ABSTRACT
Nowadays, trauma is used very loosely, referring to any form of discomfort; hence, for systematisation purposes, nine distinct uses of the word trauma are differentiated. An original etymological investigation reveals that trauma suggests a duality of effects: harming and renewing. The interactional dimensions of trauma are discussed in what is termed ‘choreography of trauma’. Three historical perspectives of trauma are explored in relation to (a) personal and socio-political contexts of distressing experiences; (b) the development of psychology as a discipline; and (c) the uses of trauma in therapeutic endeavours. With regard to (a), the use of trauma is examined in three historical periods: casualties of early industrialisation; US veterans of the Vietnam War; and ‘consensus narratives’ in the Second World War. It is argued that trauma has been used for three interrelated purposes: to substantiate medico-legal claims for compensation and reparations; to set the historical record straight with regard to adverse experiences; and to assist therapeutically the affected individuals and groups. Circumventing the usual perspectives within which trauma is discussed, it is argued that current trauma discourse represents a retrogressive step in the development of psychology. Methodological concerns are raised with regard to ascertaining trauma. The Freudian concepts of Fremdkörper and Nachträglichkeit are used to illustrate crucial steps in conceptualising trauma in therapeutic contexts. Trauma’s essentialist and constructivist dimensions are identified, emphasising its metaphoric nature.
