This talk by Susan Long introduces the concept of the associative unconscious and its connection with Social Dreaming.

The work of philosopher Charles Pierce is used to explain the processes used in the development of working hypotheses and their function in psychoanalytic and socioanalytic work, with particular emphasis on the methodology of social dreaming.

Speaker’s biography

Susan Long is Director of research and scholarship at the National Institute of Organisation Dynamics Australia (NIODA). She supervises research students and conducts organisational research at a variety of universities including INSEAD in Singapore, MEICAT, University of Melbourne, University of Divinity in Melbourne and Crossfields. As an organisational consultant in private practice she works with organisational change, executive coaching, board development, role analysis, team development and management training. She originally trained as a clinical psychologist and psychotherapist. Her experience of working with people as individuals and in groups and organisations gives her a broad perspective on management practices.

Susan’s capacity as a teacher and organisational consultant/ researcher has led her to be invited onto the boards of prestigious organisations and elected onto the committees of professional bodies. She is a past member of the Board of the Judicial College of Victoria (2011-2016) and a member of Comcare’s advisory board for the Center of Excellence for Research into Mental Health at Work. She was the founding President of Group Relations Australia and a past president of the International Society for the Psychoanalytic Study of Organisations. Her participative action research has attracted grants through the Australian research Council and industry. She has published six books and many journal articles.