Early in Freud’s writing he developed ideas and theories about childhood sexuality that involved fantasy, curiosity, and the erogenous zones of the body as they relate to the drives/instinct.  These ideas were scandalous at the time, and many were dismissed as lacking in evidence.  Over time this has led to what Celenza (2022) describes as “the desexualization of psychoanalytic theorizing” with an emphasis on the maternal transference and regressive dynamics, and away from maternal erotic transference and erotic countertransference formulations.  And yet, sexuality and erotic life must have some developmental path that creatively shapes sexual imagination.  Most of the literature on childhood sexuality is based on normative conventions that do not account for developmental diversity in sexuality and erotic life.  This course will examine the history of childhood sexuality in psychoanalysis, beginning with Saketopoulou’s and Pellegrini’s critique of normative psychoanalytic theory and how it excludes queer childhood.  We will read some of the historical psychoanalytic literature, and then move to more contemporary writing on infantile/childhood sexuality and erotic life, attachment theory and sexuality, and how these emerge in the treatment of adolescents and adults, particularly within the transference and countertransference. We will attend to how normative assumptions shape the psychoanalytic literature and attempt to broaden our perspective.  This is a working seminar as we learn and unlearn together.  In addition to the reading, participants are encouraged to bring clinical case material, or their own knowledge of psychoanalytic literature to the discussion. 

Tuesday November 28

1. Saketopoulou, A. and Pelligrini, A. (2023).  A Feminine Boy: Trauma as Resource for Self-Theorization.  In: Gender Without Identity.  New York: The Unconsious in Translation.  p. 11-76.  (this looks like a lot of pages but this is because of how the book is printed)

Supplemental Reading:

2. Saketopoulou, A (2023).  Sexuality Beyond Consent: Risk, Race, Traumatophilia. New York: NYU Press. Pp.  37-51.

Tuesday December 5

1. Freud, S. (1953/1905). Infantile Sexuality in:  Three essays on the theory of sexuality. Standard Edition VII London: Hogarth Press.  Pp. 173-206

Supplemental Reading:

1. Zeuthen, K., & Gammelgaard, J. (2010). Infantile sexuality—the concept, its history and place in contemporary psychoanalysis. The Scandinavian Psychoanalytic Review, 33(1), 3-12.
2. Widlöcher, D. (2018). Primary love and infantile sexuality: An eternal debate. In Infantile sexuality and attachment (pp. 1-36). Routledge.

Tuesday December 12

1. Target, M. (2015). A developmental model of sexual excitement, desire, and alienation. In Sexualities (pp. 43-62). Routledge.

Tuesday December 19– NO CLASS HOLIDAY PARTY

Tuesday January 2, 2024

1. Benjamin, J., & Atlas, G. (2015). The ‘too muchness’ of excitement: Sexuality in light of excess, attachment and affect regulation. The International Journal of Psychoanalysis, 96(1), 39-63.

Tuesday January 9, 2024

1. Alvarez, A. (2010). Types of sexual transference and countertransference in psychotherapeutic work with children and adolescents. Journal of Child Psychotherapy, 36(3), 211-224.

2. Brady, M. T. (Ed.). (2022). Braving the Erotic Field in the Psychoanalytic Treatment of Children and Adolescents. Routledge. P.28-46

Supplemental Reading:

Elise, D. (2022). Traversing challenging terrain: discussion of Mary Brady's ‘Braving the Erotic Field’. In Braving the Erotic Field in the Psychoanalytic Treatment of Children and Adolescents (pp. 48-56). Routledge.

Tuesday January 16th, 2024

1. Saketopoulou, A. (2020). The infantile erotic countertransference: The analyst’s infantile sexual, ethics, and the role of the psychoanalytic collective. Psychoanalytic Inquiry, 40(8), 659-677.