Holocaust Studies and the Nature of Evidence: Commentary on Gomolin's "The Intergenerational Transmission of Holocaust Trauma: A Psychoanalytic Theory Revisited". (3rd July 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Kogan, Ilany
• Is Part Of: Psychoanalytic quarterly. Volume 88:Number 3(2019)
• Page Start: 525
• Page End: 540
• Publication Date: 2019-07-03
• Subjects: Transgenerational transmission of trauma -- chosen trauma -- enactment -- evaluation of analytic theory -- critical realism; Psychoanalysis -- Periodicals; 616.8917
• DOI: 10.1080/00332828.2019.1616495
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0033-2828

Abstract

Abstract : This commentary addresses several problematic aspects of Gomolin's paper, which includes a critique of the theory of transgenerational transmission of Holocaust trauma. These aspects are the following: a) the author's evaluation of psychoanalysis and her validation of analytic theory; b) the author's criticism of common psychoanalytic concepts relating to trauma; c) the approach to the universal theory of transgenerational transmission of trauma; d) the inaccurate use of concepts and the weakness of the author's arguments; e) the lack of evidence of her conclusions; f) the author's political bias and the way she relates to her Jewish identity.