Analyzing Group-Leader "Transitional Space"
 
 

I have chosen this exciting and very complex topic for, like the general population, I am also touched by die great process of change that is going on in our region. In die first part of my presentation I will try to outline the effects of macrostructural transformation on individuals. In die second part my aim is to give a clearer picture of social as well as individual pathology with the help of social-psychological theories. Finally, I would like to propose a model to demonstrate die societal dimension, analyzing my experience in therapeutic groups. And, of course, die attitude towards authority is always central in my thinking.

1. Macrostructural Transformation and the Individual

A Hungarian social psychologist in the early 80's coined die term "non-authentic being" to describe the psychological effects of the so-called socialist (or communist) System. The basis of this non-authentic being was a deformed, unspoken social contract according to which the citizen limits his/her social, economic, and political activities and, in return, receives a certain well-being, safety, and peace.

That is, there also existed a state patronage, but in die form of dominant, centralized, formal organizations. The consequence was central determination of everyday life. The values were prescribed, so-called "communist," values which overshadowed individual ones. The communist ideology promoted the tendency to find a scapegoat in order to keep the people under control. [Another evident strategic tool of psychological control over people was sexual repression. It not only limited personal autonomy and freedom, but at the same time caused regression and made psycho-social maturation more difficult.] The socio-economic life was characterized by a lack of individual and group initiative. There was a tendency for people to shift responsibility for their actions to those in positions of authority. Relationships in everyday life, workplaces, and offices were characterized mainly by mutually restricting interdependency. The role of family and "primal" relations was diminished, while that of the "community" was stressed. The consequence of this was – in psychoanalytical terms – a weak or partial object building within die individual and an uncertain personal identity. Because the individual did not take over personal responsibility, the superego functions remained in undeveloped form. Although these important personality components were insufficient, the emphasis of external authority served in many cases as a substitute for weak inner objects and the superego.

This way of life, or psychic state, can be described also with the "self-protective" and "conformist" ego-developmental levels of Loevinger. In her "cognitive developmentalist (or moral developmentalist)" system, after the "impulsive" stage, these are the second and third respective major steps in the socializational process. Adapting this model to the "communist" system, one conformed to the norms of society but this "high-level" adjustment and readiness to cooperate was primarily achieved by outward coercion. This opportunism stemmed also from the inner instability of people who could not trust each other, and as a result there existed a wary and self-defensive attitude in addition to the conformism.

After the great political changes which began at the end of the'80's, the individual began to face difficult challenges in restructuring his/her individual fife. Society's changing values, coupled with individual values in the foreground and the growing importance of "primal" and informal relations, deeply challenge a person's self-evaluational system and personal-growth needs. But the quickly occurring outer changes, the emerging lack of state patronage, and the ending of control over individual initiative are burdening and frightening to those who earlier did not experience a responsible and autonomous way of life.

In order to respond to the new situation, the individual has to develop new patterns of behavior and new attitudes towards other people. But even more difficult than this, in order to adapt to the new lifestyle, an individual must struggle through the process of strengthening of internal objects and developing internal authority. This is because with the given inner conditions one cannot undertake existential burdens, defend individual interests, develop symmetrical relations, and meet long-term social requirements.

In my opinion, the lack of stable inner basis is the main reason for the many regressive reactions toward the rapidly changing system. After the first hopeful expectations for a new, better world have subsided, the overall characteristic mood has been depression. This depression shows the loss of the protective, "maternal" side of the former system. The other, somewhat deeper level of reaction involves confusion, and a feeling of powerlessness and aimlessness which can be the consequence of the disappearance of the controlling, authoritarian regime. Analyzing mass reactions, and behavioral characteristics of the people would lead one to conclude that there is a general regression to Loevinger's "impulsive" stage; that is, to dependent egocentrism.

II Support from Social-Psychological Theories

Maybe this rather abstract and hypothetical way of understanding does not seem valid enough to deal with such a complex phenomena lile global social transformation. After all, one must keep in mind that in periods when social events are so much in the foreground, the consequences of their influences on individuals are much more easily traced and visible than in normal conditions. I am only trying to draw attention to some sociopsychological processes that are important to keep in mind while practicing our profession. It is worth mentioning that, in recent articles, eminent Hungarian authors, working on a solid psychoanalytical basis, find the same or similar functional and structural personality problems that I have outlined above. I take it as indirect proof of my conclusions about the situation in Hungary.

As regards my theoretical framework, we know that Freud already wrote about and tried to prove the effects of cultural influence on individuals. He dealt with this connection from an ontological point of view and considered cultural influence to be a restricting power against individual instincts and achievements. Since that time, the connection between the personal and social dimensions have become clearer. Consequently man is considered not as a "socialized animal," but as a "social animal." It means that we cannot imagine being human outside a society; one's relations with other people through social institutions are of existential importance.

The role theory and the general systems theory, as well as the concept of identity, proved to be very useful in this respect. They can help us to comprehend and better understand the intermediate regions between the different functional. levels of a society. When turning for help to systems thinking, we can see the communist regime as a "closed" system which was not divided into enough parts. The strong central leading system put barriers around subsystems, hindering authentic communication with one another, and through this their development as well. There also existed the case of trespassing across boundaries because of the central determination of individuals' and groups' ways of life. Following the systemic changes, now the problem is that the individual is losing his/her outwardly-determined barriers, and cannot create sufficient boundaries to give the necessary connection with the more complicated environment.

