The Trauma Question

In this book Roger Luckhurst both introduces and advances the fields of cultural memory and trauma studies, tracing the ways in which ideas of trauma have become a major element in contemporary Western conceptions of the self.Arguing that trauma can only properly be grasped by reaching beyond traditional disciplinary frameworks, Luckhurst first outlines the origins of the concept of trauma across psychiatric, legal and cultural-political sources, extending back into the nineteenth century. He then elaborates the nature and extent of 'trauma culture' through an examination of English and American sources from 1980 to the present. In this section of the book the author draws upon a range of cultural practices from literature, memoirs and confessional journalism through to film, photography and architecture. Finally, he proposes a 'diagnosis' of these pervasive trauma cultures in the West, citing a fundamental relation to the material economic and social conditions of late modernity. Trauma Culture represents an important step forward for those seeking a greater understanding of this controversial and ever-expanding area of research.Roger Luckhurst is the author of 'The Trauma Question', published 2008 under ISBN 9780415402729 and ISBN 0415402727.