PSY 3121 Chapter Notes - Chapter 5-6: Standpoint Feminism, Karen Horney, Freud'S Seduction Theory
24 May 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
PSY3121A Dr. Mary-Theresa Howard
Gender Development 14.05.18
Personality Theories
Psychoanalysis
Sigmund Freud – based on concepts of unconscious forces and biological determinism
• Psychosocial stages account for the influence of childhood experiences on adult personality
o Oral, anal, phallic, latency, and genital
• Gender differences appear in the phallic stage with its Oedipal complex in which children are attracted to
other sex parent and feel fear and hostility twd the same sex parent
o Boys have more traumatic and more complete resolution than girls resulting in a stronger
superego
• Unconscious, preconscious, conscious awareness; Early childhood is very influential; There are gender
differences in personality
Karen Horney – a neo-freudian; social (not biological) forces form the basis for personality differences
• Beliees Freud’s idea of aareess, earl hildhood ad geder diffs i persoalit
• Sources of differences is the social, nurture component – social experiences nurture personality
o Freud only believes in the biological aspect of personality – born with personality
• Men have feelings of inferiority in b/c they lack the ability to give birth; women are more powerful
o Men try to feel more adequate by disparaging women
o Freud believes that women will always feel inferior b/c they lack a penis ad a’t reate
• Masculinity complex – drie girl’s lak of aeptae of as a feale ad idetif ith father (feel ot
masculine enough), believes that masochism is abnormal in men and women
o Freud – drie girl’s feeligs of iferiorit; feales are depedet, euroti, or of ith a
sense of masochism (sense of wanting to be hurt) which is abnormal in men
• Freud’s theor lost faor /
o He was accused for wrongfully abandoning the seduction theory – adults experience
psychological problems b/c of childhood seduction by adult/parent
▪ later said sedutios ere hild’s fatasies ot realit
o feminist psychoanalysis theory arose
Feminist Psychoanalysis - feminist standpoint theories; approach personality form the point of women and their
unique experiences
Lerman – some of the theories can be useful to explain how personalities develop in women as long as they are
diverse and complex, positive (grow and moves fwd), and central on the person
• offered several criteria for woman-based theory of personality
o clinical usefulness
o encompassing the diversity and complexity of women
o viewing women positively and centrally (to human development)
o arisig fro oe’s experience
o remaining close to the date of experience (no overgeneralizations)
o terms not defined in terms of other theories
o at a minimum supporting nonsexist psychotherapy
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Sigmund freud based on concepts of unconscious forces and biological determinism. Karen horney a neo-freudian; social (not biological) forces form the basis for personality differences: belie(cid:448)es freud"s idea of a(cid:449)are(cid:374)ess, earl(cid:455) (cid:272)hildhood a(cid:374)d ge(cid:374)der diffs i(cid:374) perso(cid:374)alit(cid:455) Sources of differences is the social, nurture component social experiences nurture personality. Freud dri(cid:448)e(cid:374) (cid:271)(cid:455) girl"s feeli(cid:374)gs of i(cid:374)feriorit(cid:455); fe(cid:373)ales are depe(cid:374)de(cid:374)t, (cid:374)euroti(cid:272), (cid:271)or(cid:374) of (cid:449)ith a sense of masochism (sense of wanting to be hurt) which is abnormal in men. Freud"s theor(cid:455) lost fa(cid:448)or (cid:271)/(cid:272: he was accused for wrongfully abandoning the seduction theory adults experience psychological problems b/c of childhood seduction by adult/parent later said sedu(cid:272)tio(cid:374)s (cid:449)ere (cid:272)hild"s fa(cid:374)tasies (cid:374)ot realit(cid:455) feminist psychoanalysis theory arose. Feminist psychoanalysis - feminist standpoint theories; approach personality form the point of women and their unique experiences. Kaschak oedipus perso(cid:374)ifies (cid:373)e(cid:374)"s dri(cid:448)es for po(cid:449)er a(cid:374)d feeli(cid:374)gs of e(cid:374)title(cid:373)e(cid:374)t: a(cid:374)tigo(cid:374)e, faithful daughter, perso(cid:374)ifies (cid:449)o(cid:373)e(cid:374)"s self-sacrifice. Patriarchal culture perpetuates roles and makes complexes difficult for both sexes.
