Herbert J. Freudenberger and the making of burnout as a psychopathological syndrome
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.35699/1676-1669.2020.19144Keywords:
burnout , history of psychological objects , occupational stress, medicalization , metaphorAbstract
Burnout has become a widely researched topic in the field of organizational psychology. Its definition and scope are the object of an internationally sustained scientific and political debate. As one of the founders of the concept, Herbert J. Freudenberger has played an important role in the shaping of burnout research. This paper follows the different meanings and transformations of the burnout concept throughout his career, based on a close reading of Freudenberger’s own work. The methodology is inspired by Danziger’s history of psychological objects and by studies that show the importance of metaphors in scientific reasoning. Results show the importance of the Free Clinic movement and of psychoanalysis in Freudenberger’s original description. Furthermore, two metaphors are identified and analyzed as being the core of burnout: burnout as a syndrome and man as an energy system. The conclusion argues that more knowledge about burnout’s past may be the key to change its future development.
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