Sigmund Freud psychosexual stages - Term Paper Example

Thus, the first thing the child knows at this phase is the mother’s breast, and this might be transferred to automatic-erotic objects such as thumb sucking. If a child fails to pass through this oral phase successfully for example, because the mother did not nurse him well, then he may end up being envious, pessimistic and suspicious (Jung, 1970). On the other hand, the overindulged child at this phase may be excessively satisfied and optimistic. This stages end up with a conflict of weaning, a process that denies the child the physical and psychological pleasures of being nursed and cared for by the mother.

The anal stage (2-4years) At about 2 years of age, the child reaches the anal stage. A child becomes obsessed with his/her erogenous part of the anus and the withholding and removal of the feces. According to Freud, this is a typical clash between the id, which gets pleasure from removal of fecal matters, and the ego, which symbolize the practical and social pressures to manage physical functions. A child resolves the clash between the demands of the parents and the desires of the child wishes and bodily abilities in two matters.

A child is trained to use the toilet the child may decide to fight and excrete nastily, if parents fail to control this child, he may form “anal expulsive character,” a character that is usually messy, careless and disorganized. However, if the child controls his excretion well, then he develops “anal retentive character,” characterized by neatness, meticulousness and preciseness (Jung, 1970). This stage impacts the child’s inclinations to possession as well as views towards power. The phallic stage (4-7) This is a crucial stage for the child.

During this stage, the