Psy 310 Women In Psychology Research Paper
Women in Psychology
Stacy Cowher
PSY/310
March 10, 2014
Sharon Cohen
Women in Psychology
Rene Descartes, Sigmund Freud, William James, Carl Jung, Alfred Adler, what do these names have in common? They are all pioneers who furthered psychology, and they are all names of men. So, were there any women who contributed to psychology? Of course, there were. Mary Whiton Calkins (the American Psychological Association’s first woman president), Mary Ainsworth (known for her research in relationships between mothers and infants), and Leta Hollingsworth (known for her study on gifted children) were all great women who contributed much to psychology. Among these female greats, one woman stands out – Karen Horney.
Karen Horney entered …show more content…
medical school, one of the first women to be admitted to a German university, in 1906. Karl Abraham, a student of Sigmund Freud, supervised Karen Horney’s training in psychoanalysis in Berlin. She spent five years, after completing her training, in clinical work and 12 years as an instructor at the Berlin Psychoanalytic Institute, of which she was also a founding member. She also held her own private practice on the side. In 1932, she moved to the United States to become the associate director of the Chicago Institute for Psychoanalysis. She later moved to New York to begin her own practice there and become a member of the New York Psychoanalytic Institution. She founded the American Institute for Psychoanalysis and published five books (two books were then published after her death in 1952) ("Horney, Karen," 1968).
Horney did not agree with the Freudian doctrine of psychoanalysis. One issue she argued was his libido theory, and this is what pushed her to the forefront of the psychoanalysis movement now known as the Neo-Freudian Movement. She strongly disagreed with Freud 's notion that the libido is what accounted for our character traits, behavior, and character development. She argued that Freud 's theory showed that “human relationships [were] exclusively sexual relationships; that it explained adult behavior as a mere repetition of the experiences of infancy…;that it made fixed and ineradicable instincts the controlling forces of human destiny” (“Horney, Karen,” 1968).
Karen Horney made great strides in feminine psychology by questioning Freud’s theory of penis envy. She stated that women were not envious of the male penis because women did not have one, but rather were jealous of the inferior role placed on women as opposed to men. Women wanted to be recognized as individuals and equals to men, not to be inferior to them. She even went on to say that men needed to succeed because they had womb envy - men are not able to carry and bear children and so they feel the need to leave behind a legacy and to succeed (Held, 2010).
Horney surmised that women felt oppressed by a masculine society, resulting in anxiety and inferior self-concepts about their own sexuality. She also inferred that once the stigma of identification was resolved, women would begin to eliminate other neuroses that were cultivated by a dominant male culture and society (“Horney, Karen,” 1968).
Horney 's criticism of Freud caused such pandemonium that she had to resign her position at the New York Psychoanalytic Institution in 1941. This is when she co-founded the Association for the Advancement of Psychoanalysis and the American Journal of Psychoanalysis. Due to her influence and commitment to her cause, The Karen Horney Clinic, a research and training clinic that also offered low-cost treatment, opened three years after she died (Held, 2010).
Along with her critiques of Freud, Horney made many contributions to psychology including self-psychology, feminine psychology, humanism, and psychoanalysis. Horney believed that people could diagnose themselves. She published a book entitled Self-Analysis. In this book, Horney pronounces, “My conviction, expressed in a nutshell, is that psychoanalysis should outgrow the limitations set by its being an instinctivistic and a genetic psychology” (Horney, 1942). She states in this book that the more a person can analyze himself/herself, the more sincere that person will be in their expression of his/her emotions, resulting in quicker treatment (Horney, 1942).
Humanism is closely related to the self with words like self-esteem, self-concept, self-realization, etc.
Horney contributed to the humanistic view by suggesting that a person needs to be real about his/her feelings and motivations. Horney declared, “[the self is] that central inner force common to all human beings and yet unique in each, which is the deep source of growth" (Horney, 1950, p. 7). Horney also proposed that narcissism (love of one 's self) is not actually love of self; but rather a need to counteract anxious feelings (Horney, 1950). Many psychologists followed Horney’s theories of self in their accounts of the role of self in child development (DeRobertis, …show more content…
2008).
