...Psychoanalytic Theory And Reading Of Cultural Products Film Studies Essay ukessays.com /essays/film-studies/psychoanalytic-theory-and-reading-of-cultural-products-filmstudies-essay.php The main concept of this essay is to point out how psychoanalytic theory could be used as a method of understanding and analyzing cultural products. The most valid approach for this is to observe how the cinema integrates psychoanalytical theories into specific film concepts. For this reason a Hitchcock film is used as an example, for it a common fact that there are many Freudian aspects in his movies. Specifically, Psycho is regarded by many film theorists and historians as the first “psychoanalytic thriller” (Kaganski as cited in Boulton, 2010). As implied by the title of the film, it is a movie whose plot is based on the Freudian Oedipus complex theory. First of all, it is noteworthy how the cinema developed a strong connection to psychoanalytic theories over the years. What is also interesting is the way in which a movie could be interpreted as a desire or a dreaming process. Moreover, in the second part of the essay, the correlation which Psycho has with psychoanalytical procedure is explored, in an effort to discover its kind and if it is actually the first psychoanalytic movie. Following a short presentation of the main plot, it is necessary to examine the nature of the Oedipus complex and how it is applied to the movie. Despite the fact that it remains the central psychoanalytic idea in...
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...comfortable, group leaders must apply the appropriate method of therapy. Therefore, the group therapy models used for this particular assignment will include Adlerian therapy, and psychoanalytic therapy. Adlerian Approach Applying the Adlerian approach to the group will allow a goal aimed at assisting group members with understanding how issues from their past have continued to negatively influence their lives. Using the Adlerian approach will allow therapists to begin helping members begin working to resolve negative issues from their pasts, and move beyond faulty assumptions, and feelings of inferiority. Techniques used with Adlerian therapy may include, building relationships, exploring mistaken goals and faulty assumptions, working to develop social interest and goals, and working to achieve life tasks. Psychoanalytic Approach On the other hand, applying the psychoanalytic approach in which members, in an effort to change insight and begin working through unresolved issues from different psychosocial stages of development, will begin bringing issues from their unconscious into their conscious awareness (De Schill, n. d.). However, to accomplish such a task one stage of focus will include the oral stage of change, which is the period from birth to about 18 months. Furthermore, in an effort to help members work to overcome their denial of the problem the psychoanalytic approach techniques used may include, interpretation, and free association. How Selected Theories...
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...Comparisson of Masculinity and the Psychoanalytic theories using the example of the Fight Club. Introduction. Fight club is an interesting film to be reflected through psychoanalytic and masculinity theories. In this essay I will attempt to present the number of elements of narrative that can be explained by these theories. I intend to use citations from Marc A. Price's essay The Fight for Self: The Language of the Unconscious in Fight club regarding psychoanalytical concepts such as ego, super-ego and the id as well as Lynn M. Ta's dissertation Hurt So Good: Fight Club, Masculine Violence, and the Crisis of Capitalism (regarding masulinity in the film), as these works were the main sources of my research. Then I'll try to come to the conclusion on which of two theories have more strength at being applied to films (primarily Fight Club). Application of theories and analysis. The connection that we shall draw between psychoanalytic theory and the film Fight Club is simple and is this; the narrator is a representation of the ego, for Tyler Durden we can substitute the id. In the Freudian psychic model the ego is the civilized part of consciousness. The ego is that part of the psychic apparatus that is modified so that a being can interact safely with other beings and thus remain accepted within the social group. It is important for identity formation that the individual is accepted by the group (that is wider society) therefore, a controlled id is...
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...Psychoanalytic theory vs behaviourism: motivation Freud's psychoanalytic theory with its model of the mind and its central concepts provides a better interpretation of one's behavior and accounts for behavior on a wider scope of issues than does the radical behaviorist theory of B. F. Skinner. Skinner successfully explains human behavior in terms of operant conditioning and reinforcing agents. He changes the focus from Freud's internalized (mental) processes to the importance of the external environment. Skinner emphasizes the importance of the directly observable behavior. However, he fails to completely account for behavior, excluding the original motivational drive. In contrast, Freud succeeds in construing the origins of behavior and motivation, which makes the psychoanalytic theory of Freud more adequate as a theory of personality. Throughout history humans have been puzzled by human behavior, the reasons behind it, and have been faced with the consequences of their own as well as others' behavior. Many studies have been done and theories developed in an attempt to explain this fascinating area of human existence. Among many theories and theorists, Freud's psychoanalytic and Skinner's radical behaviorist theories have been selected and looked at throughout the following paper. Theory of personality that Freud introduced together with its concepts, many deemed romantic, unprovable and sometimes obscene, has shaped the way humans view themselves in many cases...
