[.ca] Trauma: A Genealogy (ISBN 0226477665)

A Very Selective Use of Data:
I am giving this book 3 stars only because it is well researched. You can find an overall sketch of some of the important studies in trauma over the last century. However, Ley's main theses, that studies of trauma have oscillated between mimesis and anti-mimesis, and that there are no biological bases for reactions to traumatic stress, shows the weakness of approaches from the humanities. I think she totally discounts the mind body connection, and while others may find her "scathing" dismissal of Caruth and VanDerKolk's work "intriguing" I find it unnecessarily nasty and inappropriate. I don't go for scholars who try to build their reputation at the expense of others, especially since she doesn't come up with anything beyond a literature review. In fact, she says she is producing a genealogy not a history so she can bounce around among different themes. Fine, but it also becomes a poor rationalization for an overselective use of data to back up her argument. In fact, she ends up not being very sympathic to the reality of trauma, and I find her approach generally insensitive.

College-level psychology students will find it intriguing:
Trauma: A Genealogy is a survey of the history of the concept of trauma, tackling a controversial topic which examines the emergence of multiple personality disorders, combat fatigue, and other psychological conditions sparked by trauma. Her examination of the concepts and works of Freud and others reinforces her argument that the concept of trauma has been fundamentally unstable, revolving between two very different models of perception. College-level psychology students will find it intriguing.