Which post-freudian theorist claims that each sex has attributes to be admired by the other, and neither sex can be viewed as superior or inferior?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → Karen Horney
Karen Horney, a disciple of Freud, took a more optimistic view of human life. Her major contribution was to challenge Freud’s treatment of women as inferior: according to her, each sex has attributes to be admired by the other, and neither sex can be viewed as superior or inferior. She held that women are affected more by social and cultural factors than by biological ones.
The other post-Freudians stressed other ideas: Alfred Adler, individual psychology, in which behaviour is purposeful and goal-directed; Erik Erikson, the search for identity and the identity crisis of adolescence; and Erich Fromm, human beings as social beings understood through their relationships with others.
NCERT (2025-26): “Karen Horney : Optimism … Horney was another disciple of Freud who developed a theory that deviated from basic Freudian principles. She adopted a more optimistic view of human life with emphasis on human growth and selfactualisation. Horney’s major contribution lies in her challenge to Freud’s treatment of women as inferior. According to her, each sex has attributes to be admired by the other, and neither sex can be viewed as superior or inferior. She countered that women were more likely to be affected by social and cultural factors than by biological factors.…” |