Psychodynamic Explanation For Gender Development

Question 1

Outline the psychodynamic explanation of gender development

Answer 1

• Freud suggested children will establish their gender identity at the ages of 3 to 6 during the phallic stage which is the third stage of the psychosexual stages
• During the phallic stage the Oedipus complex or Electra complex will occur within the child depending on their sex.
• The conflict experienced during this stage as a result of the complexes will make a child resolve these conflicts by identifying with their same sex parent adopting their beliefs, values and morals through internalisation. Which then leads to them establishing their gender identity which is based on the same sex parent.

Question 2

Describe the Oedipus complex

Answer 2

• The Oedipus complex occurs within a male child at the ages of 3 to 6, it will lead to them developing a sexual attraction for their mother.
• They will then form a hatred towards their rival lover which is their father.
• A fear of their father castrating them is developed also known as castration anxiety.
• To deal with this conflict the boy will repress their thoughts for their mother and identify with their dad, adopting their morals, beliefs and values through internalisation.
• Their gender identity is established and it is based on the same sex parents gender identity.

Question 3

Describe the Electra complex

Answer 3

• The Electra complex, a concept introduced by Carl Jung a new Freudian occurs within girls at the ages of 3 to 6 during the phallic stage.
• The complex will make girls have a desire for their father and also make them realise they do not have a penis, which leads to penis envy.
• They blame their castrated state on their mother and form hatred towards her.
• To deal with the conflict of penis envy they will repress their thoughts of their dad and identify with the mother, adopting beliefs, values and morals through internalisation
• similarly to boys, girls will establish their gender identity based on their same sex parent

Question 4

Identify AO3 paragraphs for psychodynamic theory of gender development

Answer 4

• Sandra Ben
• Golombok
• Interactionist
• little Hans

Question 5

Outline Golomboks research and how it criticises Freuds for gender development

Answer 5

P: Golombok has provided research evidence that criticises Freud’s theory of gender development.

E: For any of the complexes to occur within a child, they must have two parents, one mother and a father which is also required to establish their gender identity.

E: Golombok has found that a children who come from non nuclear, single parent families do not have difficulties establishing their appropriate gender identity.

L: This weakens the idea that children have to identify with their same sex parent in order to establish their gender identity and it is suggested other environmental influences such as the media can help a child establish their gender identity.

Question 6

Outline how Sandra Bems research criticises Freuds theory of gender development

Answer 6

P: Bem has provided research evidence that criticises the psychodynamic theory of gender development

E: Both Oedipus and Electra complex require a child to have an awareness of the opposite sex genitals.

E: Bem found that children do not have any awareness of what opposite genitals look like at the ages of 3 to 5

L: This shows us it is impossible for any complexes to occur that Freud and Jung suggested would occur within a child during the phallic stage, therefore we cannot conclude that gender identity is established as a result of repressing their thoughts of their opposite sex parents and identifying with our same sex parent.

Question 7

Outline little Hans and how it supports the psychodynamic theory of gender development

Answer 7

P: Freud has supporting evidence for his theory on gender development.

E: He studied a case study known as little Hans who displayed that he developed castration anxiety from his father and displaced his fear onto horses which led to the development of phobia for horses and this was all a result of the Oedipus complex occurring within him.

L: This supports the idea that during the phallic stage the Oedipus complex does occur and strengthens the psychodynamic explanation of gender development.

Question 8

Outline how Freud takes on an interactionist approach when investigating gender development

Answer 8

P: Freud is praised for taking on an interctionist approach when investigating gender development as he takes into account both nature and nurture combined work together to influence gender development.

E: He supports the role of nature as he suggests innate factors a child is born with such as the ID which contains our instincts and drives will influence the gender identity established while also supporting the role of nurture as he claims that the environment and the experiences during the phallic stage of the psychosexual stages will affect the gender identity a child establishes.

L: This is a more sophisticated way of investigating gender development as it gives us a more rounded viewpoint on gender development compared to other theories such as kohlbergs theory of gender development and suggests the gender identity a child establishes is environmentally determined only supporting nature.