Todman and Mansager ( 2011) espouse that the topic of social exclusion needs to be an interdisciplinary dialogue and sees how a “innovative Adlerian philosophical thought-stream” (p. This author contends that Alfred Adler is an important part of that history.Īt a time when society, especially the profession of social work, is examining and trying to combat white supremacy and looking to current scholars who are advocating for change, we would be wise to listen to what Adler had to say almost a century ago, “All institutions, our traditional attitudes, our laws, our morals, our customs, give evidence of the fact that they are determined and maintained by privileged males for the glory of male domination” (Adler 1927, p. Cushman says, “If we situate psychotherapy historically, we might be able to develop social practices that will shape a slightly new configuration of the self, one that will be comprised of new moral understandings and capable of developing new political and economic structures, structures that could lessen the country’s capacity to injure and destroy its own citizens and those of other nations” (Cushman 1995, p. He argues that we have a moral obligation to examine the historical roots of psychotherapy. This article will attempt to not only illuminate Adler’s contributions, but to show how his many principles are shared within the field of social work, and how social workers and society, as a whole, can directly benefit by familiarizing themselves with Adler’s Individual Psychology ideas.Ĭushman’s ideas fully support Adler’s idea that false individualism is at the heart of all societal ills. Ansbacher ( 1992) labeled Alfred Adler a “pioneer in the prevention of mental disorders” (p. This is especially unfortunate for the field of social work, as Adler’s ideology seems to be born out of societal ills and directly address their prevention. The importance of Adler’s work has been largely neglected, and while there do exist Adlerian schools today, their influence is not mainstream. Wittels was referring to the interpersonal school, also known by most as the Neo-Freudians. For this reason I call this school which is now in formation the Neo-Adlerians” ( 1939, p. This sentiment was shared as early as 1939, when Wittels wrote, “The field of ‘social’ etiologies was the exclusive object of Alfred Adler's research, and although his heirs roarely quote him, the ‘new’ discoveries in this field are based on his theories. Ellenberger ( 1970) wrote, “It would not be easy to find another author from which so much has been borrowed from all sides without acknowledgement than Alfred Adler” (p. While Adler and his teaching seem to be woven into actual social work practice, his ideas seem to have become so diffuse that very little seems to be attributed to him. This article is intended as an exploration of Alfred Adler’s Individual Psychology and argues why it should be explicitly taught in social work curricula. He found that “false individualism” is at the heart of neurosis and that society as a whole suffers from this faulty ideal (Adler 2013b/1930, p. Adler’s work was, in part, an educational movement geared towards bringing people together with its emphasis on the healing power of connection. During these highly divisive and turbulent times in current society, the somewhat forgotten wisdom of Alfred Adler and his Individual Psychology movement comes to mind, and seems to beg for a reincarnation of the dialogue which was largely shut down by the Nazi regime.
0 kommentar(er)
