Fear of Group Breakdown - Robert Cavooris
Why do political groups fall apart? And what happens to the unconscious life of a group when it does?
Listen onApple PodcastsIn this episode, we speak with Robert Cavooris about his article Fear of Group Breakdown, exploring the unconscious dynamics of collective life through the work of Wilfred Bion and D.W. Winnicott. Focusing particularly on the political left and its forms of group organizing, we discuss how groups manage conflict, how unprocessed tensions can contribute to their breakdown, and how the psychic residues of failed collectives continue to shape political movements.
Robert Cavooris is a psychoanalytic candidate at Pulsion Institute and holds a PhD in the Humanities from the University of California, Santa Cruz. His work explores the intersections of psychoanalysis, political theory, and collective life, with a particular interest in the unconscious dynamics shaping political organization and group experience.