Discussion: CASTE, Isabel Wilkerson

"Like Martin Luther King, Jr. before her, Isabel Wilkerson has traveled the world to study the caste system and has returned to show us more clearly than ever before how caste is permanently embedded in the foundation and unseen structural beams of this old house called America. Isabel Wilkerson tells this story in prose that is so beautiful, the only reason to pause your reading is to catch your breath. You cannot understand America today without this book.”—Lawrence O’Donnell (MSNBC)

In our last meeting, one member cited Civilization and its Discontents,
in which Freud describes the clash between the needs of the individual and the needs of the society in which he or she is embedded. Wilkerson shares her own view that another element, a system of social hierarchy called caste, causes much individual discontent and conflict between groups.

Does the caste system, as Wilkerson understands it, unconsciously affect how we and our patients see ourselves and one another? Is it another aspect of the cultural surround that shapes much of our inner experience, and subtly or not-so-subtly affects the therapist-patient relationship?

This highly acclaimed book is over 500 pages long so as usual, it is not necessary to read or listen to the entire book in order to join the conversation.