Horney went on to publish four other books, Our Inner Conflicts, Neurosis and Human Growth, The Neurotic Personality of Our Time, and New Ways in Psychoanalysis (not in that order). Two books were also published after her death in 1952, Feminine Psychology and Final Lectures. These books were popular and made her famous, even though she was ostracized for her negative appraisal of Freud, and her institutions were successful (Paris, 1994).
According to Paris (1994), Horney’s thought process can be categorized in three stages. First, in the 1920s and early 1930s, Horney tried to change the ideas about feminine psychology while still maintaining Freud 's psychoanalysis theories. Second, in the late 1930s, she rejected Freud 's thoughts of ego and self and replaced them with an emphasis on culture and society. Finally, in the 1940s, Horney developed her mature theory where she hypothesized that people cope with stress by denying true feelings and form a strategic defense mechanism (Paris, 1994).
Karen Horney suffered through many personal problems through her life that prompted her interest in psychoanalysis. She was born in Germany in 1885 to a widowed father, the second child to a new marriage. Her father was an authoritarian, and he was extremely negative toward her in both her appearance and her intelligence. She battled depression at age nine and continued battling depression throughout her life. Her parents also did not support her decision to become a doctor. Within one year of her marriage and, birth of her first daughter, both of Horney 's parents died. Horney sought psychoanalysis (Karl Abraham was her analyst) to help her cope with her loss (Held, 2010).
Horney came on the scene when psychology was mostly male. Women were not given the same regard as men in the same field, and women were often not allowed to be in medical practices at all. Horney was also unhappily married and divorced (Held, 2010), moved to a new country, and faced criticism of her own by rejecting Freud’s theories on psychoanalysis (Paris, 1994).
Although she faced a number of negative events in her life, Horney did not allow these circumstances to keep her down.
Without familial support, Horney went on to be a doctor and later became an analyst in Germany. After her failed marriage, Horney moved to Chicago where she became the assistant at the Chicago Institute of Psychoanalysis. When she moved to New York and began publishing books denouncing Freud’s theory of psychoanalysis, she was made to resign her position at the New York Psychoanalytic Institute. This led to her founding of the Association for the Advancement of Psychoanalysis and the founding of the American Journal of Psychoanalysis. Eventually, her friends and colleagues opened the Karen Horney Clinic as a tribute to her work and dedication (Held,
2010).
As you can see, Karen Horney has been a positive influence in psychology and women’s roles in it. Despite her setbacks, her depression issues, and criticism from family and other analysts, Horney pressed forward and made many contributions to the field. Researching Karen Horney’s life can teach us to persevere even in the face of doubt and cynicism because you can make a difference. You can change old notions and traditions by dedicating yourself to your cause. When your passion takes over your reasoning, there is nothing impossible. Karen Horney is a role model for many psychologists, psychoanalysts, and women all over the world.
References
DeRobertis, E. (2008). Self matters, but not that way. Retrieved from http://www.academia.edu/189418/Self_Matters_But_Not_That_Way_Humanism_and_Selfishness_in_America
Held, L. (2010). Profile of Karen Horney. In A. Rutherford (Ed.), Psychology 's Feminist Voices Multimedia Internet Archive. Retrieved from http://www.feministvoices.com/karen-horney/
Horney, K. (1942). Self-analysis. New York, NY: W. W. Norton & Company, Inc.
Horney, K. (1950). Neurosis and human growth: The struggle to-ward self-realization.
New York: Norton.
Horney, Karen. (1968). In International encyclopedia of the social sciences. Retrieved from http://www.encyclopedia.com/doe/1G2-3045000528.html
Paris, B. J. (1994). Karen Horney: a psychoanalyst 's search for self-understanding. Binghamton, NY: Vail-Ballou Press.
