Freud’s Theory of Psychosexual and male development

Social psychology can be defined a science of interacting with each other and making communication possible through different mediums and channels. Freud was one of the pioneers in the field of social psychology, whether any individual believe in his theories or not, most people would agree that Sigmund Freud is one of the greatest thinkers of modern time. His development of psychoanalysis and the contributions he has made to the study of mental illness is immense. Although he completed most of his work in the early years of last century, he is still hugely influential to this day.

Despite this success, or perhaps due to it, Freud’s ideas have always been very controversial. His postulations on human psychological growth resulted in his theory of psychosexual development. His ideas were particularly contentious at the initial time of release, and frequently are considered so, to this very day. The primary reason for any initial negative reaction was due to the often-strong sexual content of his work. Freud suggested that powerful incestuous sexual desires exist in all of us, including infants. His opinions raised а few eyebrows in Victorian Europe, to say the very least!

The focus of this paper shall not be on this aspect of Freud’s theories, but rather on the manner in which he inaccurately differentiates between the psychological growth and maturity of males, and that of females. Many people have argued that this was very much due to the era in which Freud had operated. The fact is the medical field in which he worked, was at this time а largely male only society. Thoughts from within this profession were often very negative toward women. Whatever the reason, psychoanalysis, and the theories developed from it, have always been considered extremely patriarchal and phallocentric.

Freud stages Over time one question has plagued mankind, how did we come to be who we are? One man who tried to answer this question was Sigmund Freud; he believed people developed in four stages and one time out period. His basic psychosexual theory, which is the oldest theory, explains how the stages we develop in are based on erogenous zones, which are areas of pleasure on the body. Each stage has а conflict to overcome if the conflict is handled well then we move on to the next stage without any emotional issues, but if through this stage conflict we are frustrated or overindulged then we may become fixated on that certain stage.

The basic stage is the oral stage; the erogenous zone is the mouth. Freud believed this stage begins at birth and ends at about age one. The conflict is weaning, or the removal of the bottle. The effects of fixation if frustrated, given food too soon, may be а series of bad habits when they get older such as nail biting, thumb sucking, overeating, pen biting or alcohol abusing. If the child is overindulged, waited too long to remove the bottle, the person may become spoiled and they and expect the world to take care of them.

Freud’s second stage is called the anal stage. The erogenous zone is the anus. The conflict is potty training. If а child is а counter attacker at this time which means they release their bowels at the most inappropriate times then Freud believed they grow up to be an anal aggressive adult, which means they may have anger issues. If а child suffers from anal retention which means they refuse to go to release their bowels then Freud believed they grow up to be an anal retentive adult which would cause them to hold their feelings in.

The third stage is а more controversial stage that begins at age four and ends at age five. This stage is called the phallic stage and the erogenous zone is the genitals. The conflict is sexual attraction for the opposite sexed parent. Oedipus conflict for males and Electra conflict for females. The effects of fixation are boys are afraid of castration and girls feel castrated. If at this stage the child is overindulged he/she may grow up to be а “Daddy’s Girl” or а “? Momma’s Boy”? which would cause much agony in finding а life partner who could please their overindulged needs.

If, on the other hand а child is frustrated during this stage they may have same sex rivalry, promiscuity or homosexuality because the much-needed attention was severely lacked from the opposite sexed parent. The next of Freud’s theories is not а stage it is а period that begin at age six and ends at age twelve it is called the latency period. There is no fixation; it is а time out period, а time for play. The major characteristic is sublimation. This is а time when the sex drive gets buried. (Miller 2000) The last stage is the genital stage and it begins at age thirteen and according to Freud it never ends.

The erogenous zone is the genitals; the conflict is sexual desire for the opposite sex {heterosexual relationships} If the person doesn’t get attention from the opposite sex he/she may become frustrated which can lead to low self esteem. If he/she always gets attention they may be overindulged and the effects on that may be conceitedness and they may have unrealistic expectations when they get married. Technology and Freud In the modern world of technology the theories become more important when you can test them as individual and as а whole.

Freud’s theory of psychoanalysis, however, does have its problems. One of its drawbacks is that it is based on the assumption that repressed conflicts and impulses do in fact exist. Today this assumption is being challenged, and is provoking intense debate. Freud first developed these methods of psychoanalysis when he met with patients whose disorders did not make neurological sense. А patient, for example, may have suddenly gone blind. The problem is that there is no damage to either of his eyes.

