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Vol. 45 No. 1 (2025)
Revista Portuguesa de Psicanálise

Clínicas

Contemporary Couples: A Psychoanalytical and Sociological Approach

https://doi.org/10.51356/rpp.451a3

Published 2025-06-30

  • Éric Smadja

Éric Smadja
Société psychanalytique de Paris

Abstract

After outlining the historicity of contemporary couples, the author presents his psychoanalytic and multidimensional conception of the couple. He then addresses the structural and unconscious psychological organizing processes involved in the construction of any couple, as well as the process of choosing a marital object and its historicity. However, the construction and life of any couple requires genuine work. This is couple work, an interdisciplinary concept that helps interpret marital events relevant to each of the three realities. It notably contributes to the culture and identity of couples.
In the following, the author describes some sociological characteristics of contemporary couples as well as those of our society, which is notably pervaded by paradoxical currents. Finally, the author develops some psychoanalytic and socio-anthropological reflections on our society and these contemporary couples, of which they are exemplary representatives.

Keywords

Couple, Society, Work, Change, Psychoanalysis, Sociology

PDF (Français)

Author Biography

Éric Smadja

Psiquiatra, Psicanalista (de adultos e casais), Membro da Sociedade Psicanalítica de Paris. É o criador de um curso de formação em Terapia Psicanalítica de Casais, antropólogo e autor de, entre outros, Travail de couple, travail avec les couples (In Press, 2024), a ser publicado em breve em português pela Ed. Blucher (S. Paulo).

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