Psychoanalysis Chapter: Oedipus Complex

Universal and Timeless Parent-Child Triangle

• The Oedipus complex suggests a universal mother-child-father triangle where males experience a psychosexual development involving attraction to the mother and jealousy towards the father.
• Freud's conclusions on the universality of the Oedipus complex are contested due to potential lack of diverse cultural evidence.

Malinowski's Challenge to Freud

• Malinowski (1927) conducted research in the Trobriand Islands, Papua New Guinea, highlighting a maternal uncle's significant role in educating adolescents.
• In this avuncular society, the uncle is not a sexual rival but acts as a disciplinarian, suggesting that adolescent frustrations stem from this educational relationship.
• Malinowski proposes questioning what frustrates the adolescent rather than applying Freudian theory to dream interpretations.

Cultural Factors in Psychological Theories

• Freud's theories may not be universally applicable due to cultural variations in familial roles and relationships.
• The interplay between individual psychology and collective psychology is essential for understanding these dynamics.

Scientific Associations and Cultural Psychology

• Various scientific associations focus on cultural psychology and the universality or relativity of mental processes.
• The International Association for Cross-Cultural Psychology (IACCP) was founded in Germany, rooted in Wilhelm Wundt's "Völkerpsychologie" (Cultural Psychology) concept.

Historical Perspectives on Cultural Research

• Early comparisons of cultural groups often lacked rigorous scientific methodology, with figures such as Le Bon and Tarde emphasizing national characteristics rather than empirical studies.
• Systematic cultural comparisons began in the 19th century, exemplified by Péron's work on physical strength comparisons between Tasmanian "savages" and "civilized" Europeans.