Psychoanalysis and racism: possible methodological approaches

Abstract

This article investigates the psychological implications of racism in Brazil, using psychoanalysis as a theoretical and methodological framework. It begins by revisiting the main ideas of Freud and Lacan on segregation and recalls pioneering Brazilian postgraduate research in psychoanalytic discussions on the psychological effects of racism. Thus, it establishes the necessary framework for analyzing clinical, structural, and general aspects of the constitution of the subject traversed by raciality. The construction of a clinical case and the use of the case mark as a methodological operator underpin the investigation of the unique effects of racism. In Mariana’s case, the experience of naming in her family nucleus shows how racism — present in the social structure — implies her relationship with her own body and subjectivity. It is concluded that this analysis allows us to delve into the possible outcomes and the emergence of the subject in the face of racist discourse, reinforcing the power of psychoanalysis for investigating the effects of racism in contemporary times.