What question did this study set out to answer?

To investigate the psychological significance of Holocaust imagery in the context of managed social change.

March 21, 2026

The Holocaust as a Trope for “Managed” Social Change

Key Points

To investigate the psychological significance of Holocaust imagery in the context of managed social change.
Analyzed texts by Primo Levi regarding the Holocaust.
Examined instances of social change such as downsizing and managed care.
Presented a case example to illustrate the metaphor's emotional impact.
Identified parallels between Holocaust imagery and experiences of managed social change.
Demonstrated that personal and collective experiences shape the symbolism of the Holocaust.
Noted that subconscious projections influence perceptions of workplace crises.

Abstract

This paper explores some shared psychological meanings of Holocaust imagery (Primo Levi, The Drowned and the Saved, 1998) invoked by people experiencing downsizing, re-engineering, restructuring, managed care, and other forms of “managed” social change in the United States. I present a brief case example to illustrate how the evidence for the Holocaust metaphor lies in the action that carries the seed of its emotional plausibility. It is my countertransference that leads me (and others) from experience of action to its symbolization. By listening via my own unconscious, I can comprehend and hold onto others’ projection of Holocaust imagery and language onto contemporary American workplace cataclysm.

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