Karen Horney Essay

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Karen Horney; A Pioneer in Women's Psychology PSY 310 November, 18, 2013 Cassandra Robinson Karen Horney; A Pioneer in Women's Psychology A Pioneer in Women's Psychology This paper will be delving deeper into Karen Horney’s life and examining her theories of neurosis and psychoanalysis. The way Karen Horney influenced psychology and her theoretical perspectives will also be discussed in this paper. The reader can prepare his or herself to learn more about Horney’s relationship to Sigmund Freud and how the two openly disagreed on some aspects of Freudian theory. Discussion Background of Karen Horney’s Life Karen Horney came into this world on September 16, 1885 close to Hamburg, Germany. She was one of four children from her parents, Clotilde and Berndt Danielson, marriage. During the time that the two were married, Berndt ruled with an iron fist and was not affectionate. When he remarried, Berndt had a son named Berndt Jr. The son took center stage and became the favored child. At the tender age of nine, Horney developed a crush on her brother but was rejected and shunned of reciprocated feelings from him. This is the event that began the downward spiral into the depression that would follow Horney throughout her life (Britannica encyclopedia, 2012). In 1906 Horney decided that if she could not be attractive then she would be smart and enrolled into medical school against both of her parents’ wishes. Horney was one of the first women to enter medical school. Little did anyone know that the events that would soon occur dramatically would change Horney’s life in many ways. After experiencing a little of what medical school offered, Horney met and married a fellow student. She continued her studies and a year later a baby girl was born to Karen and Oscar, the first of three daughters. Horney watched as her husband disciplined the children in the

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