Freud began to wonder if this disorder might be psychological rather than physiological. patient not wanting to see something that aroused anxiety might have caused his own blindness, he hypothesized. In order to find out what the anxiety stemmed from, he used methods of free association where the patient would say whatever came into his mind. Through the slips made when the patient was told to carry out the free-association process, and some of the patient’s beliefs and habits, Freud could delve into the patient’s subconscious. These thoughts produced а chain directly into the patient’s subconscious, and unearthed memories and feelings.

This process soon became known as psychoanalysis. Freud also believed that dreams were an important way of getting into the patient’s subconscious. By analyzing dreams, he could reveal the basis of conflict within the patient. Freud believed the mind was made up of three main parts: the conscious, the preconscious, and the subconscious. The conscious region is the part that people are most aware of and what others can see. The preconscious region holds thoughts and feelings that а person can become aware of but that are mostly hidden away.

Finally, the subconscious region consists of thoughts and feelings which are completely hidden away and which one is mostly unaware of. Some believe that the preconscious region is really а small part of the much larger subconscious region. (Hough 1994) Freud said that the mind is like an iceberg, with most of it, the subconscious, hidden away, and only а small part, the conscious, showing above the water, able to be seen. Why, then, would the majority of the mind be hidden; why is the subconscious region so much larger than the conscious region?

Freud explained that the answer is that one forcibly blocks thoughts and feelings that he does not want others to become aware of. Although the person is not fully aware of these feelings, he still expresses them in disguise through the way he makes his choices. Using psychoanalytic methods, Freud was able, he said, to learn what feelings the patient had blocked and hidden in his subconscious. (Porter 1996) Freud developed one of his most famous theories of the mind when he realized the source of conflict in а person.

He theorized that there were three interacting systems within the mind: the id, ego, and superego. The id is the largest part of the unconscious, and operates mainly on the need to gain pleasure and satisfaction. It mainly is the driving force behind а newborn infant who has no cares of the outside world, and will start to cry the moment it needs to be satisfied. (Jackson 1996) The id is mostly the instincts that are part of а person for his whole life. The ego develops in а young child as а method to cope with the real world and satisfy the id’s impulses in more realistic ways other than crying.

The ego can be seen as the moderator between the id and superego. Finally, the superego is the region of the mind that is mostly conscious. The superego forces the ego to consider the most ideal way of dealing with а problem. It is made up of morals, values, and culture’s influence on а person. The superego’s demands are very much opposed to those of the id, and it is the ego that must struggle to balance the ideas of the two. (Weatherill 1994) Analysis Modern supporters of psychoanalysis have denied that this is so, yet rarely make any great arguments to convince you otherwise.

Time and time again, we are reminded that many prominent members of the psychoanalytical community have been women. Female figures such as; Helene Deutsch, Karen Horney, Anna Freud and Melenie Klein are usually mentioned. Their significance within the society of psychoanalysis is meant to somehow convince us, that the doctrines of the group as а whole are not at all sexist. (Miller 2000) Sigmund Freud himself admitted having great difficulty advancing а theory of psychological development for women. This, in my opinion, is evident from the theories he put forth relating to this course of study.

Repeatedly, his opinions on this matter are unclear, at best, or completely of the mark at worst. In this paper, I hope to outline some of the significant difficulties that exist in Freud’s work. Particularly, in his theory of psychosexual development, in relation to female emotional growth. His writings display а fervent belief that young girls are unable to overcome the difficulties of the polymorphous perverse stages of development. The result of which, according to Freud, is an inability to cope adequately with life, as an adult woman.

This incapacity to prevail over the challenges of these early years, culminates in failure to mature emotionally, and often leads to hysteria in adulthood. Freud, who spent much of his life studying hysteria in women, went so far as to suggest that women were not fully human beings, and were actually а kind of mutated creature. (Kaschak 1992) It is my belief; therefore, that if Freud felt women did not mature fully into “human beings”, his theory of psychosexual development can not be considered а philosophy on human development. It is simply an idea on becoming а man.

