Reviews
"At the center of Cynthia Burack's outstanding book is the hypothesis that, like individuals, groups can exhibit signs, not only of sickness but also of health. She distinguishes regressive groups from reparative groups, a distinction that is very timely and important for political and social theory that aims to deal with, not deny, social conflict."-Cynthia Willett, author of Theorizing Multiculturalism: A Guide to the Current Debate, "Healing Identities is a thought-provoking application of psychoanalysis to identity group discourse and an insightful overview of black feminist thought. It is simultaneously scholarly and political. Stimulating!"-Mari Jo Buhle, author of Feminism and Its Discontents: A Century of Struggle with Psychoanalysis, "At the center of Cynthia Burack's outstanding book is the hypothesis that, like individuals, groups can exhibit signs, not only of sickness but also of health. She distinguishes regressive groups from reparative groups, a distinction that is very timely and important for political and social theory that aims to deal with, not deny, social conflict."--Cynthia Willett, author of Theorizing Multiculturalism: A Guide to the Current Debate, "Overall, it is refreshing to see Black feminism meticulously analyzed as a theoretical discourse and not simply exploited as a set of experiences that can be inserted into existing models to make up for past exclusions. Healing Identities does not simply 'add Black women and stir' into the stew of psychoanalytical and political theories of groups. Rather, to Burack's credit, the author seriously engages the issues of all three discourses."-Patricia Hill Collins, Hypatia, 20:4, Fall 2005, "Healing Identities is a thought-provoking application of psychoanalysis to identity group discourse and an insightful overview of black feminist thought. It is simultaneously scholarly and political. Stimulating!"--Mari Jo Buhle, author of Feminism and Its Discontents: A Century of Struggle with Psychoanalysis, Overall, it is refreshing to see Black feminism meticulously analyzed as a theoretical discourse and not simply exploited as a set of experiences that can be inserted into existing models to make up for past exclusions. Healing Identities does not simply 'add Black women and stir' into the stew of psychoanalytical and political theories of groups. Rather, to Burack's credit, the author seriously engages the issues of all three discourses., "Overall, it is refreshing to see Black feminism meticulously analyzed as a theoretical discourse and not simply exploited as a set of experiences that can be inserted into existing models to make up for past exclusions. Healing Identities does not simply 'add Black women and stir' into the stew of psychoanalytical and political theories of groups. Rather, to Burack's credit, the author seriously engages the issues of all three discourses."--Patricia Hill Collins, Hypatia, 20:4, Fall 2005
