Illusions of a Future

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Focusing on psychoanalysis in Chicago, this ethnography delves into the political economy of therapeutic labor within industrialized medicine. It examines the historical development and institutionalization of psychoanalysis in the U.S., highlighting the tension between traditional practices and contemporary market demands for efficiency and standardization. Kate Schechter explores how modern analysts grapple with defining and regulating their field amidst ongoing challenges, reflecting on the discipline's evolution and current crisis.