Psychodynamic explanation of gender development

Question 1

Freud’s psychoanalytical theory

Answer 1

Gender development occurs during the phallic stage when a child is between 3-6. At this time the child’s libido is focused on the genitals. The child’s gender identity is resolved during this stag either through the Oedipus complex or the Electra complex.

Question 2

The Oedipus complex

Answer 2

1) Boys desire their mothers at age 3/4, and want her sole attention.
2) Boys see their father as a rival and wish him dead. This causes anxiety and fear of castration.
3) This complex is resolved by the boy identifying with his father and internalising his gender identity.

Question 3

The Electra complex

Answer 3

1) A girl is initially attracted to her mother but this ends when she realises her mother doesn’t have a penis. The girl blames her mother for her own lack of penis, believing she was castrated, which leads to penis envy.
2) The girl’s sexual desires are transferred to the father.
3) Complex is resolved when the penis envy is converted to desire to have a baby. This reduces the anger towards the mother, and allows the girl to identify with her mother.

Question 4

Unresolved phallic stage

Answer 4

Frustration and overindulgence leads to a fixation at a particular psychosexual stage. Fixation on the genital stage results in a phallic character afraid or incapable of close love. It may also be a root cause in amoral behaviour and homosexuality.