Psychodynamic explanation of gender development: Freud’s psychoanalytic theory

Background knowledge

1. Children pass through 5 biologically driven psychosexual stages

2. 3rd stage (phallic age 3-6), Freud believes this is where gender starts to develop

3. Prior to this stage, children have no knowledge of gender

4. In this stage, pleasure switches to genitalia- children experience the Oedipus/Electra complex

Oedipus- boys

1. Develop negative feelings towards dad

2. In competition with father for mothers love

3. Identify with father to resolve conflict

4. Displaces love for mother onto different women

Electra- girls

1. Develop penis envy

2. Mother is in competition for fathers love

3. Resent the mother

4. Identify with the mother due to the switch of penis envy to wanting children

Identification and internalisation

After the complexes, children resolve complex by IDENTIFYING with their same-sex parent and INTERNALISING their behaviours and attitudes, teaching themselves gender appropriate behaviour

Strengths of Freuds psychoanalytic theory

1. Research support- Little Hans became envious of his father for mother’s attention, also displayed fear of castration. Theory suggests that Hans resolved his complex by identifying and internalising with his father in order to learn gender appropriate behaviours

Counter-argument

• only one case study, lacks population validity and generalisability

Weaknesses of Freud’s pyschoanalytic theory

1. Lack of falsifiability- the concepts are unfalsifiable as they can’t be proved with scientific testing. Largely focuses on the unconscious mind and that is impossible to be assessed, not scientific= lacks credibility

2. Reductionist/outdated- only explains gender development for those who have same-sex parents. Outdated approach which doesn’t count for change in society. This means it lacks generalisability to this era and lacks population validity