Stacy Cowher
PSY/310
March 10, 2014
Sharon Cohen
Women in Psychology
Rene Descartes, Sigmund Freud, William James, Carl Jung, Alfred Adler, what do these names have in common? They are all pioneers who furthered psychology, and they are all names of men. So, were there any women who contributed to psychology? Of course, there were. Mary Whiton Calkins (the American Psychological Association’s first woman president), Mary Ainsworth (known for her research in relationships between mothers and infants), and Leta Hollingsworth (known for her study on gifted children) were all great women who contributed much to psychology. Among these female greats, one woman stands out – Karen Horney.
Karen Horney entered …show more content…
medical school, one of the first women to be admitted to a German university, in 1906. Karl Abraham, a student of Sigmund Freud, supervised Karen Horney’s training in psychoanalysis in Berlin. She spent five years, after completing her training, in clinical work and 12 years as an instructor at the Berlin Psychoanalytic Institute, of which she was also a founding member. She also held her own private practice on the side. In 1932, she moved to the United States to become the associate director of the Chicago Institute for Psychoanalysis. She later moved to New York to begin her own practice there and become a member of the New York Psychoanalytic Institution. She founded the American Institute for Psychoanalysis and published five books (two books were then published after her death in 1952) ("Horney, Karen," 1968).
Horney did not agree with the Freudian doctrine of psychoanalysis. One issue she argued was his libido theory, and this is what pushed her to the forefront of the psychoanalysis movement now known as the Neo-Freudian Movement. She strongly disagreed with Freud 's notion that the libido is what accounted for our character traits, behavior, and character development. She argued that Freud 's theory showed that “human relationships [were] exclusively sexual relationships; that it explained adult behavior as a mere repetition of the experiences of infancy…;that it made fixed and ineradicable instincts the controlling forces of human destiny” (“Horney, Karen,” 1968).
Karen Horney made great strides in feminine psychology by questioning Freud’s theory of penis envy. She stated that women were not envious of the male penis because women did not have one, but rather were jealous of the inferior role placed on women as opposed to men. Women wanted to be recognized as individuals and equals to men, not to be inferior to them. She even went on to say that men needed to succeed because they had womb envy - men are not able to carry and bear children and so they feel the need to leave behind a legacy and to succeed (Held, 2010).
Horney surmised that women felt oppressed by a masculine society, resulting in anxiety and inferior self-concepts about their own sexuality. She also inferred that once the stigma of identification was resolved, women would begin to eliminate other neuroses that were cultivated by a dominant male culture and society (“Horney, Karen,” 1968).
Horney 's criticism of Freud caused such pandemonium that she had to resign her position at the New York Psychoanalytic Institution in 1941. This is when she co-founded the Association for the Advancement of Psychoanalysis and the American Journal of Psychoanalysis. Due to her influence and commitment to her cause, The Karen Horney Clinic, a research and training clinic that also offered low-cost treatment, opened three years after she died (Held, 2010).
Along with her critiques of Freud, Horney made many contributions to psychology including self-psychology, feminine psychology, humanism, and psychoanalysis. Horney believed that people could diagnose themselves. She published a book entitled Self-Analysis. In this book, Horney pronounces, “My conviction, expressed in a nutshell, is that psychoanalysis should outgrow the limitations set by its being an instinctivistic and a genetic psychology” (Horney, 1942). She states in this book that the more a person can analyze himself/herself, the more sincere that person will be in their expression of his/her emotions, resulting in quicker treatment (Horney, 1942).
Humanism is closely related to the self with words like self-esteem, self-concept, self-realization, etc.
Horney contributed to the humanistic view by suggesting that a person needs to be real about his/her feelings and motivations. Horney declared, “[the self is] that central inner force common to all human beings and yet unique in each, which is the deep source of growth" (Horney, 1950, p. 7). Horney also proposed that narcissism (love of one 's self) is not actually love of self; but rather a need to counteract anxious feelings (Horney, 1950). Many psychologists followed Horney’s theories of self in their accounts of the role of self in child development (DeRobertis, …show more content…
2008).
