Psychodynamic Theory of Gender Flashcards
What is the psychodynamic theory of gender?
- It suggests that gender identity is acquired in the phallic stage, between the ages of 3 and 5, the libido focus moves to the genitals and development of gender identity occurs.
- Before this the child doesn’t have a gender identity and is bisexual
Describe the Oedipus complex (applied to gender)
- Boys sexually desire their mother and see their father as a rival, which results in aggressive feelings towards him.
- The boy fears that if his father finds out about his desire for his mother, he will castrate him (castration anxiety).
- The boy resolves the conflict by identifying with the father and internalising him.
- The superego is formed and when taking on his father as part of himself, the boy forms a male gender identity
Describe the Electra complex (applied to gender)
- Girls realise they have no penis so think they’ve been castrated which they blame on their mother.
- As she has no penis, the girl sees herself as powerless and wishes to have one (penis envy)
- She starts to desire her father as he has one and becomes hostile towards her mother.
- Eventually she identifies with her mother and resolves the conflict, developing a superego and a female gender identity.
What is identification?
A desire to be associated with a particular person or group as they possess certain desirable characteristics
What is internalisation?
Individual adopts the attitudes and/or behaviour of another
What would happen if the conflict isn’t resolved?
- Frustration/overindulgence at this stage could lead to fixation, which will impact the individuals later in life when they’re forming relationships
- They may be afraid of love and unable to form close relationships
- Freud stated fixation could result in homosexuality or amoral behaviour
How can Freud’s theory be applied to single parent families?
- Children are unable to experience the Oedipus/Electra complex, they don’t resolve conflicts necessary to develop a healthy gender identity
- Boys would then become homosexual with no father figure to identify with
Give evaluation for the psychodynamic theory of gender (support for the role of the Oedipus complex in gender development)
- Freud suggests that a boys ‘normal development’ depends on being raised by a male parent
- Rekers and Morey rated the gender identity of 49 boys, aged 3-11, based on interviews with them and their families. 75% of those judged to be ‘gender disturbed’ didn’t have a father figure, suggesting being raised with no father may have a negative impact on gender identity.
- Therefore, a nuclear family may be most beneficial for healthy gender identity development
Give evaluation for the psychodynamic theory of gender (a non-nuclear family doesn’t have an adverse effect on a child’s development)
- Green studied a sample of children raised by gay or transgender parents, and discovered that only 1 had a gender identity that was ‘non-typical’
- Freud’s theory relies on 2 parents of different genders to manage the Oedipus and Electra complex, assuming a non-nuclear family will lead to ‘abnormal’ gender identity
- However, evidence shows how those raised in ‘non-traditional’ families develop ‘normal’ gender identities
Give evaluation for the psychodynamic theory of gender (support from case studies)
- Freud interpreted Little Hans’ fear of horses as support for the Oedipus complex. He suggesed Hans had sexual desires for his mother and as the horse represented Hans’ father, his fear of his father was displaced onto the horse, and the fear of being bitten showed castration anxiety
- Nevertheless, Freud’s interpretations are subjective and can’t be scientifically tested, as defence mechanisms and conflicts in gender development occur and are resolved in the unconscious
- Therefore, the psychodynamic theory and it’s studies can’t be investigated
Give evaluation for the psychodynamic theory of gender (inadequate account of female development in Freud’s theory)
- e.g. Although Freud wrote a lot about the Oedipus complex, he admitted women were ‘a mystery’ to him and the work on girl’s development was done by Jung
- This led to Freud’s notion of penis envy being criticised as it reflects the patriarchal and repressive Victorian society in which he lived in
- Therefore, penis envy may be a cultural concept, meaning the idea of female development is based on a desire to be like a man, which is an androcentric assumption
