Insular or influential? The social structure of the Brazilian psychoanalytic field at the intersection of academia, media and clinical practice

Abstract This article analyses the structure of the contemporary Brazilian psychoanalytic field using Multiple Correspondence Analysis, covering the period from 2013 to 2023. The results identify two main dimensions: the first distinguishes individuals by their possession of academic and media resources; the second, by psychoanalytic trajectories and affiliations, separating orthodox from heterodox institutions. Four profiles of psychoanalysts were identified: orthodox, established heterodox, non-established heterodox and established heterodox with intermediate academic and media resources. These oppositions are discussed considering the history and disputes over the legitimate practice of psychoanalysis, exemplified by recent conflicts in Brazil.