‘No memory, no desire’: psychoanalysis in Brazil during repressive times

Until recently, the growth and significance of Brazilian psychoanalysis has been neglected in histories of psychoanalysis. Not only is this history long and rich in its professional and cultural dimensions, but there was an especially important ‘event’ – the so-called ‘Cabernite-Lobo affair’ – that took place during the period of the military dictatorship, which can be seen as dramatising some of the issues concerning the erasure of memory in psychoanalysis, especially in connection with political difficulties. In this paper, we provide an outline of the origins and dissemination of psychoanalysis in Brazil before looking again at the Cabernite-Lobo affair in order to examine in a situated way how psychoanalysis engages with political extremism, and particularly to explore the consequences of an unthinking generalisation of the idea of ‘neutrality’ from the consulting room to the institutional setting. We draw especially on Brazilian papers in Portuguese, which have not been accessible in the English-language psychoanalytic literature

Climate, history, society over the last millennium in southeast Africa

Climate variability has been causally linked to the transformation of society in pre-industrial southeast Africa. A growing critique, however, challenges the simplicity of ideas that identify climate as an agent of past societal change; arguing instead that the value of historical climate–society research lies in understanding human vulnerability and resilience, as well as how past societies framed, responded and adapted to climatic phenomena. We work across this divide to present the first critical analysis of climate–society relationships in southeast Africa over the last millennium. To achieve this, we review the now considerable body of scholarship on the role of climate in regional societal transformation, and bring forward new perspectives on climate–society interactions across three areas and periods using the theoretical frameworks of vulnerability and resilience. We find that recent advances in paleoclimatology and archaeology give weight to the suggestion that responses to climate variability played an important part in early state formation in the Limpopo valley (1000–1300), though evidence remains insufficient to clarify similar debates concerning Great Zimbabwe (1300–1450/1520). Written and oral evidence from the Zambezi-Save (1500–1830) and KwaZulu-Natal areas (1760–1828) nevertheless reveals a plurality of past responses to climate variability. These were underpinned by the organization of food systems, the role of climate-related ritual and political power, social networks, and livelihood assets and capabilities, as well as the nature of climate variability itself. To conclude, we identify new lines of research on climate, history and society, and discuss how these can more directly inform contemporary African climate adaptation challenges

A psicologia médica na Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro: um estudo de caso Medical psychology at Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro: a study case

A presente pesquisa teve como proposta realizar um estudo de caso no serviço de psicologia médica da Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (UERJ). Foi investigado como os princípios teóricos da psicologia médica aplicaram-se em uma instituição de ensino e assistência. Os pressupostos iniciais deste campo tinham uma vertente contestatória em relação à medicina. Questionavam os padrões nos quais a prática médica havia se estruturado. Pretendiam modificar a relação médico-paciente dando-lhe uma conotação mais humanizada, e também almejavam construir um modelo para a gênese da doença, onde os fatores psíquicos passariam a ser considerados elementos fundamentais na formação das enfermidades somáticas. A partir da análise dos dados, pôde-se concluir que a inserção da psicologia médica na UERJ retrata uma trajetória institucional marcada por dificuldades e lutas políticas, que implicaram em uma gradual modificação de seu propósito de origem. Perdeu-se o caráter crítico e contestador, para transformar-se em uma espécie de adendo da medicina.<br>The present research had as proposition making a study case at the wing of medical psychology at Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (UERJ). It was investigated with the theorical principles of medical psychology applied in a teaching and aid institution. The initial presuppositions of the field had a contester characteristic in relation to Medicine.The structures were inquired the medical practice. With the intention to modify the relation doctor - patiente giving a more humanized conotation, and also building a model for the origem of the disease, where the psychic factors would be considered major elements in the formation of somatic illnesses. When analyzing the data, it was concluded that the insertion of the medical psychology at UERJ portraits an institutional trajectory marked by difficulties and political struggles, that implied in a gradual change in its primary propposition. The critical and contester character was lost, transforming it in a Medicine addendum

A integralidade numa rede de proteção social ao adolescente: uma reflexão a partir do pensamento de Giles Lipovetsky Integrality in a social protection network for adolescents: a reflection based on Giles Lipovetsky's thought

O propósito deste artigo é apresentar uma discussão sobre a integralidade como um paradigma, uma ideia-referência, do campo de conhecimento da Saúde Pública. Para isso apresentamos a exploração empírica dos elementos discursivos coletados numa rede de proteção social voltada ao adolescente dos quais deriva parte importante da prática de agentes de saúde. As experiências colhidas em campo a partir da ação dos articuladores da Política Municipal de Atenção à Criança e ao Adolescente, no Município de Suzano-SP, foram analisadas sob o ponto de vista de Gilles Lipovetsky. Essa análise situou a integralidade como ideia-referência proposta pelo campo de conhecimento da saúde pública, que questiona e provoca mudanças nas práticas médicas e de saúde inseridas na sociedade contemporânea, sobretudo no que se refere à atenção psicossocial.<br>The purpose of this article is to present a discussion about integrality as a paradigm, an idea/reference in the field of knowledge of Public Health. For that we introduce the empiric exploration of discursive elements collected in a social protection network targeted at adolescents. These elements represent an important part of the health agents' practice. The experiences collected in the field from the actions of the articulators of the Municipal Policy of Child and Adolescent Care, in the city of Suzano, State of São Paulo, were analyzed from Giles Lipovetsky's point of view. This analysis situated integrality as an idea/reference proposed by the knowledge field of Public Health, which questions and provokes changes in the medical and health practices inserted in contemporary society - above all, in psychosocial assistance