Amateur Literary Creativity of Men as a Form of Self-Psychotherapy
Research Article
How to Cite
Kotelnikov M.P. Amateur Literary Creativity of Men as a Form of Self-Psychotherapy. Interaction. Interview. Interpretation. 2024. Vol. 16. No. 4. P. 58-77. DOI: https://doi.org/10.19181/inter.2024.16.4.4 (in Russ.).
Abstract
In this article, we propose to look at amateur literary creativity (writing) as a self-therapeutic practice. Based on 11 in-depth interviews with male amateur writers, we demonstrate that writing can be both a way to solve life’s problems and a means of helping to change one's attitude towards them. We highlight several basic functions of artistic writing (in addition to the struggle for cultural and economic recognition in the literary field, which were already discussed by Bourdieu): an outburst of emotions, aestheticization of difficult everyday experience, implicit communication with people through text. However, despite the fact that writing can have a positive effect on the well-being and action strategies of informants, we also note a number of difficulties associated with the implementation of this practice. The study demonstrates that sometimes male writers (especially at a young age) face the reproach that “writing is not a man's business”. In particular, informants point out that their passion for writing is not perceived (by partners, friends, relatives, etc.) as significant or even existential for their lives if it does not bring income and success. Finally, the last difficulty associated with amateur writing is the dilemma that arises when trying to publish their manuscripts. Informants who have been rejected are faced with the problem of making their work “convenient” for the needs of publishers (thereby depriving themselves of writing as a practice of self-therapy), or continuing to write in such a way that writing continues to perform a therapeutic function, but agreeing to obscurity.
Keywords:
literary writing, gender, therapeutic culture, literary field
References
Boltanski L., Teveno L. (2013) Kritika i obosnovanie spravedlivosti: Ocherki sociologii gradov [Critique and Justification of Justice: Essays on the Sociology of Cities]. Moscow: Novoe literaturnoe obozrenie. (In Russ.)
Brautigan R. (2021) Uillard i ego kegebalnnye prizy [Willard and His Bowling Trophies]. Moscow: Eksmo. (In Russ.)
Bourdieu P. (2000) The Literary Field. Novoe literaturnoe obozrenie [New Literary Review]. No. 45. P. 22–87. (In Russ.)
Illouz E. (2024) Pochemu lyubov uhodit? [Unloving]. Moscow, Berlin: Direktmedia Publishing. (In Russ.)
Mosse J. (2023) Obraz muzhchiny [The Image of Man]. SPb.: Izdatelstvo Evropejskogo universiteta v Sankt-Peterburge. (In Russ.)
Samutina N. (2013) The Great Female Readers: Fan Fiction as a Literary Experience. Sociologicheskoe obozrenie [Sociological Review]. Vol. 12. No. 3. P. 137–194.
Samutina N. (2019) Japanese Manga in Russia: Introduction to Research on Reading Practices. Novoe literaturnoe obozrenie [New Literary Observer]. No. 160. P. 307–321.
Simonova O. (2024) The “Emotional Markup” of Psychotherapeutic Culture: Imperatives, Ideational Contradictions, and Lines of Analysis. Zhurnal issledovanij socialnoj politiki [The Journal of Social Policy Studies]. Vol. 22. No. 1. P. 7–24. DOI: https://doi.org/10.17323/727-0634-2024-22-1-7-24
Shklovsky V. (1929) O teorii prozy [On the Theory of Prose]. Moscow: Izdatelstvo “Federaciya”. (In Russ.)
Addis M. (2008) Gender and Depression in Men. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice. Vol. 15. No. 3. P. 153–168. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/J.1468-2850.2008.00125.X
Bourdieu P. (1996) Distinction. A Social Critique of the Judgement of Taste. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press.
Busse K. (2017) Framing Fan Fiction: Literary and Social Practices in Fan Fiction Communities. Iowa City: University of Iowa Press.
Cleary A. (2012) Suicidal Action, Emotional Expression, and the Performance of Masculinities. Social Science and Medicine. No. 74. P. 498—505. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2011.08.002
Connell R. (1995) Masculinities. Berkeley, Los Angeles: University of California Press.
Connell R. (2000) The Men and the Boys. Cambridge: Polity Press.
Emslie C., Ridge D., Ziebland S., Hunt K. (2006) Men’s Accounts of Depression: Reconstructing or Resisting Hegemonic Masculinity?. Social Science & Medicine. No. 62. P. 2246–2257. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2005.10.017
Glukhova M. (2024) Two Generations of Depression: Discourses of Emotions. Autobiographical Texts by in Russian Men’s. The Journal of Social Policy Studies. Vol. 22. No. 1. P. 43–58. DOI: https://doi.org/10.17323/727-0634-2024-22-1-43-58
Kindlon D., Thompson M. (1999) Raising Cain. New York: Ballantine Books.
Madsen O.J. (2018) The Psychologization of Society: On the Unfolding of the Therapeutic in Norway. London: Routledge. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9566.12901
Rimke H.M. (2000) Governing Citizens through Self-Help Literature. Cultural Studies. Vol. 14 No. 1. P. 61–78. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/095023800334986
Sanderson G. (1995) Being “Cool” and a Reader. In: R. Browne, R. Fletcher (eds.) Boys in Schools. Sydney: Finch Publishing. P. 152–167.
