INTERNATIONAL 8th USBİLİM EDUCATION, ECONOMY, MANAGEMENT AND SOCIAL SCIENCES CONGRESS
SEPARATION-INDIVIDUATION JOURNEY: LIFE OF MARGARET MAHLER AND HER THEORETICAL LEGACY
Yazarlar:
Fatma Zehra DOĞAN
Yayıncı:
Akademik Paylaşım Platformu Publishing House - APP Publications
This study focuses on the life story of Margaret Mahler and delves into her significant contributions to psychoanalytic literature, particularly her renowned Separation-Individuation Theory. Mahler, a Jewish psychoanalyst and physician, made noteworthy strides in the 20th century within the realms of child development and child psychoanalysis. Mahler's groundbreaking Separation-Individuation Theory stands as one of the most important theories in child psychoanalysis and development. In her theory, Mahler conceptualizes separation and individuation as two complementary developmental processes. The premise of separation lies in the initial assumption that the child exists within a dyadic unity with the mother, from which the child gradually separates psychologically. Individuation encompasses processes such as the autonomy of the self, the formation of memory regarding differences, and the development of perception, knowledge, and testing capabilities. Within her theory, Mahler posits that the infant's process of separation and individuation unfolds through distinct stages, including the normal autistic, symbiotic, and separation- individuation periods. This study systematically examines and analyzes these stages. Mahler's division of the initial 36 months of a child's life into these periods has effectively addressed numerous uncertainties and ambiguities prevalent in child psychoanalysis. Nevertheless, Mahler, while making groundbreaking contributions, couldn't entirely detach herself from the preceding school of thought and the Western cultural context to which she belonged. Some of the definitions incorporated into her theory and her inability to fully sever ties with the intellectual lineage and cultural milieu led to criticism within the psychoanalytic community. This study briefly touches upon Mahler's life story, subsequently scrutinizes the Separation-Individuation Theory, and concludes by addressing critiques directed at the theory.
