Theory of Psychosexual 1

Freud's Theory of Psychosexual and male development: A critic

Introduction

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
 Theory of Psychosexual 2

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

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.
 Theory of Psychosexual 3

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.

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
 Theory of Psychosexual 4

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

 Theory of Psychosexual 5

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. А 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
 Theory of Psychosexual 6

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
 Theory of Psychosexual 7

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.

(Miller 2000)

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
 Theory of Psychosexual 8

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. (Rayner 1999)

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
 Theory of Psychosexual 9

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
 Theory of Psychosexual 10

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.
 Theory of Psychosexual 11

References

Freud, S. Introductory Lectures on Psychoanalysis, London: Penguin Group, 1976.

Gelb, L.A. "Psychoanalysis and Women: Contributions to a New Therapy,"

Masculinity, Femininity, A Study in Imposed Inequality, New, Brummer/ Mazel

Publishers, 1973).

Jackson, S. "The Social Construction of Female Sexuality," Feminism and Sexuality,

New York: Columbia University Press, 1996.

Miller, P. "Defining the Partnership," Towards a Feminist Sexuality Developmental

Psychology, New York: Reutlege, 2000.

Rayner, E. Human Development, (3rd Ed.) New York: Reutlege, 1999.

Porter, R. "An Assault on Jeffrey Mason," Debating Gender, Debating Sexuality.

(NYU Press: 1996), 283.

Gelb, L. A. " Psychoanalysis and Woman: Contributions to a New Therapy,"

Masculinaty, Femininity. A Study in imposed Inequality. (New York: Brummer/

Mazel Publishers, 1973), 123.

Hough, M. A Practical Approach to Counselling. (Harlow, England: Longman, 1994),

9.

Kaplan, P. The Human Odyssey. (New York: West Publishing Company, 1993, 2nd

Ed), 27.

Weatherill, R. Cultural Collapse. (London: Free Association Books, 1994), 19.

Kaschak, E. Engender Lives. (New York: Basic Books, 1992), 57.

Miller, P. "Defining the Partnership," Towards a Feminist Developmental

Psychology. (New York: Routlege, 2000), 248.

Rayner, E. Human Development. (New York: Reutlege, 1999, 3rd Ed), 119.
 Theory of Psychosexual 12

Jackson, S. "The Social Construction of Female Sexuality," Femininsm and Sexuality.

(New York: Columbia University Press, 1996), 65.