Boundary and Space: Introduction to the Work of D.W. Winnicott

230 Pages·1981·8.543 MB·English

by  Madeleine Davis, David Wallbridge

BOUNDARY
AND SPACE
-
An Introduction to the Work of
D. W. WINNICOTT
Other Relevant Titles from Karnac
D. W. Winnicott
Holding and Interpretation: Fragment of an Analysis
The Maturational Processes and the Facilitating Environment
Psycho-Analytic Explorations
Therapeutic Consultations in Child Psychiatry
Thinking About Children
Through Paediatrics to Psychoanalysis: Collected Papers
F. Robert Rodman (Editor)
The Spontaneous Gesture: Selected Letters of D. W. Winnicott
Donald Winnicott Memorial Lecture Series
Joyce McDougall
Donald Winnicott the Man: Reflections and Recollections
Sir Richard Bowlby
Fifty Years of Attachment Theory
Andre Green
Play and Reflection in Donald Winnicott's Writings
Winnicott Studies Monograph Series
Val Richards (Editor)
The Person Who Is Me: Cont empora ry Perspectives on the True and
False
Fathers, Families and the Outside World
Jan Abram (Editor)
Andre' Green at the Squiggle Foundation
Lesley Caldwell (Editor)
Art, Creativity, Living
The Elusive Child
Sex and Sexuality: Winnicottian Perspectives
BOUNDARY AND SPACE
An Introduction to the Work of
D. W. WINNICOTT
Madeleine Davis & David Wdlbridge
KARNAC BOOKS
London
Published in 1991 by
H. Karnac (Books) Ltd.
6 Pembroke Buildings
London N W 10 6RE
Reprinted 2004
The rights of Madeleine Davis and David Wallbridge to be identified as authors of this
work has been asserted in accordance with $877 and 78 of the Copyright Design and
Patents Act 1998.
Copyright O 1981 by Madeleine Davis and David Wallbridge
Appendix material is reprinted with permission from the
International Review of Psycho-Analysis
Copyright O 1987 by the International Journal of Psycho-Analysis
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical,
photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the
publisher.
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A C.I.P. for this book is available from the British Library
ISBN: 1 85575 001 5
www.kamacbooks.com
To Clare Winnicott
Felix, gui potuit rerum cognoscere causas,
atque metus omnis et inexorabile fatum
subiecit pedibus
-VIRGIL, Georgics 11

Contents
Foreword by Robert J. N. Tod ix
Preface xi
Acknowledgments xv
I. The Background 1
1. Personal Qualities 3
2. The Evolution of the Theory 8
3. The Spatula Game 17
11. The Theory of Emotional Development 25
A. BASICASSUMPTIO2N7S
1. Self and Ego 27
2. The Fact of Dependence 30
B. EARLPYS YCHIFCU NCTIONIN3G2
1. Integration and Unintegration 32
2. Personalization 37
3. Primitive Object Relating and the Experience of
Omnipotence 39
4. Impingement and Trauma 43
5. Self Defense 46
6. The False Self 48
7. Intellect and the False Self 49
8. The Expectation of Persecution 52
C. ADAPTINTGO SHARERDE ALITY5 3
1. Growth of the Inner World 54
2. The Area of Illusion 55
3. Transitional Objects and Transitional Phenomena 57
4. Playing 61
5. The Potential Space 63
CONTENTS
6. The Use ofan Object and the Roots of
Aggression 67
7. Innate Morality and the Capacity for
Concern 73
8. The Antisocial Tendency 78
9. Adolescence 81
D. THEE NVIRONMENPTRAOLV ISION8 6
1. Mothering and Biology 87
2. The Accumulation of Experience in the Mother
and in the Parents 90
3. Primary Maternal Preoccupation 93
4. Holding 97
5. Handling 100
6. Object Presenting 103
7. De-adaptation and Failure 110
8. Ego-relatedness and Communication 113
9. The Ordinary Devoted Mother 121
10. Dependence and Domination 126
11. The Father 128
12. The Family 131
HI. Boundary and Space 137
1. Form and Content 139
2. Security and Risk 141
3. The Individual and Democracy 144
4. The Broken Boundary 147
5. The Oppressive Boundary 151
6. Space Without Boundary 159
7. Time and Continuity 169
Endpiece 172
Appendix: The Writing of D.U ! Winnicott 173
Bibliography 195
Index 201
Foreword
The Winnicott Publications Committee was formed in 1975 in order to
make better known to students the work of Donald W. Winnicott.
Many of his ideas are already known through his books and through
papers that have appeared in professional journals. There is, however,
nowhere any general introduction and appraisal of his work and the
Committee considered it important that a short book should be written
to introduce students to his main concepts. Madeleine Davis and David
Wallbridge undertook to make this attempt and they had access to all
his unpublished writings that were available. The result is this book
written by Madeleine Davis with the advice and assistance of David
Wallbridge.
Donald Winnicott died just ten years ago and I write this short note
in the capacity of a friend who always felt enriched from any meeting
with him. I hope that this book will introduce many new readers to
Winnicott's way of thinking and help them to understand his concepts
and so lead them to further study of his work.
-ROBERT J. N. TOD
Chaimn, Winnicott
Publications Committee 1981