Module Directory

In this module we examine some of the developments in Psychoanalytic theory with a special focus on the figure of the child. We consider some of the debates surrounding the development of psychoanalysis of children through the work of Melanie Klein, D. W. Winnicott, Anna Freud, amongst others. We pay attention to the importance of play and practices of observation to understand how and why the figure of the child has been central to the development of psychoanalytic thought.

The aims of the module are:

• To understand the importance of the figure of the child to the development of psychoanalytic thought.


• To introduce students to some of the basic questions and debates prompted by psychoanalytic work with children


• To cover some of the history of the emergence of traditions of child psychoanalysis from Sigmund Freud to more contemporary work


• To give a more detailed exploration of Melanie Klein’s ideas and D. W. Winnicott’s in relation to their work with children


• To promote an understanding of what differentiates psychoanalytic work with children, practically, ethically, theoretically from work with adults


• To promote a critical understanding of how child psychoanalysis interacts with other pedagogic and psychiatric discourses.

By the end of this module, students will be expected to be able to: 

1. Show some awareness of the debates and problems which have emerged in relation to psychoanalytic work with children


2. Demonstrate some historical knowledge of the emergence of work with children within the psychoanalytic tradition


3. Show some insight into the particular techniques and theories applied to child work by Klein, Winnicott and others


4. Have a grasp of how child psychoanalysis forms a distinct body of work from adult psychoanalysis, and will be able to compare the way in which object relations theory is applied in both realms


5. Show some awareness of the debates and problems which have emerged in relation to psychoanalytic work with children


6. Demonstrate some historical knowledge of the emergence of work with children within the psychoanalytic tradition

Key Skills

1. Reading critically for nuance and argument


2. Observation and analysis


3. Engaging creatively with primary materials 


4. Developing independent perspectives


5. Critical writing

Employability Skills 

1. Written and verbal communication skills


2. Working independently and in groups


3. Working effectively to deadlines


4. Analytic and creative thinking.

Syllabus

Lecture 1 – University Week 16
‘Introducing the figure of the Child’
In this first session, we get to know the themes of our course, especially those of play, observation and experimentation. We consider different conceptions of the child (and childhood), and ask why the figure of child is such an important one for psychoanalysis. We pose a series of questions -critical, psychoanalytic, methodological- that will remain in view as we move through the module. Focussing on the problems of defining children (as distinct to adults, adolescents and infants), we will begin to think about the challenges as well as special opportunities the child poses for the psychoanalytic endeavour.

Key Reading:
There is no reading for this first class.

Lecture 2 – University Week 17
‘Freud and the Child’
Here, we consider some of the ways that Freud contributed to the psychoanalysis of children, especially through his conceptualisation of infantile sexuality, and his narration of the psychosexual stages of development. Freud conceives of the child as being propelled by a desire to know (a research instinct) that motivates their curiosity about their own bodies, and their place in the world. We will look at his case of ‘Little Hans’ to explore the importance of the child for Freud’s psychoanalytic project.

Key Reading:
Quinodoz, J-M, (2004) ‘Analysis of a Phobia in a Five-Year-Old Boy (Little Hans)’, in Reading Freud. Routledge: pp 78-87.
Freud, S. (1909) Analysis of a Phobia in a Five-Year-Old Boy. The Standard Edition of the Complete Psychological Works of Sigmund Freud, Volume X (1909): Two Case Histories (‘Little Hans’ and the ‘Rat Man’), pp 4-21. – this is the introduction only.

Recommended Readings:
Freud, S. (1909) Analysis of a Phobia in a Five-Year-Old Boy. The Standard Edition of the Complete Psychological Works of Sigmund Freud, Volume X (1909): Two Case Histories (‘Little Hans’ and the ‘Rat Man’), pp 1-150.
Walsh, J. (2010) ‘Freud’s Wissbegierde and the Research Projects of Childhood: Revisiting Little Hans’ in Sitegeist: A Journal of Psychoanalysis and Philosophy (5), pp 55-74.

Lecture 3 – University Week 18
‘Interpreting child’s play (1): Anna Freud and Melanie Klein’

This week, we consider some of the important differences between Sigmund Freud, Anna Freud & Melanie Klein. We examine how Anna Freud and Melanie Klein worked with children, and consider the implications of their different approaches for the development of theory, clinical technique, and the broader application of psychoanalysis beyond the consulting room.

Key Reading:
Hinshelwood, R. (1994). ‘A Method for Children’ (Chapter 4) in Clinical Klein. Basic Books: pp. 37-57.
Midgley, N. (2013) ‘Psychoanalysis with Children’ (Chapter 2) in Reading Anna Freud. Routledge: pp 18-31.

Recommended Readings:
Blake, P. (2008) ‘The Analytic Legacy’ (Chapter 1) in Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy. Karnac Books: pp15-32.
Blake, P. (2008) ‘The Role of Play’ (Chapter 11) in Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy. Karnac Books: pp 218-234.
Freud, A. (1951) 'Observations on Child Development' in Psychoanalytic Study of the Child, 6:18-30.
Klein, M. (1955) ‘The Psychoanalytic Play Technique: Its History and Significance’ in J. Mitchell, The Selected Melanie Klein. The Hogarth Press: pp 35-54.
Midgley, N. (2013) ‘Introduction: Anna Freud, her Life and Work’ (Chapter 1) in Reading Anna Freud. Routledge: pp1-17.

