Culture as the bad object

This paper creatively extends Fairbairn’s theory to investigate the impact of the UK’s hostile environment policy on marginalised communities at the intersection of culture, politics and society. The hostile environment is conceptualised as a disruptive ‘bad object’ in the cultural dimension in alignment with Fairbairn’s theory. Its influence is explored in terms of its unconscious reproduction within the psyche. By juxtaposing context, theory and personal introspection, this paper offers a Fairbairnian exploration of how sociality and sociopolitical contexts interplay with the intricate processes of the human psyche. It provides reflective commentary on how external racial dynamics are internalised within the endopsychic structure, shaping one’s interactions with others, and, more significantly, how one relates to aspects of the self.