A construção da feminilidade e da sexualidade feminina na obra de Clara Thompson

Abstract

Throughout her work, psychoanalyst Clara Thompson addressed various aspects of female sexual development, distancing herself from classical ideas present in psychoanalysis. By emphasizing the influence of sociocultural variables, Thompson proposes a shift away from the male-centered view of sexuality in psychoanalytic theory. Although she possesses a highly relevant theoretical production on femininity and psychoanalysis in general, Thompson's thought remains underdeveloped and little known. The objective of this dissertation is to present Thompson's hypotheses on female development through a historical-conceptual analysis of her texts published between 1930 and 1964. To this end, it investigates how the dynamics of identification and imitation operate in the structuring of identity and psychic suffering, demonstrating how these clinical processes extend to the understanding of femininity itself. From this articulation, it becomes evident that the construction of womanhood is primarily determined by social interactions rather than biological determinisms, showing that traits commonly labeled as innate are, in fact, products of cultural reaction. We seek to discuss how this woman-centered perspective modifies the psychoanalytic view of female subjectivity and sexuality.