12/20/2010: Synopsis-- Using Bloch's discussion of latency as a starting point for discussion.
Reading: Bloch, Chapter 3, pages 81-92.
Observed Characteristics:
In Western Culture -- Turning away from sexuality and interest in opposite sex.
Sexuality only disappears completely in cultures focused on repression of sexuality.
Acquisition of precision learning and skills, movement from family to peers.
Early latency: Sensitive to criticism, emphasis on rules, obsessive defenses.
Later latency: More interest in how to win and less on rules.
Control of aggression is major issue, and source of clinical referrals.
Characterized by obsessional defenses, reaction formation against sexuality, disgust
Premature puberty and delayed puberty don't seem to affect psychological development.
EEG becomes essentially adult at age 8, the point of shifting from early to late latency.
Freudian Point of View:
Freud felt biological drives diminish during this period.
Freud sees latency characteristics as fending off temptation to masturbate.
Letting go of cathexis to opposite sex leads to identification with same sex and hero worship.
Anal sadism isseen as displaced sexual wishes, and accounts to defenses against aggression being prominent. Surface manifestations are defenses of reaction formation, undoing, isolation.
These defenses account for amnesia for the earlier oedipal period.
Unique to phase is conscious fantasy as alternate to doing.
End of latency is when biological drives re-emerge along with genital dynamics.
Boys and girls?
Alternative Ideas
Bornstein--
Early latency, Superego is an unfamiliar, like a foreign body. These kids are sensitive to criticism and tend to project responsibility onto others. These characteristics ttributed to new, harsh superego.
In late latency the superego is successfully integrated
This harshness is to counter incestuous urges and wishes and wishes to do what you want instead of what you are supposed to do.
Sarnoff--
Sees latency as time when society discourages sexuality to allow for acculturation of values.
But, Bloch observes, Trobriand Islanders keep sexual interest and have no latency. This is quite independent of the process of acculturation, which contracicts Sarnoff's idea that sex has to be put aside for acculturation to take place.
Ericson: "Industry vs. Inferiority.
Bloch--
Functional pleasure of play and drive for mastery are forces during latency.
SUMMARY:
Developmental features:
1. Reduction in sexual manifestations
2. Acquisition of precision learning and skills
3. Turning from family towards peers
4. Control over aggression through obsessional defenses incl. reaction formation, isolation, rationalization, intellectualiZation and undoing.
5. Consolidation of superego in keeping with parental values.
... Until puberty upsets everything!
Superego = structure? vs. Conscience as function.
