Review

Reviewed Work(s): Trauma and Recovery: The Aftermath of Violence-From Domestic

Abuse to Political Terror by Judith Lewis Herman
Review by: Eileen Geil Moran
Source: Gender and Society, Vol. 8, No. 1 (Mar., 1994), pp. 136-138
Published by: Sage Publications, Inc.
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/190079
Accessed: 10-04-2017 19:10 UTC

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136 GENDER & SOCIETY / March 1994

own
own oppositional
oppositionalstance
stance
as as
oneone
of critically
of critically
interrogating
interrogating
"old narratives,
"old narratives,
suggesting
sug
alternative
alternativeways
waystoto
look
look
at at
blackness,
blackness,
black
black
subjectivity,
subjectivity,
and, of
and,
necessity,
of necessity,
whiteness
wh
(p.
(p. 5).
5). For
ForDonaldson
Donaldsonin in
Decolonizing
Decolonizing
Feminism,
Feminism,
this oppositional
this oppositional
stance stance
to the
solipsistic
solipsisticview
viewofof
gender
gender
of of
traditional
traditional
white
white
middle-class
middle-class
feminist
feminist
scholarship
scholarsh
mus
take
take the
theform
formofof
"multiple
"multiple
reading
reading
strategies"
strategies"
that that
do not
doreduce
not reduce
"the Other
"the to
Other
the
same-an
same-animpulse
impulseatat
the
the
heart
heart
of of
thethe
colonialist
colonialist
project"
project"
(p. 11).
(p.Specifically
11). Specifica
thi
means
means finding
findinga a"story
"story
field"
field"
that
that
"denies
"denies
the privileging
the privileging
of any
ofone
anyplot
one(orplot
gender
(or
identity)
identity)for
forwomen's
women'slives
lives
in in
its its
affirmation
affirmation
of stories
of stories
(and genders);
(and genders);
it also demands
it also de
that
that each
eachstory
storynegotiate
negotiateitsits
position
position
in relation
in relation
to allto
other
all other
storiesstories
included
included
within the
wi
field,
field, which
whichininturn
turn
must
must
recalculate
recalculate
their
their
own own
positions"
positions"
(p. 139).
(p. hooks,
139). hooks,
the socia
t
critic;
critic; Morton,
Morton,the
thehistorian;
historian;
andand
Donaldson,
Donaldson,
the literary
the literary
critic,critic,
are indeed
are indeed
all strug-
al
gling
gling with,
with,challenging,
challenging,and
and
resisting
resisting
those
those
conventional
conventional
ways ways
of seeing
of seeing
that blind
thatu
to
to the
the complexity
complexityofof
difference
difference
andand
the the
relations
relations
of racist
of racist
and sexist
and sexist
domination.
dominatio
But
But these
thesebooks
booksare
are
not
not
alike
alike
in their
in their
audience
audience
appeal
appeal
or in or
their
in their
accessibility
accessib
to
the
the reader.
reader.Black
BlackLooks
Looks
will
will
undoubtedly
undoubtedly
and and
rightly
rightly
have the
havewidest
the widest
and mos
an
enthusiastic
enthusiasticgeneral
generalreader,
reader,
cross-disciplinary,
cross-disciplinary,
and interdisciplinary
and interdisciplinary
appeal. appeal.
Disfig-
ured
ured Images
Imageswill
willbebe
ofof
special
special
interest
interest
to historians
to historians
and social
and social
scientists.
scientists.
Decolonizing
Deco
Feminism
Feminismwill
willfind
find
itsits
audience
audience
primarily
primarily
in feminist
in feminist
scholars
scholars
of literature
of literature
and literary
and
criticism.
criticism.Some
Somereaders
readers
will
will
be be
frustrated
frustrated
by hooks's
by hooks's
failure
failure
to use to
conventiona
use conv
footnoting
footnotingor
oreven
eventoto
systematically
systematically
include
include
in her
in selected
her selected
bibliography
bibliography
materials
m
quoted
quoted ininthe
thetext.
text.And
Andfewfew
readers
readers
willwill
be enamored
be enamored
with with
Donaldson's
Donaldson's
tendency
tend
t
select
select complex
complexororobscure
obscure
language
language
whenwhen
simplicity
simplicity
wouldwould
have been
havemore
beencompel-
more c
ling.
ling. Certainly
Certainlythese
theseare
are
not
not
complaints
complaints
thatthat
will will
be directed
be directed
at Patricia
at Patricia
Morton'M
carefully
carefullydocumented
documentedand
and
straightforward
straightforward
analysis.
analysis.
But, individually
But, individually
and collectively,
and collec
these
these books
booksall
allfurther
furtherour
our
understanding
understanding
of social
of social
constructions
constructions
that support
that support
systemss
of
of domination
dominationand
andcall
call
for
for
alternative
alternative
imaging.
imaging.
Each Each
is well
is worth
well worth
reading.
reading.

BARBARA L CARTER

Spelman College

Trauma and Recovery: The Aftermath of Violence-From Domestic Abuse to

Political Terror. By Judith Lewis Herman, M.D. New York: Basic Books,
1992, 276 pp., $27.00.

