The psychoanalyst's view of the economic war

• Christophe DEJOURS
  Psychoanalyst, professor, CNAM (Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers) Laboratory Director - industrial psychology, author of Souffrance en France (Le Seuil, 1998)
  
• Michel VILLETTE
  Sociologue, professeur à l'ENSIA
  

Summary

For several years, Christophe Dejours has observed the development of suffering in the workplace and the increase in various mental pathologies : new forms of work organisation shatter the old balance between the employee's contribution and the recognition of his effort ; between individual initiative and group co-operation ; and between personal commitment and self-fulfilment. But Michel Villette asks the question : does it really make sense to denounce and make "collaborators" (which we all are, more or less, according to Christophe Dejours) feel guilty, when none of us really has any other choice ? In addition, is the suffering which he describes, not merely a stage or transition, both in the individual career path of those who are entering the workplace, and in the evolution of our society ?

Summary translated from French by Rachel MARLIN.

• The entire article was written by Élisabeth BOURGUINAT and translated by Rachel MARLIN.

To obtain this article, you can :

• download it for free in French (PDF help) or contact ecopar@paris.ensmp.fr (Reference IN310100).
• download it for free in English (PDF help) or contact ecopar@paris.ensmp.fr (Reference IN310100-ENG).

The entire article appears in French in the Journal de l'École de Paris du management N° 24.