The irrepressible Michael Sylvester asked:

> is the Freudian oedipal stage a separate stage or part of the
> phallic stage?

And Haydee Gelpi answered:

> It's the Oedipal complex.  During the Phallic Stage the child resolves the
> Oedipal complex (or Electra complex for a female)

Oedipus, shmedipus (said the Jewish mother).  Just so long as a
boy loves his mommy!

But while Freud can be blamed for many things (and I do), the
Electra complex is not one of them, although most textbooks,
including one that I assign, will tell you otherwise.

Freud hated the concept. I even have a quote to prove it. He
said:

"It is only in the male child that we find the fateful
combination of love for the one parent and simultaneous hatred of
the other as a rival" (S. Freud, _Female Sexuality_, 1931)

This could be one of the most misattributed statements ever. I
thought I'd do my bit to set the record straight.

-Stephen

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Stephen Black, Ph.D.                      tel: (819) 822-9600 ext 2470
Department of Psychology                  fax: (819) 822-9661
Bishop's University                    e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Lennoxville, QC
J1M 1Z7
Canada     Department web page at http://www.ubishops.ca/ccc/div/soc/psy
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