Evaluating Psychoanalytical Theory Response

Summarize the assumptions of Freud’s psychoanalytical theory in 2-3 sentences.

Freud’s psychoanalytic theory believes that an individual’s unconscious mind, as well as their childhood experiences, are key to explaining the problems that they are experiencing. Freud believed that there were three parts to the personality, the id, the ego, and the superego. It is stated that mental health occurs when these three parts are balanced (Lumen).

Explain whether you believe it is appropriate to apply psychoanalytic theory to women or individuals from racial or ethnic minority groups.

Freud developed his psychoanalytic theory during the early 1900s (Turner 2007), a time when women and racial/ethnic minority groups were even more discriminated against than they are in today’s society. Freud did believe in women’s sexuality which contradicted the beliefs of his time (Cherry, 2022). However, as stated by his granddaughter, Sophie Freud, he believed women to be lesser than men. He also taught that women experienced penis envy and that young girls would be incredibly upset that they would not have a penis (Cherry, 2022). Freud did not have an adequate understanding of women, and thus, I don’t believe that his theory should be applied to women. This theory was a product of its time, and numerous psychoanalysts have used psychoanalysis in the discrimination of racial/ethnic minorities (Stoute, 2017). Although I don’t believe that this theory should be applied to women or racial/ethnic minority groups, this theory has been developed in many ways since then (Turner, 2007) and can continue to be modernized to be more inclusive.

Explain whether you believe psychoanalytic theory is consistent with social work values and social work ethics.

As discussed above, Freud and other psychoanalysts were not known for inclusivity or social justice. Since social justice is one of the NASW’s core values in the Code of Ethics (2021), this is important to note. Psychoanalysts have stated that social policy must be separated from objectivity in a clinical setting (Turner, 2007). Social workers also have an ethical responsibility to be culturally competent (National Association of Social Workers, 2021), and I don’t believe that the application of this theory allows for that based on its history. I think that, potentially, with a lot of development, modernization, and emphasis on diverse experiences, this theory could align with social work values and ethics. However, as it stands now, I do not believe that it does.

References

Cherry, K. (29 August 2022). Freud’s perspective on women. Verywell Mind. https://www.verywellmind.com/how-sigmund-freud-viewed-women-2795859.

Lumen. (n.d.). The history of psychology: Psychoanalytic theory and gestalt psychology. Introduction to Psychology. https://courses.lumenlearning.com/waymaker-psychology/chapter/reading-freud-and-psychoanalytic-theory/

National Association of Social Workers (2021). Code of ethics of the national association of social workers. https://www.socialworkers.org/About/Ethics/

Code-of-Ethics/Code-of-Ethics-English.

Stoute, B. J. (2017). Race and racism in psychoanalytic thought: The ghosts in our nursery. Special Section: Conversations on psychoanalysis and race. https://apsa.org/apsaa-publications/vol51no1-TOC/html/vol51no1_08.xhtml

Turner, K., & Lehning, A. J. (2007). Psychological Theories of Poverty. Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment, 16(1/2), 57–72. https://doi.org/10.1300/J137v16n01_05