'Homelessness, dangerousness, disorder and the cycle of rejection: a Cynical analysis?'

Birkbeck Institute for Social Research

'Sites of Conflict' Seminar Series

Christopher Scanlon and John Adlam 'Homelessness, dangerousness, disorder and the cycle of rejection: a Cynical analysis?'

The focus of this presentation is on the dynamics of inclusion and exclusion in the system of care and in society. It is based on our direct experience of working with the homeless, the dangerous and the disordered, Our starting point is to observe that despite our best, and at times our worst, efforts ‘to include’, there remains a group of people whose refusal to be included presents us all with significant social problems. The focus of our discussion is to re-locate the problems arising from the anti-social stance at the heart of this refusal from the internal world of the refuser to phenomena associated with what we have calling psychosocial dis-memberment and the ‘un-housed mind (Adlam & Scanlon, 2005, Scanlon & Adlam 2006; 2008a, 2008b). We then explore the complex reciprocal relationship between the housed and the un-housed, society’s members and those that society dis-members and consider some possible implications for those who are tasked with attempting to house, re-member or otherwise to accommodate such people.
Christopher Scanlon is Consultant Psychotherapist, South London & Maudsley NHS Trust (SLaM) Senior Visiting Research Fellow, Centre for Psychosocial Studies, University of West England, Visiting Lecturer in Forensic Psychotherapy, St George’s University of London, Faculty member at the Institute of Group Analysis (London) and the Turvey Institute for Group Psychotherapy and Trustee of the Zito Trust – a major mental health Charity campaigning for improved services for mentally disordered offenders and their victims.
John Adlam is Principal Psychotherapist, with the St George’s Adult Eating Disorders Service at Springfield University Hospital, Visiting Lecturer in Forensic Psychotherapy at St George’s University of London, freelance organizational consultant and formerly Principal Psychotherapist at Henderson Hospital Democratic Therapeutic Community until its closure in 2008, He is a member of the Tavistock Society of Psychotherapists and Vice President of the International Association for Forensic Psychotherapy (IAFP).
Wednesday 11th February 3.30 - 5pm Room 509 Birkbeck Main Building

Free - all welcome - no registration

Julia Eisner
Administrator
Birkbeck Institute for the Humanities
Birkbeck Institute for Social Research
Birkbeck, University of London
Malet Street
London WC1E 7HX

T: (0) 20 3073 8363
F: (0) 20 3073 8359
E: j.eisner@bbk.ac.uk