Presenter: |
David S. Klugman, MSW |
Chair: |
Susan G. Lazar, MD |
Discussant: |
Carolyn S. Clement, PhD |
Self Psychology Page | 20th Conference Program
Synopsis
This paper is an attempt to address the phenomenon of agency in the clinical work by honoring distinctions between the self-as-structure, the person-as-agent, and the ego-as-function. These distinctions are drawn from the existing self psychological and intersubjective literature, and are elucidated by the delineation of a tripartite model comprised of ego, self & I. The central thrust of my argument is that relatedness at the level of agency (agentic relatedness) precedes the formation of the self-structure, and as such forms a baseline or foundation for the ever-evolving domain of relatedness in which the vicissitudes of "the cohesion and disintegration of the self" transpire. Evidence from empirical infant research is cited to support the claim that agency comprises an independent, developmental line, ever-distinct from self and other, and in contrast to theoretical models based on the idea of infantile merger.