Psychodynamic explanation for gender development

• Outline Freud psychoanalytic theory for gender development - electra

  During the Electra complex, girls develop penis envy. However, over time, they replace their desire for a penis with a desire for a baby. They therefore view themselves as similar to their mother so identify with her. This then leads them to internalise her gender role, thus developing a feminine gender identity.
• Freuds psychoanalytic theory for gender development

  Freud proposed that gender development is an unconscious process that occurs in the phallic stage of the psychosexual stages i.e. at 4-5yrs of age.

  This is because it is within this stage that boys experience the Oedipus complex and girls experience the Electra complex.
• Freuds psychoanalytic theory for gender development - oedipus complex

  During the Oedipus complex, boys develop incestuous feelings for their mother but because they recognise that their father is more powerful, it creates castration

  anxiety. To resolve this, boys repress their feelings for their mother and due to a desire to be like their father, identify with him. This then leads them to internalise his male gender role, thus developing a masculine gender identity.
• Explain what is meant by ‘identification’ as part of Freud’s psychoanalytic theory for gender development.

  Identification refers to when an individual views themselves as similar or wishes to be like someone.

  In Freud’s gender theory, this refers to how boys wish to be like their father/identify with him and how girls view themselves as similar to their mother/identify with

  her.
• Explain what is meant by ‘internalisation’ as part of Freud’s psychoanalytic theory for gender development.

  Internalisation refers to when an individual adopts the beliefs/behaviours of another individual, typically after they have identified with them. In Freud’s gender theory, this refers to when boys adopt their father’s masculine attitudes and behaviours and when girls adopt their mother’s feminine attitudes and

  behaviours.
• A strength of Freud’s psychoanalytic theory of gender development is that it has received supporting evidence from the case study of Little Hans.

  This is because Freud reported that Little Hans, aged 5 years old, had dreams symbolising him taking his mother (smaller giraffe) away from his father (bigger giraffe). This is a strength because Hans was at the age Freud suggested the Oedipus complex occurs and the findings of him wanting to take his mother away from his father accurately reflects what is proposed to happen during the Oedipus complex before a masculine gender identity is formed.
• limitation of Freud’s psychoanalytic theory of

  gender development is that supporting evidence from the case study of Little Hans is at risk of researcher bias

  This is because the case study was analysed by Freud

  himself. This is a limitation because it may have meant that Freud analysed Hans’ dreams in a way that would support his own theory. Therefore questions credibility.
• limitation of Freud’s psychoanalytic theory of gender development-unscientific explanation.

  the Oedipus complex and Electra complex are unconscious and therefore not possible to test/falsify. limitation - theory lacks scientific value. biological psychologists propose an alternative, more scientific explanation. focus on the role of chromosomes and hormones in gender development. strength over psychoanalytic explanations because such biological factors can be objectively tested (e.g. through research into hormone replacement therapy) and therefore has more scientific value. ? Cred
• further limitation of the psychoanalytic theory of gender development - opposing evidence.

  For example, research has shown that the majority

  of children who grow up in non-traditional families (e.g. with a single parent or homosexual parents) develop typical gender identities and behaviours. This is a

  limitation because according to Freud’s theory, a boy raised by a single mother has no male father figure to identify with and to internalise their masculine gender

  behaviours from yet most of these boys do develop stereotypically masculine identities. Therefore questions credibility.
• limitation of the psychoanalytic theory of gender development - overestimated the age at which gender identity is formed and gender appropriate behaviours are displayed.

  children start to show gender stereotypical behaviours much earlier than 4-5 years of age ( boys

  refusing to play with dolls). limitation suggests that a child does not develop their gender at 4-5 years of age. this finding better supports the GS theory. the GS theory proposes that children actively process gender information after they are able to identify their

  gender at approximately 2-3 years of age. ? Cred