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LESSON 4: PSYCHOANALYTIC SOCIAL THEORY – KAREN HORNEY PSYC104 1ST SEMESTER | ACADEMIC YEAR 2024-2025| PROF. ROBIE ANN A. FROLLES IMPACT OF SOCIAL AND CU...

LESSON 4: PSYCHOANALYTIC SOCIAL THEORY – KAREN HORNEY PSYC104 1ST SEMESTER | ACADEMIC YEAR 2024-2025| PROF. ROBIE ANN A. FROLLES IMPACT OF SOCIAL AND CULTURAL CONDITIONS OVERVIEW OF PSYCHONALAYTIC SOCIAL THEORY Psychoanalytic social theory was built on the IMPACT OF CHILDHOOD assumption that social and cultural conditions, Childhood is the age from which the vast especially childhood experiences are largely majority of problems arise. responsible for shaping personality. A variety of traumatic events, such as sexual BIOGRAPHY OF KAREN HORNEY abuse, beatings, open rejection, or pervasive Born: Sept 15, 1885 in Germany. neglect, may leave their impressions on a child’s Karen is a child of a 50 year old man who was a future development sea captain and his second wife. Horney insisted that these debilitating Her older siblings were favored more by her experiences can almost invariably be traced to parents therefore she felt unloved and lack of genuine warmth and affection unwanted. NOTABLE EXPERIENCES IMPACT OF CULTURE She is the only daughter of his father's second Karen repeatedly emphasized cultural influences family. Her mother is 18 years younger than his as the primary bases for both neurotic and father. She also resents her older favored normal personality development. brother. Modern culture is based on competition among Without her father’s permission she studied to individuals. become a physician specialized in psychiatry and “Everyone is a real or potential competitor of she was independent then for the rest of her life. everyone else” Because of that she felt the need to merge with Competitiveness and the basic hostility spawn great men. She met Oskar Horney, a political result in feelings of isolation. science student then. Oskar and Karen stayed in ○ These feelings of being alone in a Berlin yet they separated and divorced due to potentially hostile world lead to inflation and economic disorder which cost Oskar intensified needs for affection, which, his job. in turn, cause people to overvalue love. Karen continued her life seeing patients, caring Genuine love, of course, can be a healthy, for three daughters, writing, teaching, traveling growth-producing experience; but the desperate and lecturing. Her writings involved differences need for love provides a fertile ground for the in Freudian theory. development of neuroses. DIFFERENCE FROM PSYCHOANALYSIS ○ Rather than benefiting from the need Horney cautioned that strict adherence to for love, neurotics strive in pathological Psychoanalysis would lead to stagnation in both ways to find it. theoretical thought and therapeutic practice. BASIC HOSTILITY AND BASIC ANXIETY Horney objected to Freud’s ideas on feminine Horney believed that each person begins life psychology. with potential for healthy development. Horney stressed the view that psychoanalysts People’s subjective perceptions shape their should move beyond instinct theory and behavior and personality emphasize the importance of cultural influences Personality is unified and self consistent in shaping personality. The value of all human activity must be seen Man is ruled not by the pleasure principle alone from the viewpoint of social interest but by two guiding principles: safety and The self consistent personality structure satisfaction. develops into a person’s style of life Style of life is molded by people’s creative power  LESSON 4: PSYCHOANALYTIC SOCIAL THEORY – KAREN HORNEY PSYC104 1ST SEMESTER | ACADEMIC YEAR 2024-2025| PROF. ROBIE ANN A. FROLLES WHAT CONTRIBUTES TO HEALTHY DEVELOPMENT OF NEUROTIC NEEDS INDIVIDUALS? The neurotic need for affection and approval - People need favorable conditions for growth like In their quest for affection and approval, a loving environment neurotics attempt indiscriminately to please Children need to experience both genuine love others. They try to live up to the expectations of and healthy discipline. That is where feelings of others, tend to dread self-assertion, and are safety and satisfaction will come from. quite uncomfortable with the hostility of others If parents will not be able to instill those needs, as well as the hostile feelings within themselves. the child will develop basic hostility which they The neurotic need for a powerful partner - repress and lead to profound feelings of Lacking self-confidence, neurotics try to attach insecurity and vague sense of apprehension themselves to a powerful partner. This need called basic anxiety includes an overvaluation of love and a dread of BASIC ANXIETY being alone or deserted. Basic anxiety itself is not a neurosis, but “it is the The neurotic need to restrict one’s life within nutritive soil out of which a definite neurosis narrow borders - Neurotics frequently strive to may develop at any time”. remain inconspicuous, to take second place, and Basic anxiety - is constant and unrelenting, to be content with very little. They downgrade needing no particular stimulus such as taking a their own abilities and dread making demands test in school or giving a speech. on others. It permeates all relationships with others and The neurotic need for power - The need for leads to unhealthy ways of trying to cope