In order to better understand the problematical attitudes towards authority in and after communist rule, Dreitzel's social role pathology theory gives us some more specific help. He distinguishes two kinds of self-alienation (or identity trouble) while filling roles; the one when one's ego performance is restricted by the strong system of norms. This was the case under communist conditions. The other type of identity-trouble occurs when your ego-performance is overloaded due to the weakness or diffusion of social norms. The crisis of values and people's limited possibilities (and capabilities) in choosing among different ways of life make this type of existential suffering characteristic in Hungary today. In both cases the individual fails to be the integrating center of his/her roles; therefore a solid sense of identity cannot be reached.

III. Therapeutic Group Experience

It is not hard to find the uncertainty of identity and ego weakness stemming from the loss of "social objects" – when we in our department ask and analyze a patient's background experiences. One cannot say that they are indifferent or secondary to the "emotional" problems because people were deeply determined and controlled by social conditions, and relations in social context were generally lasting and strongly personal. The obsolescence or transformation of workplaces, the loss of jobs and community network that gave the sense of security – destroys not only the 'social’ but also the 'personal’ side of identity. With this background people come to us mainly to escape, needing us to restore their shattered self-esteem and personality structure. Perhaps these claims could be easier satisfied in a dyadic therapeutic relationship, but to reach a broader and more profound solution of their problems, we use small group settings, too. This is because the group formation is more similar to a social system and the reality testing in a group is more effective than in a one-on-one situation. Observing, it from a systems perspective, the therapeutic group is also a part of the general, societal, system. We can call it (after Kernberg) an "instrumental" sub-system, where the group leader mediates between the various levels of human existence.
It is broadly accepted that psychological (individual), interactive, and group-qua-group levels are domains of group work. But I would argue that apart from these, the societal dimension has the same relevancy from the very beginning of a group's life. This is rather obvious in my country where social adjustment problems and related existential troubles are such a part of everyday life.

The members entering the group have to adapt to the situation in the various, above-mentioned levels, This is a very difficult experience, not only because they have to face their regressive feelings caused by the unknown, threatening situation. What adds to their difficulties is the lack of a solid societal system or background which could give them the compensative sense of a sufficient social identity.

What are the consequences? Let me demonstrate it with the help of a typical group process. Analyzing the members' fantasies, metaphors, and Symbols (including drawing symbols), which represent the group formation in an imaginative, so-called "potential space," we can sec that the creation of a social framework (or System) is of great importance for them from the first moment. This occurs on a primitive level, and the dynamic is 'leader-centered,' not only because they are in deep regression, but also because they have grown accustomed to authoritarian relations. The metaphors based on projections show a strongly dependant but anger-related ambivalent attitude towards the authority figure/leader. He is the ‘rigorous teacher' who 'immorally' watches their private lives, and does not help then find the way. He is the policeman who is interrogating them. "Murder of souls" is in progress, like in the former, communist regime. A member represents himself as a silenced bell with a nailed down clapper. With less aggression they feel themselves as a "billiard ball without a stick" or " a sunflower that is out of doors."

It can be seen that the determining experiences of authority show it as intrusive and inhumane. But, at the same time, losing personal boundaries and efficient social roles, the members are able to turn only to this forcible authority to give shape to their existence. When their dependent egocentrism has diminished they are ready to speak about real life problems. In this phase they mainly do it in general, rather than personal terms. Joblessness, vicissitudes of fife, having no flat; all can be topics. A drawing of a person in a boat with no oars, stuck between two opposite banks illustrates well this state of feelings. It represents their uncertain social existence, and also the lack of definite roles (and boundaries) in the group. Their attitude holds the leader responsible, as if he were to

blame for their misery. It is clear that they make him a 'container' and boundary-giver for them as a group and elementary social system. Only when this condition is granted are the members able to turn to their authentic feelings.

This is obviously anxiety. After naming it they try to understand the roots of this painful experience. Of course it does not happen all at once; they do not have the inner strength and strong enough personal boundaries to undertake their own existential crisis. They can react impulsively: " We ought to break the mirror in the group-room! "; they can develop dream-like fantasies: "It would be wonderful to live in a mobile-home (caravan)-it is the cheapest, and it is free. . ."; or they can create myth-like pictures of caveman, who no doubt had no anxiety... Although the roles they borrow from these imaginary scenes are inadequate in regard to reality, they do have the potential to maintain distance from the leader ( and restrictive authority in general). At the same time it develops an inner space for further elaborative work.

I hope it is evident that I do not want to diminish the importance of time-tested and well-tried dimensions of group process. But I want to argue that the members' societal experiences and given social positions also play an authentic role in the group's here-and- now.' It is dynamically manifested (realized) in the group's space, similar to and together with the intra- and interpersonal characteristics of individuals. This is worthy of attention, and the observation of 'transitional phenomena'(that is, the members' creative steps in gaining an independent psychosocial existence) gives us good means to achieve understanding in this area.