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...Chapter 2-3-Module 2 Sigmund Freud and the Development of Psychoanalysis The Psychoanalytic Approach to Psychology Ashley Zajac Metropolitan Community College Sigmund Freud was an Austrian neurologist who was very well known for his study of the body and the mind. Freud became known as the founding father of Psychoanalysis, a clinical method for treating psychopathology through dialogue between a patient and a psychoanalyst. Freud worked to develop techniques such as the use of free association, the process in which a patient recites their thoughts without reservation spontaneously. He also discovered transference, the process to which patients speak of feelings to their analysts derived from their childhood attachments. Freud’s work with Psychoanalysis helped him further develop other theories or explanations for the way humans are the way they are including his redefinition of sexuality which formulated the Oedipus complex as the central tenet of the psychoanalytical theory. Freud focused his work mostly on the mind and received many critiques and criticism of his accomplishments. Psychoanalysis emphasized the influence of the unconscious mind on behavior and the main idea that eventually evolved from the development of psychoanalysis is that neurotic symptoms are the result of conflicts within the patient. Neurotic symptoms for example could be phobias, obsessions or compulsions. In Freud’s study of psychoanalysis, he also determined that the mind was composed of...
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...Tucker Heirakuji English 11 LOTF Essay: Id, Ego, and Superego Sigmund Freud’s Psychoanalytic theory of personality applied to: The Lord of the Flies "One might compare the relation of the ego to the id with that between a rider and his horse. The horse provides the locomotor energy, and the rider has the prerogative of determining the goal and of guiding the movements of his powerful mount towards it. But all too often in the relations between the ego and the id we find a picture of the less ideal situation in which the rider is obliged to guide his horse in the direction in which it itself wants to go." -Sigmund Freud. There are three Freudian components of personality, the Id, Ego, and Super ego. The Id resides completely at the unconscious level, and is usually applied by the “pleasure principle”, which is basically the want to do something for instant gratification. The superego resides in the preconscious. It is the moralist and idealistic part of the personality and brain. This part operates on the “ideal principle”, which begins around the age of four to five. The ideal principle covers how people are raised, and whether environment or attention effects our development. Basically, the superego is what tells you right from wrong. Lastly, is the ego. Ego resides in all levels of awareness (conscious, subconscious, and preconscious), and operates under the “Reality Principle”, which is the ego's control of the pleasure-seeking activity of the id in order to meet...
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...Psychoanalysis is a school of thought that emphasized how the unconscious mind influenced behavior. Freud based his theories on the experiences he received from his patients. He believed that the human mind consisted of three components: the id, the ego and the super-ego. The id controlled the basic needs of the body such as hunger, thirst, sleep, etc… The ego makes sure that these needs are met as well as meeting the needs of the super-ego. The super-ego represents the ideal and moral aspects of a personality. Freud believed in free association, which was hard for some of his patients to master. This made dream analysis one of his famous forms of therapeutic technique. The Theories and methods in psychoanalytic thinking rely on research that is experimental. Theories made by psychoanalytic thinkers, such as Freud and Erickson, are still highly influential today. One of the greatest strengths in psychoanalysis is that it is very comprehensive. It explains mental functioning and the nature of human...
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...American, it became apparent that he started to appear lighter and lighter, bleaching his skin and ultimately appearing white. He created his own amusement park called Neverland, where there were exotic animals, rides and games. Michael was known for always having sleepovers with boys and always being surrounded by children. This became the turning point in his life that forever changed the way the public viewed him. He was accused of child molestation. After being accused he endured a long trial but charges were dropped after a monetary compensation was made. Not only did the public see him as a pedophile but was viewed as weird and crazy. He had three children through artificial insemination, and ultimately died of an overdose. Freud’s psychoanalytic approach consists of three structures in the mind, the id, ego, and superego. Psychosexual stages lie within these structures. Like any other animal, we are born with desires, instincts and motivations. The Id is referred to as the undifferentiated core of personality. It operates as the pleasure principle, which strives to satisfy it’s desire, motivations, instincts, or impulses. Therefore, reducing tension within oneself. For example, Freud would say that Michael Jackson has a strong Id in which all his desires lay with being a child again. He wants to experience all the...
