You do not currently have permission to view the full text for this document. Please sign in to an account with an active subscription or contact support.
This book is a collection of essays on classical and modern views of femininity in psychoanalysis. Each essay contains one or two case studies to illustrate the issues presented. This is a generally well-written and interesting book that has chapters by analysts from Argentina, Canada, England, and the United States. However, the important contributions of Karen Horney, who openly challenged Freud's individualistic, biological, and negative view of female development is not explored sufficiently. Only a few references to Horney, Ernest Jones, and Otto Fenichel are made. In some chapters penis envy, the castration complex, and wanting a baby who represents a penis are alongside, but not integrated with, modern child development studies or the impact of psychosocial forces. It is as if one has to retain Freud's original formulations for legitimacy. Freud's 1933 lecture on Femininity is included at the beginning of the book. I was asked to review this book, since I had written a book on Freud's femininity (Slipp, 1993), though it is not mentioned. The definition of science is that it never has the absolute truth, but is open to revision. This revision should include Freud's concepts, but not as absolute truths.
To this point, the article by Nancy Kulish and Deanna Holtsman of the Michigan Psychoanalytic Institute presents Freud's original theory as fact and feel it is unfortunate that psychoanalysts now focus on attachment theory.
Probably the best article is by Joan Rafael-Leff from England, who explains that Freud's theories were influenced by the patriarchal culture of the time that rendered women helpless. Women were seen as the Other, having only been agreed to have souls at the Council of Trent. In modern society women have more control over their bodies and educational parity. The result is increasing gender equality. Women in many parts of the world are no longer powerless, and some scientists generally consider primary femininity inborn.
The chapters by French ps