PSYCHODYNAMIC THEORY OF GENDER DEVELOPMENT

• WHAT IS THE PSYCHODYNAMIC THEORY OF GENDER DEVELOPMENT?

  Freud's psychoanalytic theory
• WHAT DOES FREUD'S PSYCHOANALYTIC THEORY STATE?

  gender development occurs in phallic stage
• BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF PHALLIC STAGE?

  • unconscious stage
  • age 3 to 6
  • begin to develop gender identity
  • children are neither male or female until after complex
• COMPLEXES IN FREUD'S PSYCHOANALYTIC THEORY?

  OEDIPUS

  • boys
  • conflict between lust for mother and fear of father
  • castration anxiety

  ELECTRA

  • girls
  • conflict between lust for father and fear of losing mother's love due to resentment
  • penis envy
• HOW ARE PSYCHODNYAMIC COMPLEXES RESOLVED?

  when children identify with same-sex parent and internalise behaviours associated with that sex at end of phallic stage
• EVALUATION?

  + research support

  -case study

  -fails to consider role of hormones

  -contradicting research

  -androcentric
• RESEARCH SUPPORT?

  FREUD - LITTLE HANS

  • 5 year old
  • slept in mother's bed
  • wished father was dead
  • phobia of horses
  • eventually got over phobia + spoke about 'being a man' like father
  • evidence of Oedipus complex
  • fear of being bitten by horse was displaced castration anxiety
  • disappeared when identified with father's gender
• CASE STUDY?

  • results cannot be generalised to wider population
  • limited sample
  • idiographic approach not scientific
  • limited in extent it can explain
  • due to methodological issues
• FAILS TO CONSIDER ROLE OF HORMONES?

  • Quadango
  • testosterone responsible for masculine behaviour in monkeys
  • focuses too much on role of childhood experiences/ unconscious
  • underestimates role of biochemistry
• CONTRADICTING RESEARCH?

  BUSSEY AND BANDURA

  • 3 year olds
  • demonstrated gender-typical behaviour
  • suggests gender development occurs earlier than suggested by Freud
  • better explained by social learning theory
• ANDROCENTRIC?

  • penis envy
  • suggests women defined by fact they are not men
  • women are inferior
  • outdated
  • negative implications for women in society