Kenneth Levin
Encyclopedia
Kenneth Levin is a Newton, Massachusetts
psychiatrist and historian and author of The Oslo Syndrome: Delusions of a People Under Siege.
Levin is clinical instructor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School
. He holds an B.A from the University of Pennsylvania
, a B.A./M.A. in English language and literature from Oxford University, an M.D. degree from the University of Pennsylvania and a PhD in history from Princeton University
. His thesis was on "Sigmund Freud's Early Studies of the Neuroses, 1886-1905."
In an article entitled, "Transforming the Jewish Psyche," journalist Warren Kozak
discussed Levin's analysis of the modern "penchant for self-denigration among Jewish people." Kozak summarized that "Dr. Levin, no sixth grade thinker, tells us that after centuries of hearing grotesque lies about Jewish people, that narrative hasn't just rubbed off on anti-Semites, but on some Jews as well." In an interview with the Jerusalem Post, Manfred Gerstenfeld
praised Levin's Oslo Syndrome for bringing to light "this phenomenon of identifying with one's besiegers."
Following the 2005 publication of his book The Oslo Syndrome: Delusions of a People Under Siege, Levin became a frequent commentator on Middle East affairs.
Levin told an interviewer that he wrote The Oslo Syndrome to explain "why Israel's leaders, supported by the nation's academic and cultural elites and much of the broader population, were pursuing a course that was demonstrably placing the nation, including their own families, at dire risk."
According to Levin, the Oslo syndrome is a corollary of the Stockholm syndrome
. Levin's original contribution is that the syndrome can afflict an entire people. The concept has passed into common usage in discussions of the Middle East.
Newton, Massachusetts
Newton is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States bordered to the east by Boston. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the population of Newton was 85,146, making it the eleventh largest city in the state.-Villages:...
psychiatrist and historian and author of The Oslo Syndrome: Delusions of a People Under Siege.
Levin is clinical instructor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School
Harvard Medical School
Harvard Medical School is the graduate medical school of Harvard University. It is located in the Longwood Medical Area of the Mission Hill neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts....
. He holds an B.A from the University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
, a B.A./M.A. in English language and literature from Oxford University, an M.D. degree from the University of Pennsylvania and a PhD in history from Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
. His thesis was on "Sigmund Freud's Early Studies of the Neuroses, 1886-1905."
In an article entitled, "Transforming the Jewish Psyche," journalist Warren Kozak
Warren Kozak
Warren Kozak is an American writer, journalist, a former contributor to National Public Radio and the New York Sun, and a former writer for ABC News...
discussed Levin's analysis of the modern "penchant for self-denigration among Jewish people." Kozak summarized that "Dr. Levin, no sixth grade thinker, tells us that after centuries of hearing grotesque lies about Jewish people, that narrative hasn't just rubbed off on anti-Semites, but on some Jews as well." In an interview with the Jerusalem Post, Manfred Gerstenfeld
Manfred Gerstenfeld
Manfred Gerstenfeld is an Austrian-born Israeli author and political activist.-Biography:Manfred Gerstenfeld was born in Vienna, grew up in Amsterdam and moved to Israel in 1968. He has a Ph.D. in Environmental Studies from the University of Amsterdam. Gerstenfeld was a board member of the Israel...
praised Levin's Oslo Syndrome for bringing to light "this phenomenon of identifying with one's besiegers."
Following the 2005 publication of his book The Oslo Syndrome: Delusions of a People Under Siege, Levin became a frequent commentator on Middle East affairs.
Levin told an interviewer that he wrote The Oslo Syndrome to explain "why Israel's leaders, supported by the nation's academic and cultural elites and much of the broader population, were pursuing a course that was demonstrably placing the nation, including their own families, at dire risk."
According to Levin, the Oslo syndrome is a corollary of the Stockholm syndrome
Stockholm syndrome
In psychology, Stockholm Syndrome is an apparently paradoxical psychological phenomenon wherein hostages express empathy and have positive feelings towards their captors, sometimes to the point of defending them...
. Levin's original contribution is that the syndrome can afflict an entire people. The concept has passed into common usage in discussions of the Middle East.
See also
- Oslo AccordsOslo AccordsThe Oslo Accords, officially called the Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements or Declaration of Principles , was an attempt to resolve the ongoing Palestinian-Israeli conflict...
- Peace process in the Israeli-Palestinian conflictPeace process in the Israeli-Palestinian conflictThe peace process in the Israeli–Palestinian conflict has taken shape over the years, despite the ongoing violence in the Middle East and an "all or nothing" attitude about a lasting peace, "which prevailed for most of the twentieth century"...
- Stockholm SyndromeStockholm syndromeIn psychology, Stockholm Syndrome is an apparently paradoxical psychological phenomenon wherein hostages express empathy and have positive feelings towards their captors, sometimes to the point of defending them...
Books
- Freud's Early Psychology of the Neuroses: A Historical Perspective and Unconscious Fantasy in Psychotherapy
- Unconscious Fantasy in Psychotherapy (1993)
- The Oslo Syndrome: Delusions of a People Under Siege (2005)