Stephen Frosh (born 1954) is a psychosocial theorist and Emeritus Professor of Psychology at Birkbeck, University of London.^[1] He is widely known for his work in psychoanalysis, psychosocial studies and critical theory. Frosh was one of the founders of Birkbeck’s Department of Psychosocial Studies, where he worked from its inception in 2008 until the department's reorganisation in 2023.^[2]

Frosh has a background in both academic and clinical psychology. He was a Consultant Clinical Psychologist and Vice Dean at the Tavistock Clinic throughout the 1990s. His scholarly work spans numerous books and articles, contributing significantly to the study of psychoanalysis, antisemitism, gender and postmemory. His book Those Who Come After: Postmemory, Acknowledgement and Forgiveness (Palgrave Macmillan, 2019) won the 2023 British Psychological Society Award for Best Academic Monograph.^[3] In addition to his academic research, Frosh has supervised multiple PhD research theses, fostering the development of emerging scholars in psychosocial studies.^[4]

Frosh is a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences, an Academic Associate of the British Psychoanalytical Society, a Founding Member of the Association of Psychosocial Studies, and an Honorary Member of the Institute of Group Analysis. He has held visiting professorships at the University of Witwatersrand, South Africa, and at the University of São Paulo, Brazil.

Frosh was born in 1954 to Sidney and Ruth Frosh (née Glicksman). His father served as president of the United Synagogue in the 1980s and was previously active in Jewish education, particularly known for reforming the childcare charity Norwood.^[5]

Frosh completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Sussex, where he met his wife, Judith. Together, they have three children.

In 1979, Frosh began part-time work in the Department of Psychology at Birkbeck while continuing his clinical work. He held a position as a Consultant Clinical Psychologist in the family department at the Tavistock Clinic, an influential British institution for psychoanalysis. Frosh ceased his clinical practice in 1998 when he was appointed professor at Birkbeck. He was instrumental in the development of psychosocial theories which blend psychoanalysis with a socio-political and critical framework.^[6]

Frosh has written extensively on the politics of psychoanalysis, particularly its relationship with broader social and ideological structures. His book For and Against Psychoanalysis (1997, revised 2006) critically examines the strengths and limitations of psychoanalytic thought, engaging with its philosophical, ethical and political implications. In this work, he explores how psychoanalysis has been both a radical and a conservative force, challenging normative ideas of subjectivity while also being implicated in structures of power and authority.^[7]

One of Frosh's most significant contributions to the field is in his ongoing engagement with the relationship between psychoanalysis and Jewishness. His book Hate and the Jewish Science: Anti-Semitism, Nazism and Psychoanalysis (2005) delves into the complex history of psychoanalysis in relation to Jewish identity, particularly the antisemitic critiques that labelled psychoanalysis as a "Jewish science." Frosh examines how psychoanalysis has been shaped by Jewish intellectual traditions and cultural experiences, while also exploring the ways in which it has been both vilified and embraced within different political contexts.^[8]

Frosh's work in psychoanalysis also extends to issues of memory, trauma and identity. His contributions to the study of postmemory and the transmission of trauma across generations have been influential, particularly in relation to Holocaust studies and the ways in which psychoanalytic theory can help understand the lingering effects of historical trauma.^[9]

Psychosocial studies has been evolving for several decades, and Stephen Frosh has been a central figure in shaping this emerging transdisciplinary field. It is still in a state of formation, with debates about its precise status — whether it is an established discipline, a field-in-the-making or a convergence of ideas from various other academic areas. As Frosh and his co-editors note in their introduction to The Palgrave Handbook of Psychosocial Studies (2024), psychosocial studies is best understood as a transdisciplinary approach focused on phenomena where both the "social" and the "personal" are in evidence, and it challenges the boundaries between different academic fields like psychoanalysis, sociology, critical psychology, feminism, postcolonial theory and queer theory. Psychosocial studies integrates psychoanalytic ideas with critical social theory to explore how subjective experience (the "psychic") is deeply interwoven with the social, cultural, and historical contexts in which individuals live. This approach challenges traditional divisions between the personal and the social, offering instead a more holistic understanding of human experience.^[10]

