Burnout and Intersubjectivity: A Psychoanalytical Study from a Lacanian Perspective

• Published in: Human relations (New York) Vol. 56; no. 3; pp. 321 - 338
• Main Authors: Vanheule, Stijn, Lievrouw, An, Verhaeghe, Paul
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Thousand Oaks, CA SAGE Publications 01.03.2003; Kluwer Academic; Plenum; SAGE PUBLICATIONS, INC
• Subjects: Burnout; Case studies; Dialectics; Human relations; Interpersonal relationships. Groups. Leadership; Intersubjectivity; Lacan, Jacques; Lacan, Jacques Marie Emile; Occupational Stress; Psychoanalysis; Psychoanalytic Interpretation; Psychoanalytic perspectives; Psychological aspects; Qualitative research; Social psychology; Sociology; Studies; Subjectivity; Workers; Working conditions; United States > US; qualitative research; intersubjectivity; burnout; psychoanalysis; Lacan; Work load; Interaction; Symbol; Imaginary; Dominance; Master; Slave; Lacan (J.); Psychoanalysis; Work; Dialectics; Identity; Power; Subordinate-superior relation; Work Relation
• ISSN: 0018-7267; 1741-282X
• DOI: 10.1177/0018726703056003614

This article examines the intersubjective process connected with burnout. On the basis of qualitative research data we investigate to what extent Lacan’s model of intersubjectivity enables us to under-stand the burnout process and to differentiate between people who suffer from burnout and those who do not. We first outline Lacan’s theory of intersubjectivity through a discussion of the dialectical master/slave relationship and the difference between imaginary and symbolic interactions. This model is then tested against the interview material of 30 special educators drawn from the results of a wider random sample survey of 765 respondents in response to a burnout questionnaire. We found that Lacan’s distinction between imaginary and symbolic functioning allows us to make a difference between high and low scorers. High scorers - among whom two subtypes can be distinguished - function mainly in an imaginary way. Among low scorers we similarly found two subgroups - one that interacts symbolically and one that interacts imaginarily, but in which latter case environmental factors are found to have a protective function.