Ronald B. Keys, JD, PhD
Free Initial Consultation Call: (954) 448-1515 E-mail: email@rkeysphd.com |
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Free Initial Consultation - Call Now (954) 448-1515 Penis Envy Revisited: Gender equality and drinking in college age women. Gender equality issues, penis envy revisited and the urge to be "one of the guys" may be a recent reflection of what was described historically as penis envy. Nothing upsets, angers and invites more attack by modern feminists, than the mere mention of penis envy. But it is important as a historical root in the rich history of gender equality and feminism today. Marmor J. Changing patterns of femininity: psychoanalytic implications. J Am Acad Psychoanal Dyn Psychiatry. 2004 Spring;32(1):7-20. The supposed wish of a girl or woman to have a penis, postulated by Sigmund Freud as a cause of feelings of inferiority and psychic conflict; None of Freud's theories of female sexuality and psychology has been subject to more severe criticism than his concept of penis envy. The persisting controversy over this issue suggests that the basic theoretical questions have not yet been clarified. And because the theory lacks clarity, its clinical application does not always produce the results expected. Another view of it is just that penis envy was written in the available text and specific culture of its time and that it was intended by Dr. Freud to be metaphorical as well. Like William I. Grossman, M.D. and and Walter A. Stewart, M.D., and Eastern Michigan psychologist, Amy Young, many may agree now that it is more of a developmental metaphor than a childhood wish. See: Freud, S. (1911). Psychoanalytic notes upon an autobiographical account of a case of paranoia. Standard Edition, 12:3-82. London: Hogarth Press 1958. Freud, S. (1917). On transformations of instinct as exemplified in anal eroticism. Standard Edition, 17:126-133. London: Hogarth Press 1955.Freud, S. (1931). Female sexuality. Standard Edition, 21:223-243. London: Hogarth Press 1961.Freud, S. (1933). Femininity. Standard Edition, 22:112-135. London: Hogarth Press 1964 Freud, S. (1937). Analysis terminable and interminable. Standard Edition, 23:216-253. London: Hogarth Press 1964. Galenson, E. & Roiphe, H. (1976). Some suggested revisions concerning early female development. J. Am. Psychoanal. Assoc., 24 (Suppl):29-57 Glover, E. (1931). The therapeutic effect of inexact interpretation; a contribution to the theory of suggestion. Int. J. Psychoanal., 12:397-411. Greenacre, P. (1953). Penis awe and its relation to penis envy. In: Drives, Affects, Behavior ed. R. M. Loewenstein. New York: International Universities Presspp. 176-190. Grossman, W. I. (1975). Discussion on "Freud and Female Sexuality". Int. J. Psychoanal. in press Horney, K. (1967). Feminine Psychology ed. H. Kelman. New York: Norton Mahler, M. S. (1975). Discussion of "Some suggested revisions concerning early female development" by E. Galenson and H. Roiphe. Presented at the New York Psychoanalytic Society, 11 February 1975 Mahler, M. S., Pine, F. & Bergman, A. (1975). The Psychological Birth of the Human Infant New York: Basic Books. See also: Young AM, Morales M, McCabe SE, Boyd CJ, Darcy H. Drinking like a guy: frequent binge drinking among undergraduate women. Subst Use Misuse. 2005;40(2):241-67. Recent research about binge drinking among women undergraduates has yielded some initial results that may change the way in which society thinks about today's young women. For an increasing number of college women, brash and rowdy behavior and excessive alcohol consumption may be new ways to make a feminist statement, Is this the striving towards gender equality? This is an arguably a distorted twist of the idea of gender equality presented by earlier generations of feminists and certainly, earlier, more historical writings on penis envy. Some college women seem to believe that being able to partake in "bad boy behavior" demonstrates gender equality. What does it mean now to engage in frequent binge drinking and, specifically, are they drinking to express gender equality or 'to be one of the guys.? . While a small percentage of college women are frequent binge drinkers, the percentage seems to be increasing.. Binge drinking is defined as drinking four alcoholic drinks in a sitting for females and five alcoholic drinks in a sitting for males. The difference reflects gender differences in the rate of intoxication due to body size and fat content. Frequent binge drinking may refer to excessive alcohol consumption or binge drinking at least three times in a two-week period. This is the kind of drinking to ?monitor, watchful wait and fix because this is when the negative consequences of drinking - blackouts, sexual assault, personal injuries and impaired driving - are most likely to occur in gender counseling. Previous national and local research studies have shown that there has been a dramatic increase in excessive and dangerous levels of alcohol consumption among a sub-group of college women, but these studies were unable to explain why this increase has occurred. Clinically, with a given patient, there is the need to understand whether drinking and other clearly excessive and over-compensatory , reaction-formation type behaviors, with this patient and among today's college women are tied to their beliefs about gender, feminism and "new rules" young adults have about what is considered appropriate behavior for females. It