German-American psychiatrist who developed a feminist critique of Freudian psychoanalysis and an original account of neurosis based on basic anxiety and the idealized self.
Critique of Freudian femininity: penis envy is a cultural artifact — womb envy is at least as plausible; Freudian theory reflects masculine bias. Basic anxiety: the sense of being alone and helpless in a hostile world — three neurotic solutions (moving toward, against, or away from people). The idealized self: neurosis is the tyranny of an idealized self over the real self. The emphasis on culture over drives.
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