Gender: Psychodynamic explanation of gender development

Question 1

How do pre-phallic children view gender development?

Answer 1

• Gender development occurs in the phallic stage between the ages of 3 and 6.
• Prior to reaching the phallic stage they have no concept of gender identity. They have no understanding of ‘male’ or ‘female’ and so cannot categorise themselves or others in this way.
• In the phallic stage the focus of pleasure is the genitals, and children experience the odeipus and electra complex.

Question 2

What is the oedipus complex?

Answer 2

• Complex that develops during the phallic stage where boys develop incestuous feelings for their mother.
• They develop a murderous hatred for their father who stands in the way of the boy possessing his mother.
• The boy recognises that his father is more powerful than he is and fears he may be castrated by his father for his feelings towards his mother, leading to castration anxiety.
• To resolve the conflict the boy gives up his love for his mother and begins to identify with his father.

Question 3

What is the electra complex?

Answer 3

• Complex that develops in the phallic stage where girls experience penis envy and see themselves and their mother as being in competition of their fathers love.
• Girls develop a double-resentment towards their mother. First their mother is a love rival standing in the way of the father, second the mother is blamed by their daughter for having no penis (the daughter believes she was castrated by the mother at the same time as the mother castrated herself).
• Over time girls begin to accept that they will never have a penis and substitute penis envy with the desire to have children, consequently identifying with their mothers.

Question 4

What is the idea of identification and internalisation?

Answer 4

Identification - Both sexes identify with the same gender parent to resolve their respective complexes (oedipus/electra)

Internalisation - hey take on board the gender identity of the same-gender parent; boys adopt the attitudes of their father, and girls of their mother.

Question 5

What did Freud himself use to support the idea of the oedipus complex?

Answer 5

• Little Hans
• 5 year old boy that had a severe phobia of horses due to him seeing one collapse and die.
• Freud interpreted that Hans fear of being bitten by a horse represented his fear of castration (by his father for his love of his mother).
• Freud suggested Hans had transferred his fear of castration onto horses via the unconscious defence mechanism of displacement.

Question 6

What are the 4 evaluation points for the psychodynamic explanation of gender development?

Answer 6

1) Oedipus complex support (S/L)
2) Female development (L)
3) Pseudoscientifc (L)
4) Overly simplistic (L)

Question 7

Explain ‘Oedipus complex support (S/L)’ as an evaluation point for the psychodynamic explanation of gender development:

Answer 7

• A strength is that there is support for the Oedipus complex in gender development.
• Rekers and Morey rated the gender identity of 49 boys aged 3 to 11 based on interviews with their families and the children themselves.
• Found that of those who were considered to be gender-disturbed, 75% did not have a present father figure.
• However Bos compared data from 63 lesbian families and 68 ‘traditional’ families and found that the children had no differences in gender identity. Children raised in lesbian families felt less pressure to conform to gender stereotypes and were less likely to view their gender as being superior.
• Suggests that Freud’s theory has both research support and contradictory research.

Question 8

Explain ‘female development (L)’ as an evaluation point for the psychodynamic explanation of gender development:

Answer 8

• A limitation is that there is an inadequate account for women’s development.
• Although Freud wrote extensively about the Oedipus complex, it was Jung who theorised on females parallel development.
• Freud admitted that women were a mystery to him and his notion of penis envy has been criticised, reflecting the androcentric Victorian era during which he lived where men held power.
• Feminist psychoanalyst Horney argues that a more powerful notion than penis envy is men’s experience of ‘womb envy’- a reaction to women’s ability to create and sustain life.
• Horney argues that penis envy (like womb envy) was a result of cultural rather than biological factors.
• This challenges the idea that women’s gender development is founded on an androcentric bias.

Question 9

Explain ‘Pseudoscientific (L)’ as an evaluation point for the psychodynamic explanation of gender development:

Answer 9

• A limitation is that the psychodynamic explanation of gender development lacks scientific credibility
• Freud has been criticised for the lack of rigour in his methods via his use of subjective case studies such as little Hans.
• Also, many of his concepts (like penis envy) are untestable because they are largely unconscious. This contrasts sharply with other explanations of gender development e.g. cognitive that are based on objective, verifiable evidence from controlled lab studies.
• According to philosopher Popper, Freuds theories are pseudoscientifc as his key ideas cannot be falsified. This questions the validity of Freuds theory as it is not based on sound scientific evidence.

Question 10

Explain ‘overly simplistic (L)’ as an evaluation point for the psychodynamic explanation of gender development:

Answer 10

• A limitation is that Freud’s view is overly simplistic.
• Kohlberg suggests that the child’s concept of gender develops gradually through a sequence of stages as their cognitive capacity increases- each stage brings increased maturity and concept of gender.
• When gender constancy is reached (age 6) children will begin to search their environment for same sex role models and imitate their behaviour.
• In contrast Freud sees no gradual build up in gender development and suggests that gender is acquired all at once. This arguably over simplifies a complex concept to an unrealistic view.