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...anticipated his own feelings of displeasure and misery onto the Whos when he predicted that they would all cry "boo, who" upon discovering that they would not be celebrating Christmas. The Grinch's tendency toward cynicism, hostility, and aggression demonstrates his desire for destruction. His desire for destruction stems from the fact that he feels isolated. Thus, he tends to destroy the joy of the people in Who Ville, with the tendency of making them reach the same level of depression and misery he is in. The Grinch wanted the Whos' merry-making to come to an end, despite their needs and wants. This poem presented psychological theories in the Grinch. The Grinch's thoughts and actions in this poem is a proof of this work being under the psychoanalytic theory. I learned from this poem by analyzing the character is that people with a sensitive sense of social isolation, appear to have a decreased response to things that make most people happy, and have a keen urge towards human...
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...Promiscuity- A Self-Destructive Behavior in Correlation with a Lack of Paternal Authority: A Single Case Study Rebecca M Bauman 2015 MAR LIB-495-GS001 Abstract Paternal authority, according to the existing literature, is of upmost importance to the healthy psychosexual development of a child. Women who were raised with a lack of paternal authority can often face significant setbacks when dealing with everyday life issues. Promiscuity as a self-destructive behavior has substantial consequences often resulting in mental and physical suffering. This qualitative single case study was designed to explore the correlation of promiscuity- as a self-destructive behavior with women who were raised in single-mother households where there was a lack of paternal authority. A single intrinsic case study was used to explore one woman’s battle with promiscuity. The data obtained formed a narrative generated by the triangulation of psychoanalytical therapy sessions, a client intake form and the woman’s journal. A case analysis was performed and later reviewed by an attending mental health clinician. The results indicated the woman manifests the self-destructive behavior of promiscuity at the expense of poor self-esteem which directly correlates with a lack of paternal authority. The disruption of the woman’s psychosexual development in childhood negatively altered her self-image. The woman uses transference in her intimate relationships as a desperate attempt to gain control of her...
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...A Character Analysis on Kerima Polotan-Tuvera’s The Virgin Analyzing the Characters in the Psychoanalytic Approach Miss Mijares was a 34-year-old woman who works in the placement section of an agency. In the story, she was described as impolite and bossy when it comes to dealing with job applicants. I can also infer that she routinely lives her life in discipline making her life dull. Later on in the story, she finally let go of her control with herself and gave in to the new carpenter in the agency. Miss Mijares was a stern, responsible woman with hidden desires. The carpenter in the story was unnamed. However, he plays a very important role in the story to make us discover all that characteristics of Miss Mijares, the protagonist. He was described as “a tall, big man, walking with an economy of movement”. From this we can say that, though he was only a high school graduate and only working as a carpenter, his character can be viewed as the stereotype who, despite of his unlikely appearance, he apparently will turn out to be the one you should fear for because he is capable of more than you know. It may be possible that the reason why he was unnamed is that we could underestimate him first. Virginity in the story Virginity is a prized possession of a woman. In the old Filipino culture, the chances of a woman who lost her virginity before marriage to get married to a good man most likely are scarce. By tradition, it is seen as a disgrace for a woman to be lost her virginity...
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...Tragedy at Lumba’s Bend Delfin Fresnosa -( May 23, 1916 - December 19, 1988) -A Fictionist Born in Gubat, Sorsogon. He is the son of Alejandro Fresnosa and Florencia Espano. He married Asuncion Epino with whom he had nine children. Tragedy at Lumba's Bend Tone: Sad Turns out sadly for the characters because of the distressing misfortune of their love ones. Theme: Tragedy .Plot: Flashback Setting: Backdrop Mines on Mountain side Early Morning Characters: First Person - Narrator Demetrio's Gang Pepito's Gang Pepe Critical Approaches/Historical Approach The story was presumably written in 1930's, during American colonization and Pre-Japanese era where mining industry seem to ascend. Biographical Approach Having experienced joblessness and hunger in the city, he thought of the city as without conscience and soul and believed those of lowly origin to be the real people. Marxist Approach Shows the struggles of the poor as stated in the story with regards to the decision of two families to hoard the money that the company will be paying rather than burying their love one's remains. Feminist Approach Men worked on the mines, w/c signifies the strength of men and their duty as head and breadwinner of their family. Psychoanalytical Approach The story tends to explain the appeal of the work and how actually was the life for the poor in that era regarding on how the company on the story handles the situation with the use of their money and how does it affect the decision...
