00.07 TA Racket Theory

7. TA Racket Theory

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(TA Racket Theory is the fifth of six theories comprising the body of TA Theory)

Eric Berne has described rackets as being feelings of hurt, pain, insult, injury, embarrassment, anger and sadness that people work for. He describes racket as a feeling, out of all the possible feelings, that is habitually turned on by a given people, as their payoff in the games they play. Fantia English describes rackets as feelings a child is allowed to have, which cover up feelings the child is not allowed to experience or express. The dictionary meaning of the word racket is: a dishonest or fraudulent line of business; or a method of swindling for financial gain; or a cover for extortion. Behind each racket is an authentic feeling which cannot be felt in the current situation, and was not allowed to be felt as a child. Stewart and Joines describe racket, to be familiar emotion, learned and encouraged in childhood, experienced in many different stress situations, and maladaptive as an Adult means of problem-solving. 

Rackets are therefore patterns of thinking, feeling, behaviour and transacting that are:

     Inauthentic;

     Repetitive;

     Manipulative; and

  Maladaptive in ending situations and solving problems;

Racketing

While racket is an inauthentic feeling, racketing is an activity in which people engage in unawarely, with the intent of manipulating others, and with the objective of drawing their attention, engaging with them in game, or for extracting strokes. The racketing activity draws the adverse attention of others. The person generates an yield of hurt, pain, shame, guilt, insult, anger, injury feelings, as racket feelings.

Racketeering

Racketeering is a behaviour or a sequence of behaviours, used by racketeers, as a way to manipulate others, in order to obtain their favoured racket feelings, through the mode of strokes.

Transactional Rackets

The term Transactional Racket, refers to a system of feelings, thoughts, and behaviours, that are maintained by a script-bound person, involving the substitution of authentic feelings with racket feelings. Example: sadness instead of anger. These rackets are learned and reinforced by parents in childhood, and then become ingrained through their use in adult life.

Rackets refer to feelings that substitute authentic feelings, often developed in childhood, when authentic feelings are not accepted or acknowledged. These racket feelings are learned as ways to gain attention or meet needs. They are "permitted feelings" that replace the "authentic" or "primary" feelings. 

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Links to Blogs by Ajit Karve on Transactional Analysis

This Blog : TA for Beginners

TA Theory and Practice : TA Theory and Practice
Daily Dose of TA : Daily Dose of TA