Attachment, Sexuality, Power: Oedipal Theory as Regulator of Family Affection in Freud's Case of Little Hans

Author:   Jerome C. Wakefield, DSW,PhD (New York University, USA)
Publisher:   Taylor & Francis Ltd
ISBN:  

9780415893008


Pages:   306
Publication Date:   23 September 2022
Format:   Paperback
Availability:   Not yet available   Availability explained
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Attachment, Sexuality, Power: Oedipal Theory as Regulator of Family Affection in Freud's Case of Little Hans


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Overview

*Rejecting prevalent symbolic psychoanalytic approaches, this book provides a unique neo-Foucauldian perspective on Freud's infamous case of Little Hans *It provides a comprehensive challenge to the wide acceptance of Freud's Oedipal theory *Presenting a challenge to psychoanalytic orthodoxy, this book accounts for the influence of Oedipal theory upon psychotherapeutic practice and intimate relationships

Full Product Details

Author:   Jerome C. Wakefield, DSW,PhD (New York University, USA)
Publisher:   Taylor & Francis Ltd
Imprint:   Routledge
ISBN:  

9780415893008


ISBN 10:   0415893003
Pages:   306
Publication Date:   23 September 2022
Audience:   College/higher education ,  Professional and scholarly ,  Tertiary & Higher Education ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Unknown
Availability:   Not yet available   Availability explained
This item is yet to be released. You can pre-order this item and we will dispatch it to you upon its release.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction: Oedipal Theory and Family Power 2. The Graf Family's Dynamics as Background to the Little Hans Case 3. Little Hans and Attachment Theory: Bowlby's Interpretation Reconsidered 4. Oedipal Power/Knowledge: The Sexualization of Attachment and the Regulation of Mother-Son Affection 5. Bowlby Versus the Spoiling Theory: Understanding the Prohibitory Nature of Oedipal Power/Knowledge 6. Olga Honig's Resistance to Oedipal Power/Knowledge 7. Trauma Theory and the Perpetuation of Mother-Bashing: Did Olga Honig's Abusive Parenting Cause Hans's Phobia? 8. The Social Context of the Oedipal Theory: Children as a Challenge to Emerging Ideals of Marital Harmony 9. Bed Time: Oedipal Power/Knowledge, Cosleeping, and the Modern Struggle Over the Child's Sharing of the Marital Bed 10. Family Systems, Lacan, DSM, and Looping: Four Alternative Perspectives on Little Hans 11. Final Thoughts: Oedipal Power/KNowledge and the Future of Psychoanalysis

Reviews

More than any of his other case studies, Freud's Little Hans is central to his theory of the Oedipus complex, which is at the core of his conception of neurosis and psychological development. There have been many reinterpretations of the Little Hans case, but there is none that even begins to match the thoroughness and cogency of Wakefield's exposition. This is so for at least two reasons: One is that Wakefield had access to evidence from the Freud Archives that was not available to other authors. The other reason is Wakefield's brilliance in bring the evidence together in the formulation of a thoroughly convincing set of theses. A central thesis of the book for which there is overwhelming evidence is that with the participation of Freud, Hans' father, Max Graf, imposed Oedipal theory on his wife and son as a means of keeping Hans from seeking intimacy and soothing from his mother and blocking his wife's effort to provide them - all in the service of having his wife pay more attention to him than to their son. This convincing formulation is located in the context of Foucault's power/knowledge discussion of the function of theory, that is, the role of a theory in supporting society's changing values and structures. One can dispense with all previous interpretations of the Little Hans case. Wakefield's characteristically compelling analysis - which is also evident in his other works, for example, his analysis of Freud as philosopher of mind - renders previous accounts essentially peripheral. Finally, two additional comments: One, reading Wakefield's new book is like reading, through the lens of examining a particular case, an overall enlightening analysis and critique of core aspects of Freudian theory; and two, reading this book provides a taste of Wakefield's brilliance and whets one's appetite for gaining familiarity with his other work. Morris Eagle is professor emeritus at the Derner Institute for Advanced Psychological Studies, Adelphi University, and author of Toward a unified psychoanalytic theory This book is a must-read for anyone interested in Freud scholarship, psychoanalysis, psychotherapy, feminism, intellectual and social history, the philosophy of science, and the social construction of parenthood. Using previously inaccessible materials, the author critiques Freud's famously strained oedipal analysis of a young boy's fear of horses, arriving at a new understanding rooted in shifting cultural power dynamics. Wakefield's readable and fascinating book restores dignity to 'Little Hans' and to his much-bashed mother, who deserves our admiration for taking her own maternal intuition more seriously than speculations from the 'new science' of psychoanalysis. Nancy McWilliams is visiting full professor at Rutgers Graduate School of Applied & Professional Psychology, and author of Psychoanalytic Diagnosis Revisiting Freud's illustrious case history of 'Little Hans', Wakefield shows with almost forensic precision that the father of psychoanalysis got it all wrong: in fact, it was Freud's own Oedipal theory, enforced by Hans' father within this very Freudian family, that caused the boy's anxiety in the first place! Wakefield elucidates a truly Copernican reversal that makes this book a must-read for anyone wanting to know the truth about a theory that has played such an outsized role in our culture at large. Mikkel Borch-Jacobsen is emeritus professor of Comparative Literature at the University of Washington, and author of Freud's Patients