The fact he virtually excludes over half the world’s population, from fair evaluation, should be evidence enough to support that statement. I will, however, scrutinize а number of his beliefs in relation to human development, and examine some of the many inconsistencies that exist within his theories. (Hough 1994) Freud’s theory of psychosexual development was based on his belief that humans are innately pleasure-seeking beings, with unconscious incestuous desires. He also maintained all pleasure was sexual in nature, and was derived from an instinctual drive he called the “Eros. (Jackson 1996)

The energy produced by this power source was referred to as the “Libido” As an infant develops, the focus of sexual energy moves from one sensitive part of the child’s body to another, over time. These areas of the body were termed erotogenic zones, by Freud. At certain times during the child’s development, one of these zones is at the core of emotional growth. It is worth mentioning that throughout the first three stages of development; the child is very much need driven, and constantly seeking physical and sexual satisfaction. Kaplan 1993) In early infancy from birth, to about the age of one, the pivot of the child’s pleasure seeking is found through their mouth.

The infant gains sexual energy from nursing, eating, biting and chewing. Freud termed this phase of development the “oral stage. ” He maintained in а normal situation, to develop correctly, the child must satisfactorily graduate from each stage. Failure to successfully advance from а particular stage, would result in а lingering desire, to attain pleasure through such activities associated with that stage. person fixated in the oral stage, for example, would be preoccupied with activities, such as chewing, or smoking, in later life. (Gelb 1973)

The child eventually moves from this oral stage of development, and begins the next stage, the “anal stage” According to Freud, this period of development lasts until the child is two, or three years old. The hub of this stage is rules and regulations, particularly in regard to toilet training. The final stage of early childhood development, according to Freud, is entered into around the age of four.

The actual age these stages occur is not so important, rather than the fact, that each stage is successfully completed. In this third stage of development, the central point of the child’s sexual pleasure is the penis, for boys and the clitoris for girls. Freud coined this stage the “phallic stage. ” He placed great emphasis on this period of psychological growth, and found it was the failure of girls to overcome this step, which resulted in their inability to fully evolve as human beings. Until this stage, infant children of both sexes faced the same problems within each juncture.

Freud believed children before they reached the phallic stage where almost gender neutral. It is only with the realization, by the infants that they either have, or have not, а penis, that they actually become male, or female. (Miller 2000) Freud strongly believed that the success, or failure of а child to complete this stage successfully, would have huge implications in their later life. The manner in which he formulates his theory, from this point on, is difficult, if not impossible for me to rationalise. (Rayner 1999) The emphasis he places on the male sex organ is difficult to comprehend.

I feel Freud, could only have been influenced, by the male dominated society in which he lived. Why did he consider the penis to be that which the child, male or female, longed to have? I would imagine а child would yearn to be more like their mother. The one who is capable of nursing, as well as carrying, and giving birth to а child? However, it is the penis that Freud suggests causes much envies, and anxiety, in the maturing infant. I believe it is due to this detail, that his theory loses а lot of its credibility. (Weatherill 1994)

As а result of studying male development, Freud believed, during the phallic stage, the growing boy had become totally infatuated with his mother. According to psychoanalytical beliefs, he already had an incestuous relationship with her. He had derived а great deal of sexual pleasure from her, during periods of nursing, particularly within the oral stage. She had made him aware of anal pleasures during toilet training, and ultimately, usually through bathing, he had become aware of the pleasure derived from his penis.

Freud believed the infant male eventually reaches а point, where he wants to displace his father, and become the sexual partner of his mother. The term introduced to describe this sexual yearning, and desire to kill the father, is the “Oedipus complex. ” Freud had taken the term from an ancient Greek play, Oedipus Rex. This was not unusual for him, as he quite regularly used rather sexiest mythology, from both Greece, and Rome, to define his theories. In this tale, а young Oedipus unknowingly kills his father, and takes up his real mother, as his wife.

According to Freud, the maturing infant comes to the realization, that he is unable to outdo his father. He fears his desires for his mother maybe discovered, and concludes, his father would castrate him, if he discovered his true thoughts. The child’s fear of castration, referred to as “castration anxiety,” results in him, repressing his feelings towards his mother. This repression of emotions, result in the successful end to the Oedipus complex, for the young boy, according to Freud.

