Sigmund Freud and His Influence on Cultural Analysis, Article Writing Example

As an Austrian neurologist, Sigmund Freud founded the concept of psychoanalysis, which entails a clinical method used in evaluating and treating pathologies. According to the information provided by Fonagy and Target (2003), such pathologies emanate from the conflicts developing in an individual’s psyche, which are illuminated through the engagement of a dialogue between psychoanalysis and a patient. Notably, Freud also embarked on the development of a wide-ranging critique as well as interpretation of both religion and culture in his latter works. On this note, Freud considered culture to be an expression of the desires that conflict with each other and with society. In particular, Freud was adamant about the idea that culture is a culmination of the impulses denied a more aggressive satisfaction (Breknman, 2015). The ideologies and sentiments promoted by Sigmund Freud influence and inform the current practices relating to cultural analysis in such a way that they help in the interpretation of cultural practices and representations to foster an extensive and intensive understanding of the trends, effects, influences, and effects in cultures.

The Basis of Freud’s Ideas on Culture

While developing his ideology on culture, Freud adopted the same approach as he did with the concepts of dreams and symptoms. In this regard, Freud analyzed dreams as wish-fulfillment measures that would provide him with relevant models to apply in the clinical analysis of symptom formation and the underlying mechanisms of repression. Such a basis enabled Freud to proceed to develop the unconscious theory whereby he postulated a cycle that entails the repression of ideas that still remain in mind, and despite being removed from the conscious part of an individual, they reappear under certain circumstances (Olesen & Weber, 2019). While establishing the underlying mechanisms of repression, Freud elaborated on his unconscious theory while developing a psychic structure model that is characterized by the id, ego, and superego. Furthermore, Freud proceeded to postulate the existence of libido, which is the sexualized energy that is based on the investment of mental structures and processes that subsequently generate erotic attachments, compulsive repetition, neurotic guilt, a death drive, aggression, and also hate (Benveniste, 2015). Through the aforementioned development, Freud would then use the same approach to establish human desires that conflict with one another society. Using his psychoanalytic theory, Freud has illuminated the aspect of culture whereby he claims it to be a product of the renunciation as well as the coercion of instincts. Moreover, in its undifferentiated and global aspect, culture plays an integral role in fostering the formation of the superego, which essentially is the functioning and the development of the psyche.