Gender Crises in Mentoring Theory – A Psychoanalytical Perspective

Mentoring requires a close relationship between mentor and mentee, but what happens when infatuation comes into play? A research paper by Muhammad Abbas, Sami Bajwa, Muhammad Faisal, and Muhammad Ather addresses this by uncovering how infatuation from either the mentor or mentee can challenge the mentoring process. The intersection of gender and infatuation in mentoring dynamics is a new area of inquiry that promises to expand scholarship on mentorship.

Mentoring has a rich historical background, tracing its origins to ancient Greek culture, where it was known as “paideia.” In this ancient context, mentoring encompassed not only the transmission of knowledge and skills but also moral and educational guidance from experienced individuals to younger ones. Over time, this concept has evolved into the modern practice of mentoring, where seasoned professionals, known as mentors, provide guidance, support, and knowledge to less-experienced individuals, or mentees.

While mentoring is widely recognized as a valuable tool for personal and professional development, its effectiveness hinges on the establishment of a strong bond between the mentor and mentee. This bond is crucial for fostering trust, communication, and mutual understanding within the mentoring relationship.

However, despite its importance, the role of gender in shaping this bonding process has received limited attention in research. In response to this gap, Muhammad Abbas and colleagues conducted a groundbreaking study to investigate how infatuation between mentors and mentees disrupts the bonding process in mentoring relationships. Drawing on insights from psychoanalytical theory, their research explores the complex interplay between unconscious desires and gender dynamics within these relationships.

The study explores triggers for infatuation in mentor-mentee relationships, highlighting the mentee’s persona and perceived similarity as key factors. Personalities influence likability and emulation between mentors and mentees, while desired traits and perceived similarity enhance chemistry and unconscious liking between them. However, in cultures where such relationships are taboo, such as Pakistan, the infatuated individual often tries to cope with these feelings by either exiting the mentoring relationship or avoiding the feelings altogether. Suppressing feelings of infatuation or attraction not only hinders professional growth but also contributes to negative outcomes for both mentors and mentees, creating a gender crisis in mentoring theory.