Trauma: A Social Theory

by Jeffrey C. Alexander

In this book Jeffrey C. Alexander develops an original social theory of trauma and uses it to carry out a series of empirical investigations into social suffering around the globe. Alexander argues that traumas are not merely psychological but collective experiences, and that trauma work plays a key role in defining the origins and outcomes of critical social conflicts. He outlines a model of trauma work that relates interests of carrier groups, competing narrative identifications of victim and perpetrator, utopian and dystopian proposals for trauma resolution, the performative power of constructed events, and the distribution of organizational resources. Alexander explores these processes in richly textured case studies of cultural-trauma origins and effects, from the universalism of the Holocaust to the particularism of the Israeli right, from postcolonial battles over the Partition of India and Pakistan to the invisibility of the Rape of Nanjing in Maoist China. In a particularly controversial chapter, Alexander describes the idealizing discourse of globalization as a trauma-response to the Cold War. Contemporary societies have often been described as more concerned with the past than the future, more with tragedy than progress. In Trauma: A Social Theory , Alexander explains why.

Genres: Sociology

180 pages, Paperback

First published June 26, 2012

About the author

Jeffrey Charles Alexander is an American sociologist, and one of the world's leading social theorists. He is the founding figure in the school of cultural sociology he refers to as the "strong program"

Reviews

[Waris Ahmad Faizi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Evocative!

The book explores the concept of trauma from a sociological perspective. Alexander argues that trauma is not just an individual psychological experience but a collective social process. He examines how societies construct and define trauma through cultural narratives, historical events, and shared symbols. By analyzing cases such as the Holocaust and 9/11, Alexander illustrates how trauma can shape collective identity and social memory. This book provides a thought-provoking framework for understanding trauma as a cultural and social phenomenon, rather than solely as a personal or medical issue.

[Robert Wechsler · Rating 5 out of 5]

So much contemporary literature is about trauma, personal and collective, so it is valuable to read a work that examines and distinguishes types of trauma, and focuses on collective, cultural traumas, and how they come to be (largely through cultural narratives).

This excellent book consists of essays on the Holocaust, the Rape of Nanjing, India/Pakistan, and Globalization. The later chapters emphasize how important civil society is to democracy. Of course, this is why Trump is going after civil society, as all autocratic administrations do. A bit too much repetition, but easy to skim.

[Stella Rogers · Rating 4 out of 5]

for diss! will be v helpful yay!

[Tara · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is very insightful and well constructed. However, reading it felt as though the author was constantly using a thesaurus as there are many words he uses where I wondered why he chose that particular one and is a good example of how the wording of writings in academia use complicated words far more than necessary. There are a couple of chapters he spent about 65 pages writing about something that he could've gotten across in ten. The last chapter is the easiest to read and the first is the hardest due to the layout and wording the author used. Instead of simplifying the concept so others would better understand it, he complicates his explanations in a confusing way so those less academically laymen won't understand.

Aside from that, this is a very good book and I sincerely hope the optimistic ending is eventually realized in modern society, though I'm not going to hold my breath.