The Trickster and the System: Identity and Agency in Contemporary Society

The Trickster and the System offers an analytical paradigm that can be used to examine
relationships between tricksters and systems, change and stability, in a wide range
of social, political and cultural contexts. It covers a range of systems, describes different
types of tricksters and discusses possible conflicts, tensions and dialogues between
the two opposing sides. One of the central ideas of the book is that social systems use
shame as a tool to control and manage all kinds of tricksters – individuality, agency,
creativity, spontaneity, innovation and initiative, to name but a few. The author argues
that any society that neglects its tricksters (agents of change), ends up suffering from
decay, stagnation – or even mass hysterical outbursts.
The Trickster and the System provides a fresh perspective on the trickster figure in a variety of cultural contexts. It covers a range of psychological, cultural, social and political phenomena, from personal issues to the highest level of society’s functioning: self-esteem and shame, lifestyle and relationships, creativity and self expression, media, advertising, economy, political ideology and, most importantly, human identity and authenticity.
The book is essential reading for scholars in the areas of psychoanalysis, analytical psychology, myth, cultural and media studies, narrative analysis, cultural anthropology, as well as anyone interested in critical issues in contemporary culture.