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Originally, psychoanalysis was developed as a means of restoring health to the individual who had failed to acquire an integrated personality. The aim was to make him better able to function within the existing society. With growing emphasis on clashes between the individual and society, the problem of reshaping society itself enters the picture. Freud showed the way in this direction when, through his teachings, he exerted a beneficial effect upon social attitudes toward sex.
Other social attitudes are likewise in need of modification. According to Bettelheim, middle-class values create conflicts in the maturing child and should be examined in this light. Among these are the insistence on sharing toys, pressures to compete, the requirement that mature standards of behavior be followed prematurely, etc. Enlightened parents who do not initiate sphincter training at an early age—again, a product of freudian influence—may urge upon their child a too rapid increase of vocabulary. Middle-class mores in general put a premium upon intellectual development and, in fact, tend to use analytic insight in support of this basic orientation. Certain social devices prevent the use of appropriate outlets for aggression and libidinal attachments. Recognition and proper handling of such elements in social life are important in assisting the child to attain mental health.