Karen Horney's Psychoanalytic Social Theory PDF

Karen Horney's Psychoanalytic social theory Andrea B. Martinez [email protected] | WhatsApp: +447399666245  (1) To explain the impact of social influences on personality development Learning (2) To describe the emergence and dynamics of b...

Karen Horney's Psychoanalytic social theory Andrea B. Martinez [email protected] | WhatsApp: +447399666245  (1) To explain the impact of social influences on personality development Learning (2) To describe the emergence and dynamics of basic hostility and basic outcomes anxiety (3) To compare and contrast the two intrapsychic conflicst of idealised self- image and self-hatred (4) To engage in self-reflection and analysis of one's neurotic needs  True or False Check whether the following statements apply to you 1. It's very important to 2. When I feel distressed, I me to please other seek out an emotionally people. strong person to tell my troubles to. 4. I enjoy being in a 3. I prefer routine more powerful leadership than change. position.  True or False Check whether the following statements apply to you 5. I believe in and follow the advice: “Do unto 6. I enjoy being the life of others before they can the party. do unto me.” 7. It's very important to 8. I enjoy seeing the me to be recognized for achievements of my my accomplishments. friends.  True or False Check whether the following statements apply to you 9. I usually end 10. It's very difficult for me relationships when they to overlook my own mistake begin to get too close. and personal flaws. Karen Horney > Youngest child; resented her father but idolized her mother > Had an older sibling favoured by her parents > Felt unwanted and unloved > Fulfilled her ambition to become a physician > Engaged in an extended self- analysis Karen Horney > In 1917 wrote her first paper on psychoanalysis, “The Technique of Psychoanalytic Therapy” > Had 3 daughters; divorced her husband and had several love affairs > In 1950, Horney published her most important work, Neurosis and Human Growth  Karen Horney's Psychoanalytic social theory Andrea B. Martinez [email protected] | WhatsApp: +447399666245 Impact of Culture “Everyone is a real or potential competitor of everyone else” (Horney, 1937, p. 284). Cultural influences are the primary bases for both neurotic and normal personality development. Modern culture is based on competition.  Personality development Social relationship between the child and the parents is the decisive factor in determining personality growth Agreement with Freud Disagreement with freud Importance of childhood experiences in There are universal psychosexual shaping adult personality structure and stages and that the child’s sexual functioning. anatomy dictates the course of personality development. Importance of childhood experiences Neurotic conflict can stem from almost any developmental stage, but childhood is the age from which the vast majority of problems arise. According to Horney: “The sum total of childhood experiences brings about a certain character structure..” Two needs in childhood: Need for satisfaction Need for safety  Indifference Unfair punishment Parental behaviors Erratic behavior that may frustrate the Ridicule child’s need for safety Unkempt promises Parents' genuine affection and warmth can Overprotection lead to satisfaction of the need for safety, Favoritism thus healthy personality development for the child  Basic Hostility and basic anxiety Foods That Makes Me Happy If parents do not satisfy the child’s needs for safety and satisfaction, the child develops feelings of basic hostility toward the parents. Repressed hostility leads to feelings of insecurity and apprehension called basic anxiety, “a feeling of being isolated and helpless in a world conceived as potentially hostile” (Horney, 1950, p. 18).  Neurotic Defenses How people protect themselves against feelings of being alone in a potentially hostile world Some try to purchase love with self-effacing compliance, material Affection goods or sexual favors Neurotics may submit themselves either to people or to institutions Submissiveness such as an organization or a religion. Striving for power (to dominate others), prestige (protection against Power humiliation) or possession (tendency to deprive others as protection against poverty Developing an independence from others or becoming emotionally Withdrawal detached from them Compulsive drive Neurotic defenses become unhealthy when people feel compelled to rely on them. The neurotic's need is much more intense, and a neurotic will experience great anxiety if the need is not met which leads to the unrealistic nature of the need  Break-out room What are the different 'tyranny of the shoulds' that preoccupy you? How do you try to free yourself from these 'tyranny of the shoulds'?  Neurotic needs How neurotics combat anxiety #1 Neurotic need for #2. Neurotic need for a affection and approval powerful partner #3. Neurotic need to #4. Neurotic need for restrict one’s life within power narrow borders #5 Neurotic need to exploit others and get better of them  Neurotic needs How neurotics combat anxiety #6. Neurotic need for #7. Neurotic need for social recognition or personal admiration prestige #8. Neurotic need for #9. Neurotic need for personal ambition and self-sufficiency and achievement independence #10. Neurotic need for perfection and unassailability  Normal people are Neurotics are Neurotic mostly conscious of their strategies unaware of their basic attitude toward other people Trends Normal people are free Neurotics are to choose their actions forced to act Normal people Neurotics experience experience mild severe and insoluble conflict. conflict Normal people can Neurotics are choose a variety of limited to a single strategies trend/strategy. Neurotic Needs (1) Moving towards peoplE A neurotic need to protect oneself against feelings of helplessness—hence they strive for affection and approval of others, or seek a powerful partner to take responsibility of their lives—or self-effacing solution—called morbid dependency Neurotic Needs (2) Moving AGAINST peoplE A neurotic need be aggressive in order to circumvent the hostility of others, seeing others as potential enemy—also called expansive solution Neurotic Needs (3) Moving AWAY FROM peoplE Or resigning solution, is adopting a detached manner, thus alleviating feelings of isolation; an expression of needs for privacy, independence and self-sufficiency..  INTRAPSYCHIC CONFLICTS 1. idealized self-image 2. self-hatred The neurotic has a different view of self "split" into a despised self and an ideal self. Idealized self- image 1. Compliant people see themselves as good and saintly; 2. Aggressive people see themselves as strong, heroic, and omnipotent; 3. Detached neurotics paint their self-portraits as wise, self- sufficient, and independent. Three aspects of idealised self- image As the idealized self-image becomes solidified, neurotics begin to believe in the reality of that image 1. Neurotic search for glory - tyranny of the should 2. Neurotic claims 3. Neurotic pride  Self-hatred 1. Merciless self-accusation 2. Tyranny of the should 3. Self-contempt 4. Self-frustration 5. Self-torment or self-torture 6. Self-destructive actions and impulses Feminist psychology Oedipus complex is not due to biology but to certain environmental conditions. Masculine protest: The desire is “a wish for all those qualities or privileges which in our culture are regarded as masculine.” There is womb envy—in men who feel envious of a woman's ability to bear children. Concept of Humanity DETERMINISTIC OR FREEWILL? Healthy Individuals Neurotic individuals Have free choice Have a degree of compulsivity with which each moves toward, against or away from people. Concept of Humanity CAUSAL OR TELEOLOGICAL? Teleological Causal The natural goal of people is Childhood experiences can block self-realization the movement towards self- actualisation Concept of Humanity CONSCIOUS OR UNCONSCIOUS? Unconscious NEUROTICS ESPECIALLY! People have only limited Neurotics, especially, have little awareness of their motives. understanding of themselves and are largely unaware of their basic conflict  Concept of Humanity NATURE OR NURTURE? UNIQUE OR SIMILAR? SOCIAL INFLUENCES SIMILARITIES Personality is shaped by social People are more similar than influences unique Thank you for listening!