Psychoanalysis Science and Masculinity

Abstract

This book claims that the nature of science lies in the eternal human quest for the origins of things. It is not just the application of neutral human rationality; there is a deep-rooted motivation to journey to the beginnings of everything. The book argues, too, that in trying to understand the motivation for that quest we need psychoanalysis: we need to know the unconscious roots of our restless searching. In a word, we have to view the vibrant and heady achievements of science in conjunction with the infantile phantasies of the primal scene. A quest in search of anything is, at root, the quest for the origins of life-and that means mother's body.Figlio further claims that such a penetration is fraught with all sorts of emotionally signi cant, sensitive and terrifying associations. Not least is the phallic quality of penetration. He describes phallicism as the violating penetration of an object that has had all its moral and emotional signi cance stripped from it. Phallic masculinity is, however, but a defence-a denial of the importance of father as procreator with mother; and a squaring up to father's power. The distorting, defensive and maladaptive nature of phallicism, as found in the primitive unconscious, creeps into the attitudes of scientists, and the public's expectations of them. Science then becomes embroiled in problematic attitudes, which in turn provoke a reaction. Hence, Figlio concludes, this is 'why such an obviously reassuring and bene cial activity [science] in ames such passionate rebuke' (p. 211). Science has the image of a penetrative, corrupting violation of nature; and psychoanalysis can say where that image comes from.The moment of discovery in the primal scene is a confrontation for the infant. His own narcissism is assaulted. His assumption that he exclusively occupies the maternal body is banished by the new presence of father. It is the end of narcissism. As Freud described in the Wolf Man case, the infant attempts to avoid this end and will insert himself into the couple, forming in his own mind identi cations with either member of the couple. In the Wolf Man's case the infant became stuck in a neurotic identi cation with mother's female passivity; but in many other cases, the identi cation is with the penetrating male. It is this latter identi cation that appears to have been picked up in the modern period by scienti c enquiry and enquirers.Because of the rageful reactions of the infant at the exclusion from the parental intercourse, the penetration that occurs in the infant's mind is also rageful and violating. If such emotions carry over unconsciously into the seemingly emotionally neutral enquiry of mature science, then the persistent claims of science to be neutral and innocent sound hollow. However, as Figlio shows, science is not in fact neutral or innocent. It is a moral and emotional activity that is both troubled by, and also impelled by, guilt.The emotional responses to the enquiries of science have at their unconscious roots the penetration of mother, of other women and ...

Re-reading masculine organization: Phallic, testicular and seminal metaphors

“…Ely and Meyerson (2010) noted moves towards ungendering in examples of managerial and organizational change from one of the toughest and most traditionally masculinist industries of all. Nevertheless, it remains true that identity change can come hard to both organizational and individual levels, and when it is embedded in a powerful root metaphor it can prove almost impossible to dislodge in a non-therapeutic environment, as Figlio (2000) also demonstrates. There is demonstrable potential for change within masculinity, but whilst there remains much to be done there is so far scant empirical work that focuses on these metaphorical considerations.…”

“…For Figlio (2000Figlio ( , 2010, this seminal function is the distinctive masculine function. As he argues, again complementing Höpfl (2008) and Chodorow (1994), dominant phallic masculine behaviour and psychic life enact a defensive posture which is rendered invisible largely because it has aligned itself hegemonically with particular socially ascendant modes of living.…”

“…Our discussion therefore includes a brief consideration of the historical development of the phallic metaphor, illustrating that it has always co-existed alongside testicular and seminal metaphors. The interplay of these metaphors has brought out different aspects of the masculine, some of which are more conducive to relational and pro -creative processes (Figlio, 2000: 151), rather than control and domination. We do not suggest that creativity itself is either masculine or feminine, but that pro-creative elements of each gender orientation energize creative processes that overrun binary distinctions.…”

“…Even positive ‘spermatic’ arguments remained essentially phallic in their view of sperm as the creative force in the individual that burst out, celebrating its own fecund power rather than exuberating in creative union . ‘Seminality’, an appreciation of the seminal function as non-phallic, fluid between the poles of abstention and excess, was regarded as a feminine quality (Figlio, 2000).…”

“…In addressing our first research question we compare and contrast these metaphors, drawing on anthropology, sociology and psychoanalytic discussions that propose the existence of positive, negative, excessive and inverted modalities of each. We integrate and reformulate existing work (Baxter and MacLeod, 2005; Figlio, 2000, 2010; Flannigan-Saint-Aubin, 1994a, b; Haddon, 1988; Haste, 1993; Kroker and Kroker, 1991; Moore, 2007) to offer a different conceptual grid of intelligibility to view masculinity in organizations. In addressing our second research question we explore how these modalities may be encountered, and the complex relations between different elements of the specific category of genital metaphors in organizing.…”