The Dec 2, 3-5 PM Pacific presentations will be streamed on Zoom here (Meeting ID 971 2472 7383; Passcode JJFest)

From the psychology department: After 35 years at the University of Oregon, Dr. Jennifer Freyd has retired. Colleagues, friends, collaborators, and all those interested in Freyd's work will gather on December 2nd to celebrate Freyd and what she has brought to the department, the university, and the field of Psychology. To join the celebration, come to the University of Oregon Crater Lake Rooms of the Erb Memorial Union from 3-5 p.m.

The celebration features two invited speakers, both professors who are former doctoral advisees of Dr. Freyd’s:

Cultural Betrayal Trauma Theory: From Betrayal to Institutional Courage

Proposed in the early 1990’s, Jennifer J. Freyd’s betrayal trauma theory (BTT) has transformed the field’s understanding of the impact of trauma. Over 20 years of empirical work with BTT has demonstrated the additional harm of betrayal within abuse, trauma, and violence perpetrated by those trusted and/or depended upon. With Freyd’s support and BTT as the foundation, I created cultural betrayal trauma theory (CBTT) during my graduate career as a member of Freyd’s Dynamics Laboratory (2011-2017) at University of Oregon. According to CBTT, within-group violence in marginalized populations includes a traumatic dimension of harm that affects mental, physical, behavioral, and cultural health outcomes. In CBTT, within-group violence violates the (intra)cultural trust—solidary, love, loyalty, connection, responsibility—that is developed in-group to buffer against societal inequality. This violation, termed a cultural betrayal, can contribute to diverse, costly outcomes, such as dissociation, hallucinations, and internalized prejudice. In this talk, I will first briefly review the state of the evidence of BTT. I then will define CBTT, list its postulates, and review the state of empirical support for CBTT in diverse marginalized populations. Next, I will discuss implications for non-pathologizing approaches to healing from trauma. After introducing Freyd’s concept of institutional courage, I will preview the scope of my upcoming book, Cultural Betrayal: From Violent Silencing to Healing from Sexual Abuse for Black Women & Girls (Publisher: American Psychological Association; Anticipated Publication Date: Summer 2023). I will close by highlighting the public impact of this work, paying special tribute to Jennifer J. Freyd and her legendary career.

From Unawareness to Action: Perspectives on the Impact of Betrayal Trauma Theory

This talk explores the influence of betrayal trauma theory on the field’s understanding of unawareness for interpersonal trauma at individual, institutional, and cultural levels. Bookended by the publication of Betrayal Trauma: The Logic of Forgetting Child Abuse (Freyd, 1998, Harvard University Press) and the founding of the Center for Institutional Courage, the talk will consider the implications of moving from unawareness to awareness, and ultimately awareness to action. Drawing on psychological science as well as research on social movements, we will explore the role of public scholarship in social change, drawing on Every 90 Seconds: Our Common Cause Ending Violence against Women (DePrince, 2022, Oxford University Press).

The Dec 2, 3-5 PM Pacific presentations will be streamed on Zoom here (meeting ID 971 2472 7383; passcode JJFest).