Talking
about depression in Hong Kong, I have been thinking about the Schizoid-paranoid and depressive positions described by
Melanie Klein. I have been wondering if such positions might be applicable in
this context, and if Hong Kong Chinese culture may influence
their development and/or the movement between one and the other.
Schizoid-paranoid and depressive position in Melanie Klein
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| Melanie Klein |
In
the schizoid-paranoid position, the term schizoid means that the object
is split; it is not
recognized as a whole (i.e. good AND bad), but it is separated as good object or
bad object. Paranoid instead refers to one’s own fear of being invaded
and or annihilated by the object; however, Klein makes clear that this is actually
just the projection of an inner destructive fantasy, which is simply experienced
as external.
Melanie
Klein describes the “depressive position” as a more mature position. This is
interesting, because it goes against the common sense, which considers anything
beginning with “depress” (depression, depressive, etc…) as pathological.
Instead, in Klein’s terms, “depressive position” is the ethical
position, as it implies feelings of guilt, grief, and the desire for
reparation. The depressive position is more desirable than the
schizoid-paranoid position; however, Klein makes clear that the latter does not
simply overcome the former, but more likely there is a fluctuation between the
two Ps(n)–>D(n)–>Ps(n+1).
The paranoid-schizoid
position represents at the same time the phase preceding the depressive
position, the defense against it (It takes a great deal to access the
depressive position; indeed, the schizoid-paranoid position represents a much
more “basic” functioning of the mind) and also as a regression from it.
Use of
defense mechanisms in Chinese contexts
It is often reported that in
Chinese culture, teachings focus on the repression rather than the expression
of feelings and emotional vulnerability (Ots, 1990). Kleinman showed that the Chinese
tended to manifest distress primarily somatically, likely as a consequence of
suppression/repression. Yu (2006) found that among a sample of Hong Kong
undergraduates, “participants were more inclined to the neurotic and immature
defense styles, and were more likely to use such defenses as somatization,
dissociation and autistic fantasy” (p.170). In contrast, he observed that among
Westerners “humor, anticipation and rationalization” are ranked highest on
average. Finally, he found denial clearly higher among Hong Kong Chinese than
among the Western counterpart (Yu, 2006). Tseng (2004) observed that Westerners
might consider some defense mechanisms that are frequently used by the Chinese
as “immature”, although these mechanisms can be “adaptive” in a Chinese
society.
Ho (1996) suggested that the social structure of the Chinese (filial-piety)
allow an affect-role dissociation that may serve as a defense mechanism to
fulfill obligations with emotional
detachment.
Is Hong Kong Chinese
culture and lifestyle hindering from a depressive position?
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| Cheap, fast and no-frills |
Can
we find in the Hong Kong Chinese culture and in the social discourse circulating
in Hong Kong anything that might describe one position better than the other?
For example, Chinese culture makes a clear distinction between insiders and
outsiders. Liu (1984) observed that in Hong Kong people tend to have a suspicious attitude towards outsiders and
distrust of them. Chinese society has been defined as a “low trust” society
(Fang & Faure, 2010). Trust is exactly
one of the qualities that we expect to find in a “depressive position”, in
Kleinian terms.
Chinese communication has been described as
insider-oriented meaning that the Chinese tend to speak more openly with people
they know, or they have been introduced to (“insiders”), but they rarely speak
to the people they do not know (“outsiders”) (Gao & Ting-Toomey, 1998).
Together, these seem to be mechanisms
belonging to a schizoid-paranoid position (splitting “the good” Vs “the bad”)
rather than a depressive position. Also the so-called filial piety may be
thought as a way for overcoming the Oedipus complex, just like a strong
hierarchy seems to be the way for preventing the conflicts.
Finally,
particularly in Hong Kong, Chinese culture emphasizes the action and the speed over the speech
and reflection (to some extent it emphasizes the acting out; few researches point
out impulsivity as a common factor
among the Chinese).
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| Walking fast in Hong Kong |
Is
it then possible that the Hong Kong Chinese culture and the social discourse
circulating in Hong Kong somehow limit the access to a “depressive” position,
favoring instead a schizoid-paranoid type of functioning? (The schizoid-paranoid
position is described by Melanie Klein in terms of a defense of the Self;
however, it may be that the Self in a Chinese context has a different nuance
than in Western societies).
Then,
it may be that Chinese culture, particularly in Hong Kong, has evolved so as to
prevent a depressive position (for example, literature normally shows that
Chinese more than Westerners encounter more difficulties in recognizing or
naming one’s own feelings and emotions; as mentioned above, it seems harder in
this cultural context to recognize the object as contemporary good AND bad, or
inside AND outside, mine AND not-mine. There is a much more clear cut in
Chinese culture).
When
feelings of guilt (although Chinese culture is commonly described as a culture
of shame more than guilt), or loss of the object, or distrust arise, they may become
unbearable. At this point, as the schizoid-paranoid position is not optimal (and
these defense mechanisms are not always applicable) and the depressive position
is not easily accessible, one may end up experiencing clinical depression (or
even suicidal fantasies; suicide may also frequently be considered as a
homicide/suicide, thus still belonging to the schizoid-paranoid position).
Then,
an idea (not yet an hypothesis, just an idea) is that Hong Kong Chinese culture may be limiting this fluctuation between the
two positions, making somehow hard to reach a depressive position. This emphasis
on action, speed and efficiency may give the impression of a smoother
functioning (“don’t think too much” I often hear people saying; as if without
thinking life would be easier). Until something “goes wrong” and the breakdown
comes…
(just
some thoughts; please, forgive the oversimplifications and generalizations)
References
Fang,
T., & Faure, G. O. (2010). Chinese communication characteristics: A Yin
Yang perspective. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 35(3), 329–333.
Gao,
G., & Ting-Toomey, S. (1998). Communicating Effectively with Chinese. London: Sage Publications.
Ots,
T. (1990). The
angry liver, the anxious heart and the melancholy spleen: The phenomenology of
perceptions in Chinese culture. Culture, Medicine
& Psychiatry 14:21–58.
Tseng,
W.-S. (2004). Culture
and psychotherapy: Asian perspectives. Journal
of Mental Health 13:151–161.
Yu,
C.K.-C. (2006). Defence
mechanisms and suggestibility. Contemporary
Hypnosis 23:167–172.
