Freud’s perspective on gender development is based individual development through several stages on their path to an actual gender identity. Two major factors influence the stages of development, and these are the realities of life and the structure or composition of the psyche. Freud’s most important idea was the four elements that form the model of the psyche: id, ego, super-ego, and the outside world. The elements form an essential structure for the self, each with a critical role to create one’s personality. According to the Freud’s model of the psyche, the id represents the desire to satisfy basic needs such as food and shelter. The Id contains aggressive drives and has no morality. The super-ego functions as part of the moral conscience. The ego then mediates between the desires of the super-ego and the id (Gilman, 1997).
Freud argues that the path of childhood development in girls is more of complementary, unlike for boys which is traumatic. Girls grow to retain a similar identification with their mother but should renounce sexual desire towards her. Freud believes that women experience “penis envy.” During her growth stages, the little girl understands that her chance for sexual gratification is through a man (Sayers, 1987).
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Freud’s theories have created a huge controversy and debate. Freud’s psychoanalytic theory created different traditions in the field of psychology. The theory of cognitive developments locates that gender development occurs at a later age in life. Psychologists argued that children are born gender neutral and that there are no significant biological differences between girls and boys at the early stages of growth. As they grow, children pass through psychological stages that correspond to gender stages.
Many women have come out to dismiss Freud’s different arguments since he argued development that was based on coming to terms with shame. Freud proposed the term penis envy meaning that women will always see themselves inferior to men (Fiorini, 2008). Even though many have questioned Freud’s theories, the theories have had a significant impact on contemporary studies about the relationship between gender development and sexual identity.
References
Fiorini, L. (2008). Deconstructing the feminine . London: Karnac.
Gilman, S. (1997). Freud, race, and gender . Delhi: Oxford University Press.
Sayers, J. (1987). Freud revisited: On gender, moral development, and androgyny. New Ideas in Psychology , 5(2), pp.197-206.
