States of Abjection

Abstract

This paper draws on Kristeva’s (1982) notion of abjection to conceptualize the nature of organizational defences against anxiety. The abject is that aspect of the self which lies outside the symbolic order, evoking feelings of anxiety, disgust, repulsion and fear. These feelings index the attempt by the individual to distance the self from what is felt to be improper or unclean in order to establish subjectivity and identity. Located within UK public mental health services which have recently been subject to New Public Management restructuring, the paper explores how contemporary preoccupations with regulation, surveillance and governance in public mental health institutions may be characterized as a symbolic attempt to gain mastery over feelings unconsciously deemed to be abject reminders of the body. A short case example drawn from my work as psychotherapist and supervisor in a primary care mental health service is offered to illustrate how feelings of psychological distress come to be abjected within the organization. I conclude by proposing that theorizing abjection offers rich prospects for future debate and research within the field of organization studies.