His triumph results in the creation of the unconscious, where the repressed passions towards his mother, are the first of many memories that will enter here, in the boy’s lifetime. The child’s fear of his father, also results in the development of the super-ego. The establishment of а strong super-ego will enable the child to develop morally, and therefore qualify him, to have а strong sense of justice. This was of major achievement. This accomplishment is common among boys, but Freud felt, young girls were usually unable to reach such standards. (Miller 2000)

Freud and psychoanalytical thought generally placed а great deal of stress on overcoming the oedipal complex. Prior to this а child has no understanding of the reality principle, as this can not evolve until the super-ego develops. Therefore, it is imperative to successfully triumph in this regard. Repression of feelings toward his mother enables the young boy to identify with his father. He replaces his sexual desire for his mother, with attraction for other women during puberty and а strong identification with his father. If all goes well, he becomes а healthy, normal, heterosexual male.

Failure to complete the task will lead to а number of possibly serious mental illnesses in adulthood. Fraud felt that possibly even worse than that, non-fulfilment of Oedipus complex could lead to homosexuality. (Jackson 1996) Freud believed the obstacles а girl faced during development were similarly difficult, to that of their male counter-parts. They too had to confront а corresponding crisis, to that of the oedipal complex. Freud initially called this, the Electra complex, but later favoured the terms Negative, or Feminine complex.

Whatever the title was, it was а similarly significant, to the turning point, their male counterpart, had to overcome. This fundamentally flawed theory seemed very implausible, and apparently not well planned out. Freud himself admitted great concern in trying to develop а female theory. It would seem he constructed this idea in keeping very much with the theory of oedipal complex of male children. The results of his investigations seem very much what he intended. He seems to come by these results very easily, yet the explanations concerning exactly how the answer was attained do not seem at all that simple.

Freud had always considered men to be more aggressive, than their female counterpart. He appeared to consider this fact to be important, and tried to incorporate it into his theories. He felt that prior to the Electra complex, girls were much more aggressive than in later stages of development. He therefore felt it necessary to include this change in any theory he developed. This is certainly the case for his psychosexual theory of development. According to Freud, а male and female infant’s development was almost identical, until they reached the phallic stage.

Even within the early part of this stage, they are closely alike. However, it is the discovery in the case of the female that she has no penis that major problems start. (Kaplan 1993) As is the case with the young boy, an infant girl at this stage is also infatuated with her mother. On realising the fact she has no penis, the young girl becomes envious of anybody who does. The term “penis envy” was invented to describe this phenomenon. This fact, according to Freud, presents а number of extremely difficult challenges for the young girl.

Firstly, it presents huge implications in relation to the mother-daughter relationship. It forces the young girl, to make the first of two major shifts; she has to attempt during this stage. Freud maintained that it was essential for the young girl, to transfer her desire for her mother to her father. He also believed the female had to transfer sexual importance from the clitoris, which he considered the female penis, to the vagina. Both of these shifts were hugely significant to the girl’s ability, to live а normal heterosexual life. (Kaschak 1992)

Freud believed females often failed at these tasks. Girls often continued to stimulate their clitoris, into puberty. This would eventually lead to guilt. The result of this would be passiveness, in the adult woman, which as I already mentioned, was something Freud felt, was а very feminine characteristic. The changes of infatuation, from the mother, to the father, often led to trouble as well. The maturing female is never put under pressure to surrender this incestuous desire toward her father, society, according to Freud, considered it normal for а girl to remain smitten by her father.

Therefore, no pressure is placed on her to transfer this infatuation, for her father to other men. The result is immaturity, if we are to believe what Freud says. Conclusion Freud’s outlook for female development is very negative. This is clear, in his consideration of the challenge of the Electra complex. He believes the only healthy way а girl deals with the realisation she does not have а penis, is to accept it. By doing so, the young female inevitably develops а strong feeling of inferiority.

In addition, the fact girls discover they have no penis, ensures they have no fear of losing them, to castration. As а result, the development of the super-ego is not as effective as in males and therefore, females never develop the moral judgement, or sense of justice, as males does. Also, unlike in the case of men, they are not forced to repress their feelings toward their mothers, due to fear of castration. As а result, their unconscious is less sufficient to that of men. (Rayner 1999) It is rather disturbing, how negative this theory is.

In regard to female development, I feel Freud had his own preconceived notions on women. He simply built his ideas in а manner in which he would arrive at the results he wanted. The arguments he makes particularly in regard to the significance of the male penis, is in my opinion, weak. His theory of psychosexual development is often praised for its innovation, and sometimes even for its content. Thankfully, his theory on female development, has generally been scorned upon, by the professional community, and rightly so.

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