Sociality of Mental Distress in the Light of Erich Fromm\u27s Theory

Magistrsko delo je posvečeno raziskovanju in analizi umeščenosti duševnih stisk v specifičnih pogojih sodobne zahodne družbe. V prvem delu se avtor posveti pomembnosti vprašanja za socialno pedagogiko, in sicer ga utemeljuje z vidika njene tesne prepletenosti z antipsihiatričnim gibanjem. Čeprav je od gibanja minilo nekaj desetletij, tema za disciplino ostaja aktualna. Na to kažejo prevladujoči trendi obravnave duševnih stisk, ki jih v veliki meri zaznamujeta intenzivna privatizacija in medikalizacija. Nadalje so pandemija covid-19 in posledice, ki sta jih na duševnem zdravju pustili ustavitev javnega življenja in samoizolacija, uporabljene kot primer pomanjkljivosti prevladujočega biomedicinskega modela duševnega zdravja in njegove nezmožnosti ustreznega odzivanja v kriznih situacijah. Pri obravnavi problema se avtor v veliki meri nasloni na eksistencialno humanistično teorijo Ericha Fromma, zato se v besedilu posveti umestitvi njegovega dela v frankfurtsko šolo ter psihoanalitično in marksistično teorijo. Magistrsko delo se nadaljuje z aktualizacijo Frommovih osrednjih konceptov in kritičnim premislekom nekaterih predpostavk, ki to formulacijo omogočajo. Na tem mestu avtor odprte vrata dvomu v absolutnost Frommove teorije in daje glas nekaterim njegovim kritikom. Srž polemike so predvsem Frommova interpretacija Marxa in Freuda, kakor tudi njegov normativni humanizem, ki predpostavlja esencialnost človeške narave. V zavedanju, da ima Frommova teorija svoje meje, avtor zagovarja tezo, da njegova koncepcija človekovih potreb dobro prestaja zob časa in je danes ravno tako relevantna, kot je bila v času njegovega delovanja. V nadaljevanju je obravnavano Frommovo razumevanje »človekove bivanjske pogojenosti«, ki jo ponazarja s svojo interpretacijo biblične zgodbe o izgonu iz raja. Izhajajoč iz tega so opisane in na novo premišljene osrednje človekove nefiziološke potrebe in nujnost njihove zadovoljitve za duševno zdravje. V zadnjem delu avtor na podlagi izbranih sodobnih družbenih diagnoz pokaže, da nekaterih potreb v trenutni družbeni realnosti ne moremo zadovoljiti na način, ki bi vodil do duševnega zdravja.The Master\u27s thesis analyses and explores the context of mental distress in the specific conditions of contemporary western society. In the first part of the thesis, the author focuses on the importance of the topic for social pedagogy, which he argues for mostly in the light of social pedagogy\u27s intertwines with the anti-psychiatric movement, as well as in reference to some modern trends of treatment of mental distress, which are predominantly defined by intense privatization and medicalization. The COVID-19 pandemic and the effects the restricted public life has had on public mental health are used to demonstrate the inadequacy of the predominant bio-medical concept of mental health. Since the problem is for the most part addressed within the frames of Erich Fromm’s existential humanistic theory, the author begins with contextualizing his work in the Frankfurt school, between the psychoanalytic and Marxist theory. Before delving further into some of Fromm’s crucial ideas, his core presuppositions which enable formulation of his concepts are addressed and analyzed. There, the author makes space for the questioning of Fromm’s theory and looks more precisely into arguments of some of his critics. The controversy here is centred around Fromm’s interpretation of Freud and Marx, as well as his presuppositions concerning essentiality of human nature. Aware of the theoretical limits of Fromm’s theory, the author argues that his conceptualization of human needs has stood the test of time and remains as relevant today as it was at the time of his writing. In what follows, Fromm’s understanding of “man’s existential condition” is adressed, which he illustrates with his interpretation of the biblical story of exodus from Eden. Further on, the central non-physiological needs of human beings are described and rethought in the context of the necessity of their satisfaction for mental health. In the final section, it is argued, based on selected contemporary social diagnoses, that the current social reality does not enable the satisfaction of most of these needs in a manner conducive to mental health