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Chapter Eight
A Consulting
Break
The Scrap
The title of this moment
refers to the way that
aspects of the interaction
between the tutors in the
break in the middle of the
teaching session can
seem like a scrap or
tussle.
The meaning of this
constellation of
experience is explored,
by relating the interaction
to the situations of the
group and its members.
The relationship between
the tutors is a prime site
for displacement of what
cannot be thought about
elsewhere. Hence,
displacement is the key
characteristic of the
unconscious prominent in
this session.
Description /
Analysis
The break is placed in a
‘sandwich’, of what
came before and after,
and then a verbatim
transcript of the break is
summarised with some
analysis
Before the break:
someone is quite lost
After the break: shame
can be acknowledged.
Topics include the
community meeting,
bullying by
administrators, plans for
the future of the course.
A vignette is elaborated
for analysis.
One tutor reflects on
their concerns about their
teaching, and then the
other followed by both
about tasks outside of
this teaching
Then the tutors have an
extended rally of
discussion, about a
fundamental dilemma for
trainers between
nurturance and setting
limits.
Chapter Eight – A Consulting Break - Page 272
More Analysis Interpretation
There is a need for
theorisation of the role of
the break.
Displacement and
projection between
parties – gives a
framework, expands the
reference locator to
Figure 8.2
This is a kind of fight,
and the tutors display
polarisation.
Turmoil about coming
back – an appreciation of
metonymy aids the
understanding of how
this resonates.
It is now possible to
make sense of how work
can happen in a learning
group such as this,
particularly making use
of the reflective capacity
of the staff.
If staff can model
containment of intense
projection, as well as the
use of breaks to both
recover and process
these projections, the
group can learn in many
ways.
Being backstage (and
backstage again)
enables a different
kind of understanding.
The turbulent nature
of the break,
alongside the
productive nature of
the group, suggests
that whilst there may
be turbulence around
the course getting in
to the break, that the
experience and
containment of the
turbulence may enable
the group to work.
Identity in transition
is a focus that links a
range of levels of
experience and a
range of phenomena
in the semester, and
also explains why
shame and anxiety are
so prevalent in the
break.
Table 8.1
A summary of description, analysis and interpretation of data in Chapter Eight.