Collective Unconscious and Culture, Article Critique Example

The main difference between the concept of the collective unconscious and the concept of culture as it applies to living spaces is one of physic versus physical interpretation.  Edward Hall views the architectural underpinnings of modern living spaces as an outgrowth of “infracultural” and “proxemic” levels. For Hall, the principle influences on architectural space are based on spatial relations having to do with functionality. As Hall remarks, “Even the inside of a Western house is organized spatially” (HALL, 1987, p.3).  For this reason, Hall’s conception of the cultural impact of individual living-spaces is comprehensive and ably supported.

By contrast, Claire Cooper Marcus views Jung’s idea of the collective unconscious as being of particular importance in evaluating personal living-spaces, namely houses, as expressions of the self. Marcus concludes that “it is reasonable to suggest” that the house is a manifestation of the collective unconscious because the idea of a house is similar throughout many cultures and  has “changed little through space and time” (Marcus, 1974, p. 308). The basic idea forwarded by Marcus is that houses represent the aspects of selfhood that are manifested through symbols or archetypes. the symbols and archetypes that are present in the layout and construction of a house are consistent with an archetypal expression of the self that has its roots in the collective unconscious.

Because the collective unconscious transcends any particular cultural identification, it is unnecessary for  Marcus to delve into ideas of culture. instead, what is meaningful in Marcus’ approach is the psychic and psychological importance of the physical structure of a home. This psychological perspective of architectural expression  allows for Marcus to indicate that the most common of all physical structures: a home, is actually an emanation of the collective unconscious that stands as an archetypal symbol of the self.

References

Hall, Edward, T. (1987) The Anthropology of Space: An Organizing Model.

Marcus, Claire Cooper. (1974) The House as Symbol of the Self.