Psychodynamic explanation of gender development
Freud’s theory: how gender is developed through the 5 psychosexual stages.
Oral stage: 0-1. Pleasure is from the mouth, fixation can lead to smoking/biting
nails, ID is present
Anal stage: 1-3. Pleasure is from the anus, ego is formed, fixation lead to
obsessive behaviours
Phallic stage: 3-6. Pleasure is from the genital area, superego formed,
Oedipus/electra complex is resolved here
Latency stage: 6-12. Conflicts are repressed.
Genital stage: 12+. Fixation can lead to difficulty forming relationships. Sexual
desires become conscious.
Before reaching the phallic stage (3-6) kids have no concept of gender identity.
Freud believes kids in the pre-phallic stage are bisexual (neither masculine of
feminine). Gender development occurs in the phallic stage in which kids
experience the Oedipus or electra complex.
The Oedipus and electra complex;
The psychodynamic theory of gender development suggests gender identity is
acquired in the phallic stage (3-6), before this the child doesn’t have a gender
identity and is bisexual.
- Boys experience the Oedipus complex. They sexually desire their
mothers and see the father as a rival. The boy fears if the dad finds out
about his desire for the mother he will castrate him. To resolve this
Freud’s theory: how gender is developed through the 5 psychosexual stages.
Oral stage: 0-1. Pleasure is from the mouth, fixation can lead to smoking/biting
nails, ID is present
Anal stage: 1-3. Pleasure is from the anus, ego is formed, fixation lead to
obsessive behaviours
Phallic stage: 3-6. Pleasure is from the genital area, superego formed,
Oedipus/electra complex is resolved here
Latency stage: 6-12. Conflicts are repressed.
Genital stage: 12+. Fixation can lead to difficulty forming relationships. Sexual
desires become conscious.
Before reaching the phallic stage (3-6) kids have no concept of gender identity.
Freud believes kids in the pre-phallic stage are bisexual (neither masculine of
feminine). Gender development occurs in the phallic stage in which kids
experience the Oedipus or electra complex.
The Oedipus and electra complex;
The psychodynamic theory of gender development suggests gender identity is
acquired in the phallic stage (3-6), before this the child doesn’t have a gender
identity and is bisexual.
- Boys experience the Oedipus complex. They sexually desire their
mothers and see the father as a rival. The boy fears if the dad finds out
about his desire for the mother he will castrate him. To resolve this
