Psychoanalytic Contributions to the Study of Gender Issues

Abstract

Objective: To explore the issue of gender development and its applications and implications with respect to dynamic psychiatry. Method: Gender study is approached in this paper as a continually evolving process of thinking about male and female attributes, similarities, and differences. The paper reviews a specific thematic area of the extensive literature on the subject. Results: Gendered psychosexual development and identity construction are intertwined and determined by multibiopsychosocial factors. Freud's theory on femininity is briefly reviewed from the perspective of new theoretical developments. Conclusions: The paper highlights the fact that gender is becoming a useful conceptual tool in clinical practice, teaching, and neurosciences.