Analysing the Oedipus and Electra Complex
- Vanessa Mukoo
- Nov 14, 2021
- 3 min read
Updated: Dec 10, 2021
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The oedipus complex is a concept of psychoanalytic theory which describes the network of emotions aroused in a young male child, usually around the age of four, by an unconscious sexual desire for the parent of the opposite sex (in this case, the mother) and wish to exclude the parent of the same sex (the father). This term was coined by Sigmund Freud (Austrian neurologist) in his theory of psychosexual stages of development. The electra complex is a term for the female version of the oedipus complex in which a girl aged between 3 and 6 becomes subconsciously sexually attracted to her father and hostile towards her mother.
The origins of these terms
The concept of oedipus complex was first proposed by Freud in his 1899 book called “The Interpretation of Dreams”, however he formally began to use the term from the year 1910. This term was of immense importance as Freud continued to develop his theory of psychosexual development.
In a girl’s psychosexual development, Freud proposed, she’s first attached to her mother until she realizes she doesn’t have a penis. This causes her to resent her mother for “castrating” her — a situation Freud referred to as “penis envy.” Because of this, she develops an attachment to her father.
The psychoanalytic theory also states that this desire is kept out of conscious awareness through repression. Freud believed that this complex was more emotionally intense in girls and as a result, was more harshly repressed by them causing women to become less self-confident and accept gender roles. Carl Jung expanded on this theory and called it the “Electra complex” but this term was rejected by Freud.
Stages of psychosexual development
According to Freud’s theory, psychosexual development in childhood takes place in various stages. Each of these stages represents the fixation of libido (a person’s overall sexual drive or the desire for sexual activity) on different parts of the body. As per Freud, the stages of psychosexual development include:
Oral: This stage happens between infancy and 18 months. It involves fixation on the mouth, an infant's main source of interaction. Therefore, sucking, biting, and licking derive pleasure.
Anal: This stage occurs between 18 months and 3 years of age. It focuses on the pleasure of bowel elimination and learning to control bodily needs. Developing healthy toilet habits leads to a sense of accomplishment. Per Freud, the success of developing these habits is entirely dependent on the toilet training approach of the parents.
Phallic: This stage runs from age 3 to 5. It’s believed to be the most important stage in psychosexual development in which boys and girls develop healthy substitutes for their attraction to the opposite-sex parent. The primary focus at this stage is on the genitals and when children actually start to differentiate between males and females.
Latency: This stage occurs between 5 and 12 years of age or puberty, during which a child develops healthy dormant feelings for the opposite sex. Children also start forming relationships with peers and adults outside of the family.
Genital: This stage occurs from age 12, or puberty, to adulthood. In this stage, the libido becomes active again. The maturation of healthy sexual interests happens during this time. This allows for healthy sexual feelings and behaviour.
Instances of how these complexes work
A child could showcase these complexes through the following behaviours:
Acts possessive of the opposite-sex parent and tells the same-sex parent not to touch them
Insists on sleeping between their parents
Declaring they want to marry the parent of the opposite sex when they grow up
Getting into verbal arguments with the parent of the same sex
Admiring the parent of the opposite sex way too much
Criticism towards the psychosexual theory and the complexes
A few observations and criticisms of Freud’s theory include:
1. Freud’s psychosexual theory and the concept of oedipus and electra complexes have been widely criticized as being heteronormative and don’t focus on homosexual development. He suggested that heterosexual preferences represent “normal” development
2. German psychologist Karen Horney is known for criticising Freud’s theory of penis envy experienced by girls stating that the concept is demeaning to women
3. Freud’s psychosexual theory is mostly based on male development with very little focus on female psychosexual development
4. Freud’s theory is not based on empirical research, rather on case studies. It is also not based on actual observation of children
5. His theory is considered outdated because it relies on old gender roles
The takeaway
Freud’s psychosexual theory and the concept of oedipus and electra complexes are extensively discussed even today. But, due to its wide scientific and feminist criticism, it is not accepted in psychology nowadays. It is yet to be confirmed whether these concepts truly exist or not.
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