Seidler Z., Dawes A., Rice S., Oliffe J., Dhillon H. (2016) The Role of Masculinity in Men’s Help-seeking for Depression: A Systematic Review. Clinical Psychology Review. No. 49. P. 106–118. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2016.09.002
Swidler A. (1986) Culture in Action: Symbols and Strategies. American Sociological Review. Vol. 51. No. 2. P. 273–286. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/2095521
Thumala Olave M.A. (2022) Reading Matters: Toward a Cultural Sociology of Reading. The Cultural Sociology of Reading. Cham: Palgrave Macmillan. P. 19—62. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/s41290-017-0034-x
Vana J. (2020) Theorizing the Social through Literary Fiction: For a New Sociology of Literature. Cultural Sociology. Vol. 14. No. 2. P. 180—200. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1749975520922469
Brautigan R. (2021) Uillard i ego kegebalnnye prizy [Willard and His Bowling Trophies]. Moscow: Eksmo. (In Russ.)
Bourdieu P. (2000) The Literary Field. Novoe literaturnoe obozrenie [New Literary Review]. No. 45. P. 22–87. (In Russ.)
Illouz E. (2024) Pochemu lyubov uhodit? [Unloving]. Moscow, Berlin: Direktmedia Publishing. (In Russ.)
Mosse J. (2023) Obraz muzhchiny [The Image of Man]. SPb.: Izdatelstvo Evropejskogo universiteta v Sankt-Peterburge. (In Russ.)
Samutina N. (2013) The Great Female Readers: Fan Fiction as a Literary Experience. Sociologicheskoe obozrenie [Sociological Review]. Vol. 12. No. 3. P. 137–194.
Samutina N. (2019) Japanese Manga in Russia: Introduction to Research on Reading Practices. Novoe literaturnoe obozrenie [New Literary Observer]. No. 160. P. 307–321.
Simonova O. (2024) The “Emotional Markup” of Psychotherapeutic Culture: Imperatives, Ideational Contradictions, and Lines of Analysis. Zhurnal issledovanij socialnoj politiki [The Journal of Social Policy Studies]. Vol. 22. No. 1. P. 7–24. DOI: https://doi.org/10.17323/727-0634-2024-22-1-7-24
Shklovsky V. (1929) O teorii prozy [On the Theory of Prose]. Moscow: Izdatelstvo “Federaciya”. (In Russ.)
Addis M. (2008) Gender and Depression in Men. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice. Vol. 15. No. 3. P. 153–168. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/J.1468-2850.2008.00125.X
Bourdieu P. (1996) Distinction. A Social Critique of the Judgement of Taste. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press.
Busse K. (2017) Framing Fan Fiction: Literary and Social Practices in Fan Fiction Communities. Iowa City: University of Iowa Press.
Cleary A. (2012) Suicidal Action, Emotional Expression, and the Performance of Masculinities. Social Science and Medicine. No. 74. P. 498—505. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2011.08.002
Connell R. (1995) Masculinities. Berkeley, Los Angeles: University of California Press.
Connell R. (2000) The Men and the Boys. Cambridge: Polity Press.
Emslie C., Ridge D., Ziebland S., Hunt K. (2006) Men’s Accounts of Depression: Reconstructing or Resisting Hegemonic Masculinity?. Social Science & Medicine. No. 62. P. 2246–2257. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2005.10.017
Glukhova M. (2024) Two Generations of Depression: Discourses of Emotions. Autobiographical Texts by in Russian Men’s. The Journal of Social Policy Studies. Vol. 22. No. 1. P. 43–58. DOI: https://doi.org/10.17323/727-0634-2024-22-1-43-58
Kindlon D., Thompson M. (1999) Raising Cain. New York: Ballantine Books.
Madsen O.J. (2018) The Psychologization of Society: On the Unfolding of the Therapeutic in Norway. London: Routledge. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9566.12901
Rimke H.M. (2000) Governing Citizens through Self-Help Literature. Cultural Studies. Vol. 14 No. 1. P. 61–78. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/095023800334986
Sanderson G. (1995) Being “Cool” and a Reader. In: R. Browne, R. Fletcher (eds.) Boys in Schools. Sydney: Finch Publishing. P. 152–167.
Seidler Z., Dawes A., Rice S., Oliffe J., Dhillon H. (2016) The Role of Masculinity in Men’s Help-seeking for Depression: A Systematic Review. Clinical Psychology Review. No. 49. P. 106–118. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2016.09.002
Swidler A. (1986) Culture in Action: Symbols and Strategies. American Sociological Review. Vol. 51. No. 2. P. 273–286. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/2095521
Thumala Olave M.A. (2022) Reading Matters: Toward a Cultural Sociology of Reading. The Cultural Sociology of Reading. Cham: Palgrave Macmillan. P. 19—62. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/s41290-017-0034-x
Vana J. (2020) Theorizing the Social through Literary Fiction: For a New Sociology of Literature. Cultural Sociology. Vol. 14. No. 2. P. 180—200. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1749975520922469
Article
Received: 07.10.2024
Accepted: 25.12.2024
Citation Formats
Other cite formats:
APA
Kotelnikov, M. P. (2024). Amateur Literary Creativity of Men as a Form of Self-Psychotherapy. Interaction. Interview. Interpretation, 16(4), 58-77. https://doi.org/10.19181/inter.2024.16.4.4
Section
Field work research
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
