67th Annual Conference

Thursday, February 25

Afternoon Workshops

2:30 - 5:00 P.M.

Workshop 21

"The Minister's Black Veil," Denial, Projection, Fear: Group Needs for a Scapegoat

Chair:                

Cindy Miller Aron, M.S.W., CGP, Mental Health Specialist, Samaritan Mental Health, Corvallis, Oregon

Nathanial Hawthorne's short story "The Minister's Black Veil" illustrates a community's inability to tolerate difference. Group members struggle with similar anxieties and fears. The consequent dynamics can result in the scapegoating of a member. This workshop identifies group stages and dynamics relative to scapegoating and constructive interventions to manage this phenomenon.

didactic-experiential-sharing of work experiences-demonstration

Learning Objectives:

The attendee will be able to:

1. Identify group stages and the correspondent interpersonal and affective experience of the members.
2. Understand the function the scapegoat plays for the group and the particular defense mechanisms involved.
3. Learn constructive interventions for management of group scapegoating.

Course References:

Cohen, B., & Schermer, V. (2002). On scapegoating in therapy group: A social constructivist and intersubjective outlook. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 52, 89-120.

Hawthorne, N. Elements of Literature. "The Minister's Black Veil". Holt, Reinhart and Winston, Austin, Texas, 2000. pp.299-307.

Lyndon, P. The Leader and the Scapegoat: A Dependency Study. Group Analysis, 1994. 27:95-104.

Malcus, L. "Indirect Scapegoating via Projective Identification and the Mother Group. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy. 1995. 45:55-71.