Evaluate the Approach of Object-Relations Theory in Terms of Its Effectiveness
EVALUATE THE APPROACH OF OBJECT-RELATIONS THEORY IN TERMS OF ITS EFFECTIVENESS
As we have seen, “the concept of object relations stems from psychoanalytic instinct theory. The “object” of an instinct is the agent through which the instinctual aim is achieved, and the agent is usually conceived as being another person. It is generally agreed that the infant’s first object is his mother. The origin of object relations lies in the first year of life, and most, although not all, psychoanalysts have viewed the infant’s initial relationship with his mother as being essentially oral in nature. The major theoretical division, however, is between those who hold that there are at least prototypical object relations from the beginning and those who hold that “true” object relations grow out of and supplant the infant's earlier dependency relationship with his mother” Salter Ainsworth, M. D. (1969, p. 1)
However, “object relations do not take into account the social system that creates pathology. It doesn’t take into account social norms and constructions. It is superficially an interpersonal approach in the dyadic relationship between mother and infant, yet it is from an intrapersonal approach with the goal of healing being individuation, a self-contained individualism. If we think about it ironically, the more we separate ourselves from our community, the more chance of social abuse or family violence. When all else fails in the home, the community is able to “mirror” appropriate behavior for the newcomers of our society, which might be the root of the resilience phenomenon. Yet the dominant philosophy of the past 100 years (in Europe and America) was a breeding ground for furthering the individualistic approach. Self-contained individualism is synonymous with a head without a body, as the head is a very small part of the entire person. If you neglect the body in favor of the head, the body will reveal its pathology” Daniels, V. (2007).
With this being said and “in
As we have seen, “the concept of object relations stems from psychoanalytic instinct theory. The “object” of an instinct is the agent through which the instinctual aim is achieved, and the agent is usually conceived as being another person. It is generally agreed that the infant’s first object is his mother. The origin of object relations lies in the first year of life, and most, although not all, psychoanalysts have viewed the infant’s initial relationship with his mother as being essentially oral in nature. The major theoretical division, however, is between those who hold that there are at least prototypical object relations from the beginning and those who hold that “true” object relations grow out of and supplant the infant's earlier dependency relationship with his mother” Salter Ainsworth, M. D. (1969, p. 1)
However, “object relations do not take into account the social system that creates pathology. It doesn’t take into account social norms and constructions. It is superficially an interpersonal approach in the dyadic relationship between mother and infant, yet it is from an intrapersonal approach with the goal of healing being individuation, a self-contained individualism. If we think about it ironically, the more we separate ourselves from our community, the more chance of social abuse or family violence. When all else fails in the home, the community is able to “mirror” appropriate behavior for the newcomers of our society, which might be the root of the resilience phenomenon. Yet the dominant philosophy of the past 100 years (in Europe and America) was a breeding ground for furthering the individualistic approach. Self-contained individualism is synonymous with a head without a body, as the head is a very small part of the entire person. If you neglect the body in favor of the head, the body will reveal its pathology” Daniels, V. (2007).
With this being said and “in