Psychoanalytic Aspects of the Influence of the Father's Role on a Man's Professional Path

Abstract to the graduate qualification work. Theme: “ Psychoanalytic aspects of the influence of the father's role on a man's professional path”. The purpose of this master's thesis is to identify the psychoanalytic aspects of the influence of the father figure on the formation in an adult male’s understanding of his professional path and emotional ways of living and overcoming obstacles encountered along this path. The theoretical part of the work is based on the psychoanalytic concept of the authors of early and late psychoanalysis. The psychoanalytic view of the father figure, the description of paternal functions, the influence of the father on the formation of the personality structure, the importance of the Oedipus complex as the core of this structure are considered. An important aspect of the study of this problematic is also the significance of the maternal figure, the inseparable connection of its representation with the father in the context of the triadic system of psychosexual development of the individual. The empirical part of the work consists of qualitative research using the BNIM method and analysis of the obtained psychoanalytic material in interpretive groups. The study involved middle-aged men in middle management positions who are actively building their careers in a corporate environment. Based on the spontaneous speech of the study participants, their subjective perception of their career, and their attitude towards emerging authority figures, it is possible to identify the nuances of the passage of Oedipus. The work of the analytical group, first of all, was aimed at comparing the dynamics of the choices that a person made or did not make, at identifying his defense mechanisms, at discovering the connection between the presence or absence of a father figure in a boy’s life and the construction of his unique professional path in adulthood . From the point of view of practical significance, the work may be useful for psychoanalytic coaches. It gives a deeper understanding of the influence of a supporting male figure on a man’s life in general, on the construction and development of his career in particular, and also allows one to predict the features of emotional behavior on this career path. The methodology used in the study can help in the work of a psychoanalytic business consultant.