ABSTRACT
The term "borderline" therefore describes a state of mind in which there is a core problem of identity. This arises mainly from processes in which mental pain is managed by expulsion or projection rather than through toleration and containment as a necessary part of learning. This chapter elaborates further upon the concept of borderline states of mind. It describes some core features of the concept of borderline functioning as derived from psychoanalytic theory and practice. The chapter introduces a number of short vignettes that illustrate aspects of borderline states in clinical and organizational contexts. It concerns the importance of secure boundaries in welfare systems. The chapter illustrates how these can delimit a safe enough internal world for the delivery and management of welfare activity. It discusses some previous attempts to relate psychoanalytic theory to the understanding of social life, and link these to a review of sociological perspectives that resonate with the idea of borderline welfare.
