Over the last two decades, a rich, diverse, yet sometimes contradictory body of research has been gathered under the general rubric of "psychology of women." This burgeoning literature represents several disciplines, among them psychology, psychiatry, sociology, political science, and women's studies. To bring sense to this agglomeration of views, both for the layperson and the student, the author looks at research in this area as a social process and refutes the notion that science can be objective about its search for universal truths. She asks us to reflect on how we choose among explanations of behavior, calling the need to examine the psychology of women in a social and historical context. Throughout the book, Riger reveals how interpretive frameworks shape how we perceive research findings. Her central theme suggests that social factors shape the meaning and experience of biological femaleness.

Stephanie Riger reveals how interpretive frameworks influence how we perceive research findings when dealing with the study of female behaviour. The author asks the reader to consider how he, or she, chooses amongst a range of explanations for behaviour.

Gender and Culture in Psychology introduces new approaches to the psychological study of gender that bring together feminist psychology, socio-cultural psychology, discursive psychology and critical psychology. It presents research and theory that embed human action in social, cultural and interpersonal contexts. The book provides conceptual tools for thinking about gender, social categorization, human meaning-making, and culture. It also describes a family of interpretative research methods that focus on rich talk and everyday life. It provides a close-in view of how interpretative research proceeds. The latter part of the book showcases innovative projects that investigate topics of concern to feminist scholars and activists: young teens' encounters with heterosexual norms; women and men negotiating household duties and childcare; sexual coercion and violence in heterosexual encounters; the cultural politics of women's weight and eating concerns; psychiatric labelling of psychological suffering; and feminism in psychotherapy.

What is object-relations theory and what does it have to do with literary studies? How can Freud's phallocentric theories be applied by feminist critics? In Psychoanalysis and Gender: An Introductory Reader Rosalind Minsky answers these questions and more, offering students a clear, straightforward overview without ever losing them in jargon. In the first section Minsky outlines the fundamentals of the theory, introducing the key thinkers and providing clear commentary. In the second section, the theory is demonstrated by an anthology of seminal essays which includes: * Feminity by Sigmund Freud * Envy and Gratitude by Melanie Klein * An extract from Transitional Objects and Transitional Phenomena by Donald Winnicot * The Meaning of the Phallus by Jacques Lacan * An extract from Women's Time by Julia Kristeva * An extract from Speculum of the Other Woman by Luce Irigaray

Well-grounded in research, this accessible book presents psychology as it has been transformed and is being transformed by women. It discusses the changes that a feminist vision of psychology has made in everything from the methods used to the topics studied. With its solid grounding in contemporary feminist scholarship, this book focuses on important issues such as violence against women, health psychology, work-family balance, development across the life-course, and sexist discrimination.Written to be reader-friendly, the book weaves a cohesive story that delivers its main points in a clear and straightforward manner. And, rather than separating womenOs experiences by stereotyped subgroups, this book integrates the diversity of womenOs experiences to present as inclusive a picture as possible of women and womenOs lives. An essential reference on feminist influence in psychology for every professional in psychology and sociology.

Part 1. INTRODUCTION 1. Paving the Way Part 2. GENDER IN SOCIAL CONTEXT 2. Gender, Status, and Power 3. Images of Women 4. The Meanings of Difference Part 3. GENDER AND DEVELOPMENT 5. Sex, Gender and Bodies 6. Gendered Identities: Childhood And Adolescence 7. In a Woman's Body Part 4.

Drawing on postmodernist scepticism about what we know and how we know it and on recent developments in the philosophy of science and feminist theory, this book offers a new perspective on the meaning of gender, one that is not determined by the traditional focus on male-female differences.

This book investigates the complex strands that inextricably link gender and power relations, demonstrating how gender is constructed through the practices of power. The contributors argue that female' and male' are shaped not only at the micro-level of everyday social interaction but also at the macro-level where social institutions control and regulate the practice of gender. Power/Gender explores: how theorizing on power is affected when gender is taken into account; post-Foucauldian theory of gender and power; whether it is possible to separate gender and power; the connections between gender and the practice of power in political contexts, and how these connections work in the specific contexts of women's lives; and whether the construction of sex or gender is an expression of power relations.

A collection of papers addressing racism, classism, sexism, and heterosexism in family therapy and developmental psychology. Simultaneously co-published as Journal of Feminist Family Therapy, v.10, no.1, 1998. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Transformations of Gender and Race will help you become a better therapist by arming you with new theories and practices that concern inclusiveness of identity, psyche, and culture in the therapy room. This book radically shifts current thinking in systemic theory and practice with individuals, children, couples, and families, giving you a fresh perspective on working with your clients of all cultural backgrounds and both genders. In Transformations of Gender and Race: Family and Developmental Perspectives, you’ll discover superb contemporary thinking in cultural studies, post-colonial theory, gender theory, queer theory, and clinical and research work with numerous populations who have been overlooked and undertheorized. You’ll gain a wealth of knowledge and expertise from its contributors who have been immersed in the issues they address. The chapters in Transformations of Gender and Race provide a superb, state-of-the-art bibliography of contemporary thinking in cultural studies, post-colonial theory, and clinical and research work with numerous populations who have been “overlooked and undertheorized.” The new paradigms dicussed and practiced in Transformations in Gender and Race encourage cultural multiplicity, inclusiveness, and understanding. A pallete of contemporary thinking, this insightful book will guide you in: how to bring diversity into the lived experience of young children numerous theoretical paradigms couples therapy men’s work and children addressing the intersections of gender, race, class, and culture in the therapy room transformations regarding race and gender the inclusiveness of feminism A wealth of expertise and sharp observation that reaches out to enrich and humanize therapy practices, Transformations of Gender and Race addresses the interactions between gender, class, race, sexual orientation, and age. Creative and in-depth, this volume articulates a perspective that connects all of these contexts of potential oppression and privilege. You will gain a deeper understanding of numerous theoretical paradigms for working with couples, individuals, and children that will improve your practice.