Cinderella complex

The Cinderella Complex describes the fear of women before independence. This phenomenon can be defined as a syndrome that is characterized by a specific set of motives or causes.

The term syndrome has been largely used to define manifest in medical conditions. However, the term has been used in recent decades, even outside of medicine and refers to a combination of phenomena seen in association.

Since usually the function of a human adult caregivers decreases when he or she even reaches adulthood, the complex is only visible if necessary.

Defined by Dowling

The Cinderella complex was first described in 1981 by Colette Dowling, who wrote in her book of the same over the fear of women before independence. They described him as an unconscious desire for rgung by others, based on the fear of being independent. In her bestseller she argues that women are afraid of independence and sees the causes in doubt about one's own competence, which are due to the different socialization of boys and girls. Thus women have not learned to deal with their fears. The unconsciously accepted female role, waiting for the savior (as in the fairy tale of Cinderella ) prevents the full development of her faculties and sees evidence of success in fear of women in top jobs the economy.

Dowling identified only one motivation, while the syndrome actually comprises a combination of many motivations that constitute in themselves characteristics that combine to form a complex.

A very important aspect of their work is to find out why women chose to stay in a dysfunctional relationship.

Origin of the name

This complex was named after the fairy tale character Cinderella ( the English equivalent for Cinderella ), known among other things by the Walt Disney animated film Cinderella from the year 1950. Here Dowling sees a woman who is beautiful, graceful and polite, but not strong, independent can have character, and must be rescued from the outside, for example by a man ( a prince ). Interestingly, Cinderella in fairy tales but independence by themselves are not attributable to its intended role, but against the will of her stepmother attended a ball where the prince for a bride out keeps it in Cinderella finally finds after a few tangles. If it is the king's son, the Cinderella finally saved from their predicament circumstances, Cinderella appears in the fairy tale not as a woman who shuns independent decisions, so this choice of name leaves questions open.

Swell

• Colette Dowling (1990 ): The Cinderella Complex: Women 's Hidden Fear of Independence. Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0,671,733,346th

• Gender Studies