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Abstract

The presence of psychoanalysis in a country is usually adjudged by the existence of an internationally recognized training institute. In other words, psychoanalysis is usually coterminous with its clinical or therapeutic manifestation. Psychoanalysis in South Africa has been around in some form or other for the past 70 years. This article gives a brief history of psychoanalysis in South Africa, and especially with regard to attempts to establish an internationally recognized training of psychoanalysts. While not denying the value of clinical psychoanalysis, an argument is made for a social role for psychoanalysis. It is suggested that a psychoanalytic social theory could be developed to help us make sense of the `social terrors' that populate the human landscape in post-apartheid South Africa. Two such social issues are discussed, namely `race' and HIV/AIDS.

Keywords

HIV/AIDS psychoanalysis's history racism social theory transformation

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