PSYCHODYNAMIC EXPLANATION OF GENDER

According to Freud in what stage does gender development occur

The phallic stage (3-6 years)

What did Freud describe children as before the phallic stage

Bisexual i.e. neither masculine nor feminine

What complex do boys endure during the phallic stage

The oedipus complex

What does Freud say about all young boys

They have incestuous desires for their mother and see their father as a rival for their affection

What does boys seeing their father as a rival for affection from their mother lead to

Castration anxiety, as the boy fears his father will findout about his interest in his mother and castrate him

How do boys resolve the oediups complex

They must their feelings toward the mother and identify with the father in the hopes they’ll attract a woman like their mother in the future

What does identifying with the father lead to

Internalisation, where the boy adopts the masculine attitudes snd behaviours of their father, such as dominance, leading to a male gender identity at the end of the phallic stage

What do girls endure during the phallic stage

The electra complex

What did Jung say about girls in the phallic stage

A girl in the phallic stage realises she lacks a penis and experiences penis envy

Who does the girl blame for penis envy in the phallic stage

Her mother, for castrating her; she then turns to her father for love and affection

What does a girl replace the desire for a penis with

The desire for a baby

What do girls in the phallic stage see their mother as

A rival for their father’s love, and fears she will abandon her if she discovers her feelings for the father

How do girls solve the conflict regarding jealousy of the mother and fear she will abandon her

By repressing the love for the father and identifying with the mother, internalising the female gender role

WEAKNESS - FREUD LACK OF SCIENTIFIC RIGOUR

Many of the concepts he refers to in his account of gender development lack scientific rigour due to their unconscious nature. This makes them difficult to operationalise. They are therefore untestable. This contrasts with ither explanations of gender that are based and objective