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...Approach PROs Sigmund Freud, (1856-1939) Psychoanalytical Psychology refers to the root of our thoughts, emotions, actions and behavior and how they pertain to our early/childhood development and experiences. Freud’s theory became so popular because his approach was unprecedented, and his statements bold. Freud’s psychoanalytic theory was based on his belief that our personalities are shaped by experiences of our earliest childhood memories (usually in the unconscious mind), and how well we are nurtured during this time. The time in which Freud developed his psychoanalytic theory is perhaps the greatest factor that contributed to his reputation and subsequent success as a theorist or psychologist. A great deal of Freud’s original psychoanalytic theory was based on his own early childhood experiences, and much of what he learned from research and experiments were never recorded or in many cases, weren’t recorded until hours and even days later. Without credible sources and physical data to support his findings, his theory was improved upon by some of his students and colleagues. CONs Although Freud’s theory was seen as incomplete in certain circles, as his psychoanalytic theory only focused on one or two factors in psychology; psychoanalysis is one among many disciplines that fit under the psychological umbrella. Because of the way psychology has unfolded as both a general discipline and a science, Freud should be credited for inspiring those who took his theory to the next level...
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...Critical receptions: Marxist: (A Marxist critique/reading could suggest…) * “Literature is a reflection of the society and values from which it originates” * “Told at the expense of exploited groups” e.g. The Vane’s - Sybil is W/C and “powerless”. She is described similarly to Dorian but because of her class she is ‘powerless’ * “Upper classes don’t produce anything except themselves” – Don’t add anything to society. * “They are a disposable group” James Vane’s death was “inconsequential” Psychoanalytical Theory: (A psychoanalytical reading could suggest that…) * Lacan – “Mirror stage of development” – 6 month old baby entranced by their mirror image but becomes angry when mirror is turned away by parent. Throughout our lives we are haunted by this hopeless desire of the mirror stage: Dorian’s relationship with his portrait; he is trapped in the “mirror stage”. * “Symbolic order” – Mother and Father initiate baby as a speak of languages but Father has the true responsibility for this. Dorian is an orphan; he cannot go beyond the mirror stage and enter adulthood – He never fully enters language – merely parrots Henry and so retains selfish amorality of a baby. Queer Theory: (A ‘Queer theory’ reading of The Picture of Dorian Gray may suggest…) * “Identities are not fixed” – Gender is a changing thing. * Dorian does perform different roles but only traditional genders ones such as ‘secretive adulterer’ at the party and ‘male heir’...
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...Edited by Todd McGowan and Sheila Kunkle This unique volume collects a series of essays that link new developments in Lacanian psychoanalytic theory and recent trends in contemporary cinema. Though Lacanian theory has long had a privileged place in the analysis of film, film theory has tended to ignore some of Lacan’s most important ideas. As a result, Lacanian film theory has never properly integrated the disruptive and troubling aspects of the filmic experience that result from the encounter with the Real that this experience makes possible. Many contemporary theorists emphasize the importance of the encounter with the Real in Lacan’s thought, but rarely in discussions of film. By bringing the encounter with the Real into the dialogue of film theory, the contributors to this volume present a new version of Lacan to the world of film studies. These essays bring this rediscovered Lacan to bear on contemporary cinema through analysis of a wide variety of films, including Memento, Eyes Wide Shut, Breaking the Waves, and Fight Club. The films discussed here demand a turn to Lacanian theory because they emphasize the disruptive role of the Real and of jouissance in the experience of the human subject. There is a growing number of films in contemporary cinema that speak to film’s power to challenge and disturb the complacency of spectators, and the essays in Lacan and Contemporary Film analyze some of these films and bring their power to light. Because of its dual focus on developments...
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