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Primary femininity

R J Stoller1

  • 1Department of Psychiatry, UCLA Medical School 90024.

Journal of the American Psychoanalytic Association
|January 1, 1976
PubMed
Summary

Freud's theory overlooks early female development. A fundamental sense of femaleness is established in infancy through biological, social, and sensory factors, preceding later psychosexual conflicts.

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Area of Science:

  • Developmental Psychology
  • Psychoanalytic Theory
  • Neuroendocrinology

Background:

  • Freud's psychoanalytic theory of female psychosexual development omits crucial early stages.
  • Existing theories inadequately account for the origins of femininity in females.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To propose a revised developmental framework for femininity in females.
  • To identify key factors in early childhood that shape female identity.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing psychoanalytic concepts.
  • Integration of biological and psychological factors in early development.
  • Analysis of nonconflictual learning and sensory experiences.

Main Results:

  • Identified five key factors in early female development: fetal hormones, sex assignment, parental attitudes, biopsychic phenomena, and body ego.
  • Proposed a two-phase model of femininity development: an early nonconflictual phase and a later conflict-driven phase.
  • The early phase establishes a fundamental sense of femaleness and appearance, while the later phase enriches femininity with deeper desires and substance.

Conclusions:

  • Early infancy is critical for establishing a foundational sense of female identity.
  • A comprehensive understanding of femininity requires integrating pre-oedipal, nonconflictual experiences with later psychosexual development.
  • This revised model necessitates a re-evaluation of the psychology of women.

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