Lecture 4 – University Week 19
‘Interpreting child’s play (2): Melanie Klein and Margaret Lowenfeld’
We continue our examination of different approaches to ‘play therapy’ to further explore the different styles of psychoanalytic and psychotherapeutic work with children.

Key Reading:
Segal, H. (1979) ’The Play Technique’ in Klein, pp 35-44.
Lowenfeld, M. (1938) ‘The Significance of play in the normal development of children’ pp1-6 [E-resource]

Recommended Readings:
Blake, P. (2008) ‘The Role of Play’ (Chapter 11) in Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy. Karnac Books: pp 218-234.
Klein, M. (1955) ‘The Psychoanalytic Play Technique: Its History and Significance’ in J. Mitchell, The Selected Melanie Klein. The Hogarth Press: pp 35-54.
Lowenfeld, M. (1988) Child Psychotherapy, War and the Normal Child: Selected Papers of Margaret Lowenfeld. Ed. Cathy Unwin, Sussex Academic Press.

Lecture 5 – University Week 20
‘D.W. Winnicott: on the seriousness of play, and watchful waiting’

Here, we consider Winnicott’s contributions to the field of psychoanalysis of children with a special focus on his understanding of play, primary creativity, the role of illusion and transitional phenomena. We also see how Winnicott’s emphasis on observation lends itself to experiment design. We explore the example of the ‘spatula game’: a repeatable, ‘set situation’ that allows the observer the opportunity to examine how the infant negotiates their relationships in the world.

Key Reading:
Abram, J. (1996) ‘Playing’ in The language of Winnicott: a dictionary of Winnicott's use of words. Karnac Books: pp 219-230.
Abram, J. (1996) ‘Spatula Game’ in The language of Winnicott: a dictionary of Winnicott's use of words. Karnac Books: pp 316-328.
Winnicott, D.W. (1941) ‘The Observation of Infants in a Set Situation’ in International Journal of Psychoanalysis. 22: pp 229-249

Recommended Readings:
Winnicott, D.W. (1971) ‘Playing A Theoretical Statement’ in Playing and Reality: pp 38-52.
Winnicott, Donald (1951) Transitional objects and transitional phenomena: A study of the first not-me possession. International Journal of Psychoanalysis 34:89-97.

Lecture 6 – University Week 21
Mid-term review:
This week we take the opportunity to review our module so far.

Lecture 7 – University Week 22
Visiting lecture from child psychotherapist
(details tba)

Lecture 8 – University week 23
‘D.W. Winnicott: the child in the clinic and the child of society’
Using a Winnicottian framework, we remain with the seriousness of creativity. We consider Winnicott’s style of interacting with children, and discover how he worked with children who were experiencing difficulties. We also turn to think about how infant observation may have applications beyond the consulting room.

Key Reading:
Winnicott, D.W. (1966) ‘Becoming Deprived as a Fact: A Psychotherapeutic Consultation’ in Journal of Child Psychotherapy. 1(4):5-12.
Trowell, J. (2002) ‘The Wider Applications of Infant Observation’ in The Legacy of Winnicott: Essays on Infant and Child Mental Health. (Ed. Brett Kahr) Karnac Books: pp 79-88.

Lecture 9 – University Week 24
Infant observation applied: psychoanalysis as method.
What is infant observation? We answer this question with reference to a classic paper by Esther Bick, a psychoanalyst who pioneered a new form of naturalistic observation of babies. We pay special attention to the question: how we should understand the relationship between the observer and the observed? Then we go beyond Bick’s early statement however to ask how practices of observation and experiment are central to different research programmes, moving beyond the figure of the child. Specifically, we will study an example of a social science project using a psychoanalytic methodology.

Key Reading:
Bick, E. (1964) ‘Notes on Infant Observation in Psycho-Analytic Training’ in International Journal of Psychoanalysis, 45: pp 558-566.
Urwin, C. (2007) ‘Doing Infant Observation Differently? Researching the formation of mothering identities in an inner London borough’ in Infant Observation, 10:3, pp 239-251.

Recommended Readings:
Brown, J. (2006). ‘Reflexivity in the Research Process: Psychoanalytic Observations’ in Int. J. Social Research Methodology Vol. 9, No. 3, July 2006, pp. 181–197
Robertson, J. (1956). A Mother's Observations on the Tonsillectomy of her Four-Year-Old Daughter’ in The Psychoanalytic Study of the Child, 11: pp 410-433.
Rustin, Margaret. (2009) ‘Esther Bick’s legacy of infant observation at the Tavistock – some reflections 60 years on’ in Infant Observation, 21:1, pp29-41
Rustin, Michael. (2006) ‘Infant observation research: what have we learned so far?’ in Infant Observation, 9:1, pp35-52.

Lecture 10 – University Week 25
‘Playing with Mrs Klein’
In our last class we take a different approach: we read and listen to a play by Nick Wright (Mrs Klein) in order to think about how the figure of the child remains psychically alive well beyond the obvious years of childhood.

Key Reading:
Nick Wright (1988) 'Act One' of Mrs Klein, [on Moodle]

This module will be delivered via: 

• 9 x weekly one-hour lectures by staff, followed by one-hour seminars led by Graduate Teaching Assistants, both from the Department of Psychosocial and Psychoanalytic Studies