Horney went on to publish four other books, Our Inner Conflicts, Neurosis and Human Growth, The Neurotic Personality of Our Time, and New Ways in Psychoanalysis (not in that order). Two books were also published after her death in 1952, Feminine Psychology and Final Lectures. These books were popular and made her famous, even though she was ostracized for her negative appraisal of Freud, and her institutions were successful (Paris, 1994).
According to Paris (1994), Horney’s thought process can be categorized in three stages. First, in the 1920s and early 1930s, Horney tried to change the ideas about feminine psychology while still maintaining Freud 's psychoanalysis theories. Second, in the late 1930s, she rejected Freud 's thoughts of ego and self and replaced them with an emphasis on culture and society. Finally, in the 1940s, Horney developed her mature theory where she hypothesized that people cope with stress by denying true feelings and form a strategic defense mechanism (Paris, 1994).
Karen Horney suffered through many personal problems through her life that prompted her interest in psychoanalysis. She was born in Germany in 1885 to a widowed father, the second child to a new marriage. Her father was an authoritarian, and he was extremely negative toward her in both her appearance and her intelligence. She battled depression at age nine and continued battling depression throughout her life. Her parents also did not support her decision to become a doctor. Within one year of her marriage and, birth of her first daughter, both of Horney 's parents died. Horney sought psychoanalysis (Karl Abraham was her analyst) to help her cope with her loss (Held, 2010).
Horney came on the scene when psychology was mostly male. Women were not given the same regard as men in the same field, and women were often not allowed to be in medical practices at all. Horney was also unhappily married and divorced (Held, 2010), moved to a new country, and faced criticism of her own by rejecting Freud’s theories on psychoanalysis (Paris, 1994).
Although she faced a number of negative events in her life, Horney did not allow these circumstances to keep her down.
Without familial support, Horney went on to be a doctor and later became an analyst in Germany. After her failed marriage, Horney moved to Chicago where she became the assistant at the Chicago Institute of Psychoanalysis. When she moved to New York and began publishing books denouncing Freud’s theory of psychoanalysis, she was made to resign her position at the New York Psychoanalytic Institute. This led to her founding of the Association for the Advancement of Psychoanalysis and the founding of the American Journal of Psychoanalysis. Eventually, her friends and colleagues opened the Karen Horney Clinic as a tribute to her work and dedication (Held,
2010).
As you can see, Karen Horney has been a positive influence in psychology and women’s roles in it. Despite her setbacks, her depression issues, and criticism from family and other analysts, Horney pressed forward and made many contributions to the field. Researching Karen Horney’s life can teach us to persevere even in the face of doubt and cynicism because you can make a difference. You can change old notions and traditions by dedicating yourself to your cause. When your passion takes over your reasoning, there is nothing impossible. Karen Horney is a role model for many psychologists, psychoanalysts, and women all over the world.
References
DeRobertis, E. (2008). Self matters, but not that way. Retrieved from http://www.academia.edu/189418/Self_Matters_But_Not_That_Way_Humanism_and_Selfishness_in_America
Held, L. (2010). Profile of Karen Horney. In A. Rutherford (Ed.), Psychology 's Feminist Voices Multimedia Internet Archive. Retrieved from http://www.feministvoices.com/karen-horney/
Horney, K. (1942). Self-analysis. New York, NY: W. W. Norton & Company, Inc.
Horney, K. (1950). Neurosis and human growth: The struggle to-ward self-realization.
New York: Norton.
Horney, Karen. (1968). In International encyclopedia of the social sciences. Retrieved from http://www.encyclopedia.com/doe/1G2-3045000528.html
Paris, B. J. (1994). Karen Horney: a psychoanalyst 's search for self-understanding. Binghamton, NY: Vail-Ballou Press.