A Sociology of Archetypes

Archetypes inform our self-image, influence how we see the world, and direct many of the actions we take as we navigate and create our realities. According to psychologist Carl G. Jung, archetypes are powerful determines of human experience and human psychological and political realities. As such, they hold significant spiritual, psychological, and sociological interest. There has been sustained interest from those interested in the psychology and spirituality of archetypes; however to date sociologists have remained largely aloof. Hoping to overcome this lacuna, this paper explores the sociology of archetypes by examining the emotional and psychological power of archetypes and by demonstrating how powerful archetypes become situated in elite “spiritual” discourses designed not in the service of human health and development, but in the service of the political and economic agenda of societal and world elites.