A one day conference on Gender, Identity and Individuation

Saturday 25 May 2024 at 10 am in “Kulturhuset Indre By”, Charlotte Ammundsens Plads 3, 1359 København K

See the program for details on mandatory registration and payment.

Lessons Learned from Children – The Relevance of Gender in Today’s Practice

A new perspective on early individuation seeing e.g. nightmares of preschoolers as an expression of a first individuation crisis and part of the child’s separation from the symbiosis with the containing mother/motherly.
In a patriarchal culture the hero has been commonly assumed to be the source of support at this stage. But the daughter archetype plays an underexposed and vital role in the girl’s individuation. It is this, the female counterpart to the hero, that enables girls – supported by father and imaginatio – to liberate themselves and meet the demands for adjustment to the fatherly world while
gendering their ego in a feminine way.
Also, for the boys the female hero along with the hero, seems to play a part in their separation process and continued openness to the other sex/gender.
Based in classical and new Jungian theory, Jetthe Fabioola presents empirical material gathered during an anthropological fieldwork in a Danish primary school, including dreams, drawings and narratives to show, how male and female hero emerge and support the children in resolving the developmental and individuation crisis they encounter as they enter into the educational system.

Exploring the Individuation of Sexuality: Insights into Archetypes, Culture, and Gender

Individuation is the psyche’s own process of psychological development with a goal of self-realization.
Jung defined it as the transformative journey where an individual evolves into a psychological entity, a unified whole. Beyond the realm of personal development, individuation extends its influence into broader aspects of human existence, such as religious and sexual practices.
This presentation by Mei Fun-Kuang explores how the concept of sexuality undergoes individuation, a phenomenon that mirrors the ongoing development within individual lives. In the second century of the information age, where the desire to categorize and label everything is prevalent, we find ourselves surrounded by an information shadow.
While we have names for sex, gender, and sexual orientation, the crucial question arises: how do these labels contribute to the individuation of sexuality?
The presentation provides an overview of the concept and process of individuation of sexuality, delving into the intricate interplay between archetypes, culture, and gender. Drawing on research from Asia, the amplification of animal fairy tales, and clinical examples, we explore the diverse facets of sexuality and its connection to the individuation process.