Jeffrey Prager

Jeffrey Prager is a Research Professor of Sociology at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), and a Senior Faculty Member at the New Center for Psychoanalysis in Los Angeles. He holds dual Ph.D.s in Sociology from UC Berkeley (1978) and Psychoanalysis from the Southern California Psychoanalytic Institute (1983). His work bridges psychoanalysis and sociology, focusing on racism, trauma, memory, and post-conflict societies. He has authored groundbreaking books such as Presenting the Past: Psychoanalysis and the Sociology of Misremembering (Harvard UP, 2000) and Healing from History (2008), and his research examines mechanisms of forgiveness, reparations, and social repair in contexts like South Africa and the U.S.

• Education:
  • Ph.D., Sociology, UC Berkeley (1978)
  • Ph.D., Psychoanalysis, Southern California Psychoanalytic Institute (1983)
  • B.A., Sociology, Occidental College
• Affiliations:
  • New Center for Psychoanalysis (Senior Faculty, Co-Chair of Psychoanalysis and the Academy Committee)
  • American Psychoanalytic Association
  • International Psychoanalytic Association

His research interests explore how collective memory, trauma, and racial subordination shape social structures. He has pioneered studies on intergenerational trauma transmission and the role of psychoanalysis in understanding historical injustices. His recent work interrogates American resistance to reparations through a psychoanalytic lens, linking racial trauma to national identity formation.

Prager has been honored with the Distinguished Teaching Award from UCLA and the Gradiva Award for Best Book in Sociology. He has held prestigious fellowships, including at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton. His interdisciplinary approach integrates psychoanalytic theory with sociological inquiry, addressing topics like nationalism, conflict resolution, and the ethics of historical acknowledgment.

He maintains a private psychotherapy practice in Beverly Hills, specializing in creative professionals and trauma-informed care. His academic leadership includes former roles as Dean at the New Center for Psychoanalysis and teaching in UCLA’s Sociology Department, where he instructs courses on classical and contemporary social theory.