Freud and credibility

Question 1

What did Masson argue about credibility because of sexism?

Answer 1

• That Freud’s theory’s and case studies lack credibility as they are not believable and they are not true and reflect his own biases
• Such as gender bias focusing on boys in the Phallic stage saying they identified with their fathers more thoroughly than girls with their mothers so girls have a lesser developed super ego
• There is no evidence to suggest girls super ego is underdeveloped and so we can argue that Freud’s theories are sexist

Question 2

What did Masson argue about credibility because of emphasis on childhood sexuality?

Answer 2

• He also argues they lack cred because of their emphasis on childhood sexuality and again there is very little evidence to suggest children do demonstrate the disturbing sexual fantasies that he describes
• during psychoanalysis with female patients he thought there stories were of child abuse but he realised he would not gain academic acceptance so he changed his minds and argued the stories must be fantasies in the Electra complex
• Masson argues the stories were in fact just of child abuse