Psychodynamic Explanations of Gender Flashcards
How does Freud believe gender develops and the driving force?
Develops in stage and is driven by unconscious forces.
He believed the main force behind gender development was the relationship with parents and gender is formed through resolution of the oedipus or electra complex
What did Freud mean by bisexual in the oral and anal stages?
gender identity does not exist and there is no difference between the behaviour of males and females
How does a boy resolve the oedipus complex?
By identifying with his father and internalising his male identity and assumes male characteristics
What is believed to happen to a boy who does not resolve the complex?
he will be confused about his sexual identity
How does a girl resolve the electra complex?
She identifies with her mother and internalises the female role
What did Freud mean by identification?
where the child internalises the same sex parent’s gender identity and role
What happens personality wise to boys and girls after identification?
Boy leaves passivity of bisexual stage and becomes active and dominant
Girl assumes passivity of bisexual stage becoming quiet and submissive
(Evaluation) What is the supporting evidence for the oedipus complex?
Little Hans
(Evaluation) How did Freud explain Hans’ phobia?
It was an outward expression of his unconscious castration anxiety
(Evaluation) Why is the ability to explain the phobia using classical conditioning a weakness?
It does not support the oedipus complex or the development of gender
(Evaluation) Describe Green’s study.
Aim- to study sexual identity of children living in atypical households
Method- 37 children for either homosexual or transexual households. Gender identity was measured using toy and clothing choice and role in role plays
Results- All except one child showed typical gender preferences
(Evaluation) Why does Green’s study go against Freud’s idea that children in an atypical household will have gender identification problems?
Goes against because if what Freud suggested were correct all the children should have confused or mixed genders
(Evaluation) Why is children showing gender awareness before 5 a weakness?
Suggests that the age is incorrect and it is wrong to suggest gender suddenly develops
(Evaluation) Why is the approach being unscientific a weakness?
Case studies lack reliable evidence and there is little evidence to support the psychodynamic theory of gender development so we cannot be sure how valid it is