with power is usually combined with the needs for people. prestige and possession and manifests itself as HOW CAN WE PROTECT OURSELVES FROM ANXIETY? the need to control others and to avoid feelings of weakness or stupidity. Affection - In their search for affection, some The neurotic need to exploit others - Neurotics people may try to purchase love with frequently evaluate others on the basis of how self-effacing compliance, material goods, or they can be used or exploited, but at the same sexual favors. time, they fear being exploited by others. Submissiveness - Neurotics may submit The neurotic need for social recognition or themselves to people in order to gain affection. prestige - Some people combat basic anxiety by Power, prestige and possession - trying to be first, to be important, or to attract ○ Power - a defense against the real or attention to themselves. imagined hostility of others and to The neurotic need for personal admiration - dominate others; Neurotics have a need to be admired for what ○ Prestige - expressed as a tendency to they are rather than for what they possess. Their humiliate others inflated self-esteem must be continually fed by ○ Possession - acts as a buffer against the admiration and approval of others destitution and poverty and manifests The neurotic need for ambition and personal itself as a tendency to deprive others achievement - Neurotics often have a strong Withdrawal - Neurotics frequently protect drive to be the best—the best salesperson, the themselves against basic anxiety either by best bowler, the best lover. They must defeat developing an independence from others or by other people in order to confirm their becoming emotionally detached from them. superiority. ○ By psychologically The neurotic need for self-sufficiency and withdrawing,neurotics feel that they independence - Many neurotics have a strong cannot be hurt by other people. need to move away from people, thereby proving that they can get along without others LESSON 4: PSYCHOANALYTIC SOCIAL THEORY – KAREN HORNEY PSYC104 1ST SEMESTER | ACADEMIC YEAR 2024-2025| PROF. ROBIE ANN A. FROLLES The neurotic need for perfection and 3 ASPECTS OF IDEALIZED SELF IMAGE Unassailability - By striving relentlessly for Neurotic search for glory - Incorporating perfection, neurotics receive “proof ” of their idealized self image to goals, self concept and self-esteem and personal superiority. They dread relation with others. making mistakes and having personal flaws, and ○ Need for perfection - Drive to mold the they desperately attempt to hide their whole personality into the idealized weaknesses from others. self wherein striving towards an imaginary picture of perfection NEUROTIC TRENDS ○ Neurotic ambition - Compulsive drive toward superiority. It involves channeling their energies into those activities that are most likely to bring success. ○ Drive toward a vindictive triumph - It is the most destructive element. It may disguise as drive for achievement or success but its chief aim is to put others to shame or defeat them through one’s success to attain power, to inflict suffering in a humiliating way. Neurotic claims - Building a fantasy world that is out of sync with the real world. They believe that something is wrong with the outside world. They proclaim that they are special and entitled to be treated in accordance with their idealized view of Moving toward people - Desperately striving for themselves. affection and approval of others referred to as Neurotic pride - A false pride based on an morbid dependency. They are willing to unrealistic view of the true self. It is based on subordinate themselves to others. To see others idealized self image of self and loudly proclaimed as more intelligent or attractive and to rate in order to protect and support glorified view of themselves according to what others think of self. them. SELF HATRED Moving against people - Appearing tough or Self Hatred - It is when they realize that their ruthless, motivated by strong need to exploit real self doesn’t match the demands of ideal self. others for their benefit. 6 MAJOR WAYS IN WHICH PEOPLE EXPRESS SELF HATRED Moving away from people - Expression of needs Relentless demands on the self - Making of privacy, independence and self sufficiency. demands on themselves that don’t stop even They frequently build a world of their own and when they achieve a measure of success. refuse to allow anyone to get close to them. Merciless self accusation - Taking responsibility for things that they are not accountable and INTRAPSYCHIC CONFLICTS questioning virtue of own emotions. Intrapsychic conflicts - inner conflicts originated Self contempt - Expressed by belittling, doubting from interpersonal experiences. and discrediting self. IDEALIZED SELF IMAGE Self frustration - Stems from self hatred and Idealized self image - An extravagant positive designed to actualize an inflated self image view of self that exist only in an individual’s frequently shackled by taboos against belief system can solve feelings of alienation. enjoyment. LESSON 4: PSYCHOANALYTIC SOCIAL THEORY – KAREN HORNEY PSYC104 1ST SEMESTER | ACADEMIC YEAR 2024-2025| PROF. ROBIE ANN A. FROLLES Self torment - Torture of oneself thru inflicting harm. Self destructive actions and impulses - Either physical or psychological like abusing alcohol and drugs, working too hard, driving recklessly, etc.