The Effects of Turkey’s Socio-cultural Structures on Experiencing and Processing Emotions with Masterson Approach

Habibe Aykan

Masterson’s psychological approach, highlights the role of the relationship with the primary caregiver in the development of self. Coining the terms false self and reel self. For reel self to develop, it is critical for the primary caregiver to understand and accept the emerging unique characteristics of the baby,and provide support for these characteristics and needs. 

Humans are born with an innate potential to actualise themselves, however they lack the skills. The baby, separating from the mother with curiosity and discovery, needs the mother to accompany it on the journey to individuation. This kinship of the mother, maternal libidinal availability in other words, is greatly important for the baby. Since the baby lacks the skills for self-soothing and emotional regulation, being alone in this big world, the maternal libidinal unavailability, causes painful emotions in the baby. These emotions are so agonizing that the baby cannot bear them. It cannot sooth them. Since the maternal libidinal unavailability triggers the survival motivation, the baby pays a great price to reach the mother and end the suffering. It gives up being itself. Defensive (false) self emerges. This false self uses strategies to avoid the painful emotions of the early childhood through the life. This defences’ main function is to protect the individual against the negative emotional experiences such as depression, rage, guilt, emptiness and despair.   

Psychological factors cannot be understood isolated from the society that they emerged. Just like the mother forming the environment for the baby, the society forms the environment of the family. The society forms the family network, the family’s intra-psychic structure. This is why the society’s ethics, cultural structure, ways of child rearing and familial life are all very influential on the development of the self. The society’s response towards emotional needs effect the emotions, the ways we experience and process them. In this work, Turkish societal structure’s effects on experiencing and processing emotions will be discussed with Masterson approach.

Keywords: Masterson approach, emotions, cultural effect