Frosh's key contributions to psychosocial studies date back to the 1980s and 1990s, when he was involved in clinical psychology and psychoanalytic practice. His early work focused on integrating psychoanalytic theories into social contexts and critical theory. By the early 2000s, Frosh was advocating for a critical rethinking of psychology's role in society, for instance in his 2003 article, "Psychosocial Studies and Psychology: Is a Critical Approach Emerging?". In this article, Frosh critiques psychology's claim to scientific neutrality, highlighting its historical and ongoing use by governments and institutions in areas like education, policing and management. This critique laid the groundwork for the development of psychosocial studies as a field that questioned established psychological paradigms and emphasized the political and ideological investments embedded in the discipline.^[11]

The turning point for psychosocial studies at Birkbeck came in the mid-2000s, when tensions within the Department of Psychology, particularly around the dominance of neuroscientific approaches, prompted Frosh and other scholars to create a new space for psychoanalytic and critical work. This vision ultimately came to fruition in the aftermath of a fraught RAE submission with the establishment of the Department of Psychosocial Studies at Birkbeck in 2008. The department was designed to house critical work that blends psychoanalysis with social theory and to provide an institutional home for an emerging academic field. This development was significant, as it marked the formal recognition of psychosocial studies as a distinct academic area. It also solidified Frosh’s position as one of the foremost proponents of the field, allowing for the continuation and expansion of his work in a multidisciplinary context.^[6]

In 2013, Frosh co-founded the Association for Psychosocial Studies, which further helped to define the contours of the field. The Association has been instrumental in promoting a broad, critical and inclusive approach to psychosocial research, reflecting Frosh’s commitment to making psychosocial studies a transdisciplinary area that draws from diverse intellectual traditions.^[12] By the 2020s, psychosocial studies had expanded globally, with researchers from Latin America, South Africa, India and other regions contributing to its development. As evident in the range of contributions to The Palgrave Handbook of Psychosocial Studies, the field has grown significantly, moving beyond its origins in psychoanalysis and social work to embrace a range of critical academic traditions.

• British Psychological Society Award for Best Academic Monograph (2023) – Those Who Come After: Postmemory, Acknowledgement and Forgiveness (2019)
• Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences
• Academic Associate, British Psychoanalytical Society
• Honorary Member, Institute of Group Analysis
• Founding Member, Association of Psychosocial Studies

• Frosh, S. (1987). The Politics of Psychoanalysis: An Introduction to Freudian and Post-Freudian Theory. Yale University Press.
• Frosh, S. (1991). Identity Crisis: Modernity, Psychoanalysis and the Self. Macmillan.
• Frosh, S. (1997). For and Against Psychoanalysis. Routledge. (Revised edition, 2006)
• Frosh, S. (1999). The Politics of Psychoanalysis: An Introduction to Freudian and Post-Freudian Theory. Second edition. Palgrave Macmillan.
• Frosh, S. (2002). After Words: The Personal in Gender, Culture and Psychotherapy. Palgrave Macmillan.
• Frosh, S. (2005). Hate and the Jewish Science: Anti-Semitism, Nazism and Psychoanalysis. Palgrave Macmillan.
• Frosh, S. (2006). Feelings. Routledge.
• Frosh, S. (2010). Psychoanalysis Outside the Clinic: Interventions in Psychosocial Studies. Palgrave Macmillan.
• Frosh, S. (2013). Hauntings: Psychoanalysis and Ghostly Transmissions. Palgrave Macmillan.
• Frosh, S. (2019). Those Who Come After: Postmemory, Acknowledgement and Forgiveness. Palgrave Macmillan.
• Frosh, S. (2023). Antisemitism and Racism: Ethical Challenges for Psychoanalysis. Palgrave Macmillan.