Neofreudians and Humanists

1. Neofreudians and Humanists

2. Neofreudians • The Vienna circle • group of Freud’s disciples or followers • members of Freud’s original group but they break theoretically from Freud • retain the concept of the unconscious as a controlling personality factor • differ in terms of what motivates unconscious (less emphasis on sexuality)

3. The Neofreudians: Carl Jung and Alfred Adler

4. Adler • Austrian medical doctor and psychologist, • founder of the school of individual psychology. • Emigrated to US in 1932, • most of Adler's Austrian clinics were closed due to his Jewish heritage • he had converted to Christianity • Long Island College of Medicine in the USA. • There is an Adlerian school of Psychology in Chicago that is still very active today.

5. Adler • All humans begin life with a sense of inferiority. • We are helpless as children & need adults to survive. • struggle the rest of our lives to overcome this feeling of inferiority.

7. In many ways was “behaviorist” of psychodynamic group • Believed that Parenting had tremendous effect on outcome of child • Parenting style could determine if child would become independent functioning adult • Birth order status was important

8. Adler- Parenting styles • Parents who “pamper” or “neglect” their children are harming them. • These parenting styles robs the child of independence • may create greater feelings of inferiority. • E.g., child who was “pampered” cannot handle life’s problems, because he/she had someone else to do it. • Adler argued kids need to struggle with their mistakes to learn from them.

11. Carl Jung (1875-1961) • Born in Switzerland, the son of a Protestant Minister • Intensely interested in the nature of dreams & visions he experienced. • earned his M.D. degree in 1900 • Studied schizophrenia, consciousness, & hypnosis. • He became interested in Freud after reading The Interpretation of Dreams.

12. Jung: Three parts to personality • Consciousness: same as Freud; our conscious experiences • Personal unconscious: the thoughts, feelings, experiences that are unconscious but personally ours. • Collective unconscious: the thoughts, feelings, experiences of all mankind that are inherited

13. The Collective Unconscious • There are common themes & experiences that all people in all cultures experience. • Examples: Religion Monotheism • Christianity– God • Islam-Allah • Buddism--Budda

14. Why do common themes appear across all cultures? • Jung argued we have a collective unconscious. • We all have unconscious thoughts & images that are: • innate • the same for all people • passed on through “genetics”

15. Example: Mythology: Are Common Themes across Cultures (Ancient and Recent) • Hero & heroine • Dastardly villain • Naïve youth & wise old-age

16. Types of archetypes: • Anima – is the feminine side of a male (is repressed). • Animus – is the masculine side of a female (is repressed). • A principle function of these 2 archetypes is to guide us in mate selection. Why???

17. Jung argued that we project our anima or animus onto potential partners. • A man will fall for a woman who corresponds to his own unconscious image of femininity. • The more someone matches our projected standards, the more we want to develop a relationship with that person.

18. Shadow – Our dark side • Negative part of our unconscious self. • Located in BOTH personal unconscious (repressed) & collective unconscious (as evil). • Jung argued: Can’t have good without evil! • This concept is found throughout every culture. • We need to accept the shadow, so that we don’t project negativity onto members of the same sex.

20. Other common archetypes • Mother/Father • Shining young knight • Sun/Moon • God/Devil • Mandala (order)—symbolized by a square in a circle).