Toward the Study of the Psychodynamics of Mothering and Gender in Egyptian Families

Abstract

Feminist interest in the social origins and the emotional/psychological development of gender roles has led to a new theoretical debate on thecritical importanceof mothering. The feminist contribution in this area lies in the formulation of a successful theoretical synthesis of Marxist and psychoanalytic insights to explain the development of gendered roles and personalities in contemporary capitalist society. In contrast to conventional Freudian approaches, which posit the universality of the psychological/emotional processes by which the self is developed, the feminist critics emphasize the historically (and socially) specific nature of the family, mothering patterns, and the way such patterns influence the development of gendered personalities in the West.