The psychological trauma commonly experienced by survivors of terrifying, life-

threatening events is well documented. Judith Herman breaks new ground by identi
fying what is shared by survivors of combat, rape, concentration camps, and abuse a
home; all combine terror and powerlessness. Linking these experiences theoretically
exposes the structures of dominance, and their dependence on violence.
With a feminist analysis, the author's comprehensive review of the literature on
trauma critiques the early work on "hysteria" and its subsequent application to shel
shock. Herman compares and finds similarities in the trauma experienced by survivors

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 BOOK REVIEWS 137

of battle, rape, and other frightening events of short duration. In W

men exhibiting stress disorders after battle were accused of fakin
cowardice, paralleling the reception young women received when t
which could not be acknowledged, about their incestuous fathers.
hired by the military, aimed at short-term "therapy" and drug trea
quickly return soldiers to the front. Psychiatry confirmed the realit
but the pejorative intent of labeling young men with a "woman's
challenge of the men's sexual identity should not be missed.
Herman maintains that a prerequisite for healing is a political clim
survivors by believing them. Her review of the history of psychiat
believe survivors points to the ease with which insights can b
reinterpreted, or denied if they challenge existing power relations:
employ of fathers or generals narrow their scopes. Herman cr
movement and feminism for enabling her to challenge the patri
psychiatric training and to recognize how detrimental its prescripti
women and children. The antiwar and women's movements pr
rape survivors the political space to confront the damage infl
Herman, combat and rape, when experienced in adolescence, serv
tary rites of initiation into the coercive violence of adult society"
Gender is central to Herman's analysis as she contrasts the trau
of women and men, and girls and boys. War trauma can be wo
support of men's "emotional disengagement and uncontrolled
further inhibiting recovery. Unlike the community support usua
returning soldier, the rape victim's credibility is routinely chall
safety is not easily restored so she may be forced to confine her
risk.

In contrast to rape and battle, the terror that women and children know when they
are chronically abused by a tyrant they live with is, Herman argues, comparable to
the trauma of those who survived concentration camps. They are captives, and like
other political prisoners, are pressed into feeling responsible and complicit with evil
for surviving.
Severe abuse precludes maturation and personality development. Even as I am
struck by the creative adaptations children deploy to protect and distance themselves
from severe abuse, I come to see the price they pay. Herman dispels the myth about
the resiliency of children.
Although this work is intended for therapists, the political analysis of seemingly
disparate situations is useful to anyone working with victims of violence. It remains
accessible to survivors and anyone interested in understanding the use of violence
and terror as tools of social control.
Therapeutic neutrality is inappropriate and Herman insists that the therapist, as a
representative of the community, must witness these abuses of power to enable
survivors to move beyond self blame and guilt, holding the abuser accountable instead
of themselves. She recommends listening to the voices of survivors to learn what is
crucial to their recovery. The selected survivors' quotes exemplify her respect for their

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138 GENDER & SOCIETY / March 1994

courage
courage and
and their
their insights.
insights.As
Asaaclinician,
clinician,she
shefinds
findsthat
thatsurvivors
survivors
heal
heal
one
one
anothe
anot
small
small groups
groups and
and she
she appropriately
appropriatelyacknowledges
acknowledgestheir
theirinsights.
insights.
Although
Although posttraumatic
posttraumatic stress
stressmay
mayshare
sharesymptoms
symptomsofofexpression
expressionwith
witho
psychological
psychological disorders,
disorders, such
suchas
asnightmares,
nightmares,anxiety
anxietyattacks,
attacks,
oror
hyperarousal,
hyperarous
man differentiates
differentiates the
the aftermath
aftermathof
ofviolence
violenceand
andterror
terrorfrom
from"ordinary"
"ordinary"
neur
ne
However,
However, if
if aa more
more client-based,
client-based,empowering
empoweringmodel
modelisiseffective
effectivetreatment
treatment
for
for
str
related
related trauma,
trauma, it
it indirectly
indirectlychallenges
challengesthe
thestandard
standardclinical
clinical
practice
practice
for
for
other
other
psy
p
logical
logical problems
problems too.
too.
Herman's
Herman's eclectic,
eclectic, interdisciplinary
interdisciplinarywork
workcontributes
contributesnotably
notablytoto
our
our
understand
understa
of violence
violence and
and power.
power. Sociologists
Sociologistswill
willfind
findthis
thisclearly
clearlyargued,
argued,
well-documen
well-docum
book aa gold
gold mine.
mine.

EILEEN GEIL MORAN

Queens College, New York

Social Science and the Self: Personal Essays on an Art Form. By S

Krieger. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press, 1991, 273
$14.95.

One night when I was in the throes of finishing my Ph.D. dissertation, I dre
that I was in a line of people slowly marching toward a guillotine wielded b
adviser. As he chopped off each head, he declared, "I pronounce you my collea
Just before it was my turn, I jolted out of the dream. It left me with disturbing thou
about professional socialization as loss, conformity, even as a kind of violence t
learner.
That long-ago dream suggests a kind of underlife that Social Science and the
brings into full view. How, Susan Krieger asks in a series of thoughtful essays,
the individual self of the researcher and writer affect the doing of social science?
happens to individual creative vision as we enter disciplines that equate objecti
with denial of the self, that separate the depersonalized researcher from the su
of research, that favor the passive tense and the effacement of emotions? In ad
to these shared conventions, each of the social sciences construes the self in a p
and distorting manner: sociologists regard the self as an empty core acted upo
external forces; economists render the self in terms of preference functions; poli
scientists connect the self to political rights and powers. As a result, the social sci
neglect everyday experiences of individuality.
Setting out to explore individuality and the personal "without apology," Kr
argues that the self is not a containment, but rather a "key to what we know
boldly asserts that our work as social scientists involves art as well as science,
she draws on the experiences and work of artists-the painter, Georgia O'Keefe
Pueblo potters-for insight into relationships of self to creative work. Other e

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