More than any of his other case studies, Freud's Little Hans is central to his theory of the Oedipus complex, which is at the core of his conception of neurosis and psychological development. There have been many reinterpretations of the Little Hans case, but there is none that even begins to match the thoroughness and cogency of Wakefield's exposition. This is so for at least two reasons: One is that Wakefield had access to evidence from the Freud Archives that was not available to other authors. The other reason is Wakefield's brilliance in bring the evidence together in the formulation of a thoroughly convincing set of theses. A central thesis of the book for which there is overwhelming evidence is that with the participation of Freud, Hans' father, Max Graf, imposed Oedipal theory on his wife and son as a means of keeping Hans from seeking intimacy and soothing from his mother and blocking his wife's effort to provide them - all in the service of having his wife pay more attention to him than to their son. This convincing formulation is located in the context of Foucault's power/knowledge discussion of the function of theory, that is, the role of a theory in supporting society's changing values and structures. One can dispense with all previous interpretations of the Little Hans case. Wakefield's characteristically compelling analysis - which is also evident in his other works, for example, his analysis of Freud as philosopher of mind - renders previous accounts essentially peripheral. Finally, two additional comments: One, reading Wakefield's new book is like reading, through the lens of examining a particular case, an overall enlightening analysis and critique of core aspects of Freudian theory; and two, reading this book provides a taste of Wakefield's brilliance and whets one's appetite for gaining familiarity with his other work. Morris Eagle is professor emeritus at the Derner Institute for Advanced Psychological Studies, Adelphi University, and author of Toward a unified psychoanalytic theory This book is a must-read for anyone interested in Freud scholarship, psychoanalysis, psychotherapy, feminism, intellectual and social history, the philosophy of science, and the social construction of parenthood. Using previously inaccessible materials, the author critiques Freud's famously strained oedipal analysis of a young boy's fear of horses, arriving at a new understanding rooted in shifting cultural power dynamics. Wakefield's readable and fascinating book restores dignity to Little Hans and to his much-bashed mother, who deserves our admiration for taking her own maternal intuition more seriously than speculations from the new science of psychoanalysis. Nancy McWilliams is visiting full professor at Rutgers Graduate School of Applied & Professional Psychology, and author of Psychoanalytic Diagnosis Revisiting Freud's illustrious case history of 'Little Hans', Wakefield shows with almost forensic precision that the father of psychoanalysis got it all wrong: in fact, it was Freud's own Oedipal theory, enforced by Hans' father within this very Freudian family, that caused the boy's anxiety in the first place! Wakefield elucidates a truly Copernican reversal that makes this book a must-read for anyone wanting to know the truth about a theory that has played such an outsized role in our culture at large. Mikkel Borch-Jacobsen is emeritus professor of Comparative Literature at the University of Washington, and author of Freud's Patients


Author Information

Jerome C. Wakefield is university professor, professor of Social Work, affiliate professor of Philosophy, professor of the Conceptual Foundations of Psychiatry in the Department of Psychiatry (2007-2019), associate faculty in the Center for Bioethics in the School of Global Public Health, and honorary faculty in the Psychoanalytic Association of New York Affiliated with NYU Grossman School of Medicine, at New York University.

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