Lacan and the New Wave by Judith Feher-Gurewich

Author:Judith Feher-Gurewich [Feher-Gurewich, Judith]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Other Press
Published: 2020-10-20T00:00:00+00:00

EARLY CHILDHOOD/THE GENITAL OR “OEDIPAL” PHASE

The common use of the term oedipal is a serious misnomer for this period of female development. The story of Oedipus is a classic male myth about the boy’s inevitable love for his mother and rivalry with his father. In this phase of female development, the young girl increases her expressions of interest in her father and develops a desire to have her father’s baby. This desire combines with an already existing desire to have a baby, like mother, which was well established in the preceding period of development. Prior formulations have focused on the girl’s interest in or turning toward father and away from mother, but her ongoing identification with mother is as important as her interest in father.

The turning toward father is assisted by the processes of reciprocal identification, receptivity of the mother, and the little girl’s increasing identification with her mother. The varied and myriad manifestations of identification, being like mother, include mother’s relationship with father. It is noteworthy that the wish for a baby is not a substitute for a wish for a penis, but develops at first from the little girl’s ongoing identification with mother. Envy and turning away from mother may occur during this period, assisted by encouragement and love from both parents as well as acceptance of the young girl’s angry and aggressive wishes, which usually are directed towards the mother.

After the initial establishment and early development of primary femininity, in this developmental phase there is a surge of genital interest and other manifestations of childhood sexuality. In little girls there is an increasing frequency of masturbation and vaginal exploration (Clower 1975, Kestenberg 1968). During this period the discovery of the anatomical differences between the sexes also occurs.

The little girl becomes more exhibitionistic and practices her expanding conception of femininity. Elaboration of a feminine ego ideal is an important aspect of psychic development in this period. The developing female ego ideal includes many aspects of identifications with mother, not only mother’s breasts which she may envy, but also her intelligence, activity, and general sexuality (Blum 1976, 1977).

The complexity and outcome of this phase will be influenced by many forces, including temperament, cognitive development, and the environmental circumstances of the child’s life. Mother continues to be more than the little girl’s rival for father: there is also a similarity and a coincidence of interest between them. The oft-noted female characteristics of affiliation, connection, and cooperation will be present in a nascent form in this developmental period, observed in the growing and continuing reciprocal identificatory processes in the mother–daughter relationship (Gilligan 1982, Gilligan et al. 1990, Miller 1984, Notman et al. 1991).

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