Narcissism and female gender identity: a reformulation

The theory of narcissism and the study of the psychological development of the female child have both been subjects of considerable controversy within psychoanalysis. Some issues central to these controversies have been discussed and evaluated with attention to the contributions made by advances in each area upon the other. From a historical perspective, Freud's illuminating introduction of the concept of narcissism opened the door toward explaining a variety of puzzling clinical phenomena. Deutsch then elaborated upon Freud's contribution as well as upon his specific bias in her description of the psychology of women. Later, Jacobson addressed herself to a reformulation of then existing views of female psychological development. Kohut's innovative clinical observations and Stolorow's functional definition of narcissism provided a unique vantage point from which to offer a critical restatement of narcissistic factors in the development of the female child. Specifically, narcissism was freed from its singular relationship to female development (the emphasis on castration shock and penis envy as rock bottom factors in female character formation) and related to structuralization of the representational world--self- and object-representations. Sexual differences can then be understood as most relevant for the content of these structures. In this context, the work of Stoller was cited. Finally, three topics that grew out of these considerations and elaborations were considered: the role of the little girl's attachment to and separation from her mother, the role of the psychosexual phases and an evaluation of penis envy, and the role of the father as an ideal. The reciprocal relationship between psychosexual development and the differentiation, integration and consolidation of self and object images has specific relevance for the manner in which femininity as the content of the self-representation of the developing girl enhances and is enhanced by the structuralization of the representations. The unfolding of the psychosexual phases with their associated imagery can be viewed as the gradual unfolding of more complex, differentiated and articulated self and object representations. Conversely, the gradual separation, integration and consolidation of self- and object-representations makes possible the development of increasingly more advanced forms of psychosexual experiences. Thus, the original question of the relationship between narcissism and female development has led to much broader issues. Narcissism concerns the structuralization and maintenance of the self. However, while narcissistic activities may promote structuralization, they may also serve to shore up a precarious sense of gender identity.