is a hot issue whether, regardless of the amount of alcohol consumed, if they were to "drink like a guy," their male peers would take notice. To "drink like a guy" meant they could consume large quantities of alcohol in one sitting, and engage in drinking games that encouraged excessive alcohol consumption; The ability to "drink like a guy" meant that an undergraduate woman would be able to distinguish herself from other female undergraduates in the eyes of her male peers; While all of the women spoke about the favorable impression they could make on their male peers if they "drank like a guy," not all chose to engage in this behavior; Women who engaged in excessive drinking were particularly concerned with not appearing like a "girly-girl, a term the women used to refer to negative aspects of traditional female gender roles of earlier generations; Women who drank excessively associated the ability to tolerate large amounts of alcohol with demonstration of control. Unlike previous generations of college women and even in the era of Sigmund Freud when controversy raged over his penis envy model, this generation grew up with Title IX and were told that they could do anything boys could do. They were encouraged to compete with boys and were told that there was nothing a boy could do that they couldn't. So, it shouldn't be surprising that, as young adults, they are now competing with their male counterparts to see who can be the brashest or boldest in outrageous behavior. It is the cluster of all excessive behaviors to evaluate and treat and not just excessive drinking in examining gender equality. Is the increase in women's alcohol consumption associated with an increase in the negative consequences associated with heavy alcohol consumption? What about future implications of a patient in treatment? It's clinically relevant to examine the long-term implications of the increase in drinking and all excessive behaviors. While most college students leave their heavy drinking days behind when they graduate, previous research indicates that heavy alcohol consumption during college is associated with problem drinking 10 years following graduation. Clinicians will examine the cluster of behaviors and not drinking alone. It is historically relevant to the history of penis envy, now more of a metaphor. Also, most importantly, it is clinically relevant to modern feminism, gender equality and particularly useful in clinical practice in dealing not only with college-age females, but also with outplaced women, in general, with recent histories of plainly, excessive behaviors. Free Initial Consultation - Call Now (954) 448-1515 RONALD B. KEYS, JD, PhD CLINICAL & OPERATIONS DIRECTOR Ronald B. Keys, JD, PhD 2402 N. 28th Avenue Hollywood, Florida, 33020-1814 USA 954-448-1515 primary email: email@rkeysphd.com secondary email: rkeysphd@brainlink.com secondary email: rkeysphd@yahoo.com by pre-arrangements for voice/text chat: Mostly, Dr. Keys works as a Consulting PhD Doctor, usually from a distance, with and through a proper local anchor physician to order blood work. Advanced treatment protocols may develop from the advanced blood chemistries he requests. If you have no local doctor, Dr. Keys finds one through an affiliate physician network. His work is global, oftetimes involving patients from other countries as well as all over the continental USA. There are many tests and treatments to help people; Oftentimes, anchor physicians are not familiar or comfortable with them. Dr. Keys teaches and helps to direct individual patients AND their physicians with laboratory-work for these treatment options. This is measured work and clinical biochemistry. Opinion evidence standards are not employed here since this is a measured and laboratory-based or empirical study of the patient. Numbers are sought from the results of these tests that, usually, "...jump up and grab you..." that dictate what is needed and how much. Patient-advocacy is frequently involved to get advanced and necessary clinical biochemistries ordered and to help interpret them in filed reports..Chat room capabilities in voice or text, besides email, may be employed. This may include conference calls online. In a perfect world, if your physician knew everything, people like Dr. Keys would not exist. Physicians themselves are caught frequently in the traps of their own standards of care that may be very limited in many cases. Methods used by Dr. Keys are rational, scientific and disciplined. Designed by Fencl Web Design.Com DISCLAIMER: Ronald B. Keys, JD, PhD is not a physican. He acts here, when hired, only as a consulting PhD doctor. Any information offered on this site is intended for prevention and education. It is the responsibility of your anchor doctor or chosen physician to diagnose and treat diseases through their medical licenses. By using this web site you agree that you will seek professional medical advice from your doctor before using any of the information presented on this web site. All tests are ordered through your physician, only, and not Dr. Keys. Most jurisdictions require that an attending physician is required by law to take patient and family history, conduct a physical examination of the patient and to order tests appropriate and necessary. As an online consultant, he cannot do these things required together, as a whole, as a practice of medicine. Any emergencies should only be handled in a hospital emergency room or by your physician. |