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Peter Blos introduced the speakers, and turned the meeting over to Erna Furman. Furman then introduced the theme of the meeting with a spirited presentation and defence of libido theory, emphasising its centrality and indispensability in the understanding of children and their communications in analysis.
Reviewing the variable position of sexuality in contemporary psychoanalysis, Furman noted that many analysts would prefer to have a psychoanalysis without it. She cited Renik's recent suggestion that sexuality may be viewed in terms of its components and integrated as a part of other motivational concepts (1996; Reflections on the 40th IPA Congress theme. International Psychoanalysis: The Newsletter of the International Psychoanalytical Association, 5: 1: 38-40). She argued that object-relations theory, which was initially thought to be an addition to the role of the drives, now seems to be focused on dispensing with sexuality altogether and reducing psychoanalytic data and process solely to interpersonal relationships. In her view, both cases to be presented offered multiple manifestations of psychosexual development from all levels and lent themselves to comparison of views on infantile sexuality.
Furman pointed out that the first case, presented by Joana Tous d'Adroer of Barcelona, demonstrated the way in which primitive aspects of infantile sexuality were expressed in the transference. Pathology from all levels of development was observable. The case particularly highlighted the way in which primitive sexual elements in the transference were hidden behind more mature aspects of psychosexual development, for example, how a seeming need for latency fairness warded off not only displaced oedipal rivalry but anal-sadistic impulses to control the object.
Of the second case, reported by Calvern Narcisi of Denver, she emphasised that clinical evidence of the anal-sadistic drive was prominent in the analysis of a latency girl with faecal retention. That case highli