Clarence Thomas, Anita Hill, and Us: A Group Relations Perspective

Abstract

This article uses a group relations perspective to explore the unconscious meanings of the Clarence Thomas-Anita Hill hearings for the nation as a whole. The magnitude of media coverage and the reciprocal nature of viewer/reader voyeurism provided evidence that this event had meaning far beyond the individual. In this sociopolitical event, Clarence Thomas, Anita Hill, and the Senate Judiciary Committee were put forward to work through issues that we as a nation could not otherwise consciously address. A group relations perspective speaks to the role everyone played unconsciously in creating and colluding with the process. In essence, these group members were elected to work on behalf of the larger system, and, as in any election, such choices were not accidental. The authors propose that an examination of the larger social unconscious will enable us to understand the powerful psychic meaning that the hearings held for the nation.