 130
• Publication Date: 2014-07-01
• Subjects: Critical theory -- Periodicals; 142.05
• DOI: 10.1179/1440991714Z.00000000027
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1440-9917

Abstract

<abstract xml:lang="en"> <title>Abstract</title> <p> A subject's relationship with work is by no means "neutral" as regards selfdevelopment. What becomes of the psychical (or subjective) relationship with work does not depend solely on the individual's particular characteristics as a person, in particular their gender; it depends also on the nature and organization of work. In order to analyse the importance of work in the development of the psychic erotic economics, I refer to the psychotherapy of a young woman that took place towards the end of her adolescence. This will enable me to show how work can have a positive impact on mental development. Then, in order to illustrate how work may <italic>destroy</italic> mental functioning, I briefly analyse examples taken from investigations I undertook in France in companies where several workplace suicides had taken place. </p> </abstract>