The psycho-analytic study of the family — John Shaqi
The psycho-analytic study of the familyFlugel, J. C. (John Carl)
Science
The psycho-analytic study of the family
Flugel, J. C. (John Carl)
Families; Marriage; Parent and child; Psychoanalysis
A first step of frequent occurrence and of great importance in a large
number of cases is the transference of erotic love from the parent to
some other member of the family, e. g., brother, sister or (usually at a
somewhat later stage of development) cousin. In the first two cases the
new choice of object has the additional advantage of tending to abolish
the hate or jealousy which, as we saw, is apt to characterise the original
attitude towards such members of the family: and this in two ways:--(1)
negatively, by removing the cause of the jealousy, since, as the parent is
now no longer the sole object of affection, the rival claims of brothers
and sisters upon the attention of the parent are no longer felt to be
objectionable; (2) positively, by investing the brother or sister with
the attributes of lovableness formerly reserved for the parent.
In the same way, the diversion of the erotic tendencies from the parent
of the opposite sex removes the principal cause of jealousy and hatred
felt towards the parent of the same sex, so that, in the absence of other
causes of hostility, this hatred--in itself, as we pointed out, originally
in some respects a secondary phenomenon--may give place to the affection
which, in their capacity of protectors and benefactors, tends normally
to be inspired in some degree by both parents alike. But even in so far
as the hate may be primary (due as a rule to frequent thwarting of the
child's desires and activities or to bullying, nagging or generally
unsympathetic behaviour on the part of the parent in question), it tends
to undergo a considerable degree of repression or displacement on its
own account, so that after a time the child no longer experiences in
consciousness any violent aversion to its parent; such aversion being
either confined to the Unconscious or displaced on to other objects in a
manner which we shall study later on.
[Sidenote: The infantile attitude in early love]
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