So, I decided to start with a "positive" - I find Freud's discussion of us vs. our neighbor (and subsequently us vs. them) enlightening. It makes intuitive sense that you can strengthen the cohesion of the group by directing aggression towards an other. I can think of many examples where this plays out and as we eluded to in our last discussion, how aggressive acts against "the other" are not seen as "bad" - and in some cases just. To some extent I am willing to accept the idea that we have some aggressive instinct (perhaps that "fight or flight" mechanism that we so often refer to). I guess I have a hard time following how this relates to our "death instinct" - it makes more sense to me to relate aggression to a "survival" or "life" instinct. This part of Freud's argument was particularly hard for me to understand.
Okay - so now the "negative" - I know I brought this up last time, and I guess I'm displaying my own neuroticism, but I have major issues with Freud's assumptions of women. I realize he writes this from a particular point in history and is thus affected by the sociocultural context - however, the idea that women get their satisfaction from the care of their children (or protection/love of their children), is to me frustrating. I enjoy being a parent, but I am not comfortable with defining myself purely from this role and would argue that solely confined to life with my children would not bring happiness - I am happier having a balance and participating in some of the aspects of civilization that Freud connects to males. Can it not bring me satisfaction to "hold my love object" (i.e., keep him/her close to me)? Also to beat a dead horse, I would argue women can derive just as much satisfaction from sex as men, even if this satisfaction is now diminished by the presence of societal constraints.
You know I thought that Freud almost touched on this when he began talking about bisexuality, and how men and women are only distinguishable by their genetalia, but not their mind. Such that women have both male and female desires, and men are the same. I actually think this makes perfect sense. I'm thinking about those studies that rate people's sexual tendencies, and most end up somewhere in the middle. Well it seems to me that because of the way society has progressed, of course we as women would feel more inclined to work outside the home and fulfill whatever desires we have rather than simply stay home and make babies. It seems like the desire for this would come from our increased ability to act out our desires, or create our happiness, because of the social changes that have made it possible. We are not so guilted by working outside the home as once before, in fact we are often encouraged for the good of the family, or even in wartime the good of the society. So it seems that we are able to more fully realize our "male" desires, as well as our female ones. Maybe Freud just didn't believe that would ever happen?
ReplyDeleteI find this post and comment interesting. My only issue with the discussion is what is what makes desires specifically male or female? If men and women are only differentiated by their genetalia and not their mind then how can one determine that one desire is inherently male or female? I guess I have my own perspective on the differences of males and females that isn't solely based on genetalia but this differs from Freud's perspective.
ReplyDeleteAshley, Erikson goes deeper in to the genitalia issue and we discussed it some in class but perhaps will we do more. For Freud genitalia is a REALLY BIG THING. One of the big questions we always asked ourselves when I was younger is "Am I a man led by my penis or am I a penis led by a man." It is something we don't discuss that much anymore for some reason but men, especially when they are young, are dominated by their penis. Many men give their penis' name and treat it like a second little person who is attached to them. Younger men have absolutely no control as to what their penis does at any given time and its desires cannot be hidden. This is not true of women but I am certain there are issues men don't understand about women's genitalia, that again is just never discussed.
ReplyDelete