Stages of Gender Development

Gender development theories abound in psychology. Freud and Kohlberg are just two of the many psychologists who theorized about how gender develops in children. Get help understanding gender development from the writers at Paper Masters.
Freud's theory about human development is heavily focused on gender. It is vital for a child to experience certain feelings and desires, which are specifically connected to the same and opposite-sex parent, respectively. Because the juxtaposition of genders is so important to Freud's developmental theory, nontraditional families, such as single parent or homosexual households, would rarely be able to raise sexually and morally healthy children. His three stages of development are as follows:
In Freud's theory of human development, a person's childhood years are crucial in determining their sexual development. Of special importance is the phallic stage, which contains the Oedipus complex. Freud's Oedipus complex, explains how healthy sexual and moral development comes about only when children resolve dilemmas; by doing this, they develop a superego. The phallic stage revolves around the unique roles that the male and the female parent have on a child's development. Additionally, Freud suggests that the child's own gender will cause them to perceive and react differently to the parent of the same sex and the parent of the opposite sex. However, Freud's model of normal development is based on the idea that children are raised by a mother and a father. When a child is raised in a single-parent or single-gender household, Freud's theory implies that he or she will develop abnormally.
In one example, a boy who is raised in the house of a single mother from the time he is one will lack an important figure at a crucial developmental point of his life. When the child becomes three, he will enter the phallic stage, which Freud says contains the Oedipus complex. He will begin to feel incestuous feelings for his mother, but if his father is absent, the boy will have no same-sex male figure to fear, love, and want to replace. Thus, he will be unable to fully resolve the conflict of the phallic stage. Because the boy will not feel the usual guilt and fear about wanting to replace his father, he will not be driven to seek his father's guidance, which is key in the development of his superego. Thus, he will be unable to develop a superego, will be stuck in the phallic stage, and may display an abnormal or sexual attachment to his mother for the rest of his life.
In a second example, a girl is raised single-handedly by her father until she is an adolescent. Though she also lacks a same-sex figure, Freud indicates that her development will be less negatively affected. Though Freud was a bit unclear about girls' psychosexual development, he did state that they experienced a conflict like that of the Oedipus complex. In normal development, girls feel penis envy, believing that all women are inferior to men, and resent their mothers for not providing them with a penis. Like boys, girls develop incestuous attachments to the opposite-sex parent, in this case the father. However, Freud thought that it was not as vital for girls to resolve their Oedipal feelings, and that it was natural for girls to develop weaker superegos than boys. Therefore, the girl in the example would feel that she has already replaced her mother and now has ownership of her father. Since it is not vital for her to resolve her conflicted feelings toward a same-sex figure, the girl would probably develop a superego weaker than that of a boy, but normal for a girl.
Related Research Paper Topic Suggestions
Anal Stage - Anal Stage term papers examine the second phase in Sigmund Freud’s five-stage theory of childhood and adolescent psychosexual development.
A Primer of Freudian Psychology - A Primer of Freudian Psychology Research Papers examine Calvin Hall's book that allows the general reader to understand Freudian psychology.
Ego - Ego papers examine the second part of Sigmund Freud’s classic division of human personality. The ID and the Super Ego can also be studied in light of psychological theories.
Ender and Organizational Culture - Gender and Organizational Culture Research Papers delve into a sample of an order placed on how managers should deal with gender issues in the work place.
Erik Erikson - Erik Erikson Research Papers delve into his theory of emotional development. As one of the most famous psychologists, Erik Erikson research papers may overview his achievements, his psychological theories or compare and constrast his theories to other great psychologists.
Eros and Thanatos - Eros and Thanatos research papers discuss Sigmund Freud's theory that human beings have an instinct for life which he called Eros, and an opposing drive towards death, which he named Thanatos.
Freud - Freud research papers discuss Freud and his psychological theories. Paper Masters will custom write research on Sigmund Freud and any aspect of his life or work, including his thoughts on the nature of religion.
Freud Latency Stage - Freud Latency Stage research papers look into the fourth stage of Sigmund Freud’s 5-stage framework of childhood and adolescent psychosexual development.
Freuds Psychosexual Development Theory - Freud's Psychosexual Development Theory research papers discuss Sigmund Freud's studies in behavioral changes that focus on the areas of the body that include the mouth, anus, and genital areas.
Gender and Communication Skills - Gender and Communication Skills Term Paper examines an example of an order placed on the way men and women communicate differently in the workplace, the paper gives specific requirements needed to complete the project.
Gender Equality - Research papers on gender equality discuss the history and current state of gender issues in society.
Gender Inequality - Gender Inequality research papers discuss the unequal treatment of individuals based on their gender.
Gender Issues - Gender Issues research papers discuss the political topic as women still face discrimination and inequality in todays time.
Gender Norms - Research papers on gender norms discuss the expectations applied to men and women in a society.
Gender Roles In Media - A research paper on gender roles in the media look into mass media's influence on gender roles and stereotypes in American society.
Gender Segregation - A research paper on gender segregation examine the role that gender segregation plays in the inequality that found in the American workforce.
Gender Stereotypes - Gender Stereotypes research papers look into the stereotyped behaviors of individuals based on their sex.
Genital Stage - Genital Stage Research Papers examine the final stage in Freud's psychosexual development theory.
History of gender roles - History of Gender Roles Research Papers examine the evolution of gender roles in America over the past century. Paper Masters gives you custom research on gender roles throughout history.
Id - Id term papers look at the first part of Sigmund Freud’s three-part psychic makeup of human beings.
Latency Stage - Latency Stage research papers look into the fourth major phase of psychical and sexual development that lasts from around the age of five or six until the time of puberty.
Men Are From Mars Women Are From Venus - Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus Research Papers look at a book that can be viewed as a guide for helping with communication skills in relationships.
Myth About Boys - Myth About Boys Research Papers discuss myths regarding gender and various sociological theories and approaches to child development.
Oedipal Phase - Oedipal Phase research papers discuss a subset of Freud’s phallic stage, which occurs between the ages of 4 and 6, that is marked by conflict between the young child and his or her parents.
Oedipus Complex - Oedipus Complex research papers discuss the unconscious desire to sexually possess one’s opposite sex parent.
Oral Stage - Oral Stage Research Papers examine the first of five stages in Freud’s psychosexual development theory.
Orgone Energy - Orgone Energy research papers overview the hypothetical life force first developed by Wilhelm Reich.
Pleasure Principle - Research papers on the pleasture principle examine the foundations of Freudian psychology, the idea that the human being will instinctively seek to avoid pain and seek out pleasure in the drive to satisfy psychological and biological urges.
Psychodynamic Theory - Psychodynamic Theory research papers analyze the processes of the mind, where flows of energy pass through the organic structure of the brain.
Race Class Gender and Development Applications - Race, Class, Gender, and Development Applications Research Papers discuss a sample of an order with specific instructions on the format and sources.
Sigmund Freud - Sigmund Freud Research Papers examine the philosophies of psychoanalytic therapy.
Social Construction of Gender - Social Construction of Gender Research Papers discuss Lorber's book and gender theory and social construction.
Superego - Superego essays discuss the third and final part of Sigmund Freud’s classic understanding of human consciousness.
The Phallic Stage - Phallic Stage research papers examine Freud’s third stage in his psychosexual development theory.