WELCOME TO WELCOME TO PSYCHOLOGY OF PSYCHOLOGY OF

WOMENWOMEN

Leeat GranekLeeat Granek

Leeat@Yorku.caLeeat@Yorku.ca

Critical Psychology:Critical Psychology:

Seeks to change contemporary Seeks to change contemporary psychology and society on behalf of psychology and society on behalf of “individuals and communities in general “individuals and communities in general and…oppressed groups in particular”and…oppressed groups in particular”

Places emphasis on the moral, social, Places emphasis on the moral, social, and political implications of psychological and political implications of psychological research and practice (e.g., ethics)research and practice (e.g., ethics)

Enhances the focus on subjectivity and Enhances the focus on subjectivity and inter-subjectivityinter-subjectivity

Critiques philosophies and theories in Critiques philosophies and theories in psychologypsychology

What is Feminism?What is Feminism? Socialist feminism:Socialist feminism: many kinds of divisions many kinds of divisions

between groups of people that can lead to between groups of people that can lead to oppression. oppression.

Women of color feminism/ Womanist Women of color feminism/ Womanist feminismfeminism: began with criticism of the white : began with criticism of the white women’s movement for excluding women of color women’s movement for excluding women of color and issues important to them such as poverty, and issues important to them such as poverty, racisms and needs for job, health care, good racisms and needs for job, health care, good school and safe neighborhoods for everyone.school and safe neighborhoods for everyone.

Radical Feminism:Radical Feminism: emphasizes emphasizes male control and domination of male control and domination of women throughout history. women throughout history.

Liberal Feminism:Liberal Feminism: a feminist is a a feminist is a person who believes that women are person who believes that women are entitled to full legal and social entitled to full legal and social equality with men and who favors equality with men and who favors changes in laws, customs and values changes in laws, customs and values to achieve the goal of equality. to achieve the goal of equality.

Cultural FeminismCultural Feminism: emphasizes : emphasizes differences between men and differences between men and women. women.

Global Feminism:Global Feminism: focuses on how focuses on how sexist practices are related across sexist practices are related across cultures and they are connected to cultures and they are connected to neocolonialism and global capitalism. neocolonialism and global capitalism.

What is Feminist What is Feminist Psychology?Psychology?

Feminism places a high value on Feminism places a high value on women, considering women worthy women, considering women worthy of study in their own right and not of study in their own right and not just in comparison with men.just in comparison with men.

Feminism recognizes the need for Feminism recognizes the need for social change on behalf of women: social change on behalf of women: feminist psychology is avowedly feminist psychology is avowedly political.political.

Womanless PsychologyWomanless Psychology

Women’s experiences or Women’s experiences or achievements were too unimportant achievements were too unimportant to be a focus of inquiry (history to be a focus of inquiry (history taught as a litany of accomplishments taught as a litany of accomplishments or works accomplished by men).or works accomplished by men).

Disproportionate and unreflective use Disproportionate and unreflective use of males only as experimental of males only as experimental subjects.subjects.

Failure to examine the impact of Failure to examine the impact of gender when both sexes were used as gender when both sexes were used as subjects.subjects.

Assumption that findings from Assumption that findings from studies of male behavior applied studies of male behavior applied to women;to women;

Lack of attention of gender as a Lack of attention of gender as a category of social reality.category of social reality.

Psychology constructs the Psychology constructs the female, or the fantasy life of the female, or the fantasy life of the male psychologist (with some male psychologist (with some attention to the fantasies of his attention to the fantasies of his friends, the male biologist and friends, the male biologist and the male anthropologist).the male anthropologist).

Naomi WeisstienNaomi Weisstien

““The uselessness of present The uselessness of present psychology with regard to women is psychology with regard to women is simply a special case of the general simply a special case of the general conclusion: one must understand the conclusion: one must understand the social conditions under which women social conditions under which women live if one is going to attempt to live if one is going to attempt to explain the behavior of women. And explain the behavior of women. And to understand the social conditions to understand the social conditions under which women live, one must under which women live, one must be cognizant of the social be cognizant of the social expectations about women.”expectations about women.”

Sex Roles - 1975Sex Roles - 1975 Psychology of Women Quarterly - 1977Psychology of Women Quarterly - 1977 Feminism and Psychology - 1991.Feminism and Psychology - 1991. Association for Women in Psychology – Association for Women in Psychology –

19691969 Division 35, Psychology of Women in APA Division 35, Psychology of Women in APA

- 1977. - 1977.

““In sum, although the “Psychology of In sum, although the “Psychology of women” was established with clear women” was established with clear feminist intentions, a large part of the feminist intentions, a large part of the field is rigidly conventional in its support field is rigidly conventional in its support for the status quo. Much of psychology for the status quo. Much of psychology of women challenges neither the of women challenges neither the institutions and practices of psychology, institutions and practices of psychology, nor the dominant conceptions of women nor the dominant conceptions of women which the discipline constructs and which the discipline constructs and promotes. It does not engage with the promotes. It does not engage with the damage psychology has done too many damage psychology has done too many women’s lives, nor does it struggle to women’s lives, nor does it struggle to end psychology’s continuing end psychology’s continuing oppressions.” (p. 249).oppressions.” (p. 249).

Why did you register to take a course on Psychology of Women? Why did you register to take a course on Psychology of Women?

What issues do you hope will be addressed in this course?What issues do you hope will be addressed in this course?

What women psychologists have you studied thus far in your What women psychologists have you studied thus far in your psychology curriculum?psychology curriculum?

How do you define the term ‘feminism’? Do you and your friends How do you define the term ‘feminism’? Do you and your friends hold a similar definition of this term?hold a similar definition of this term?

Are you a feminist? Why or why not?Are you a feminist? Why or why not?

Why do you believe it is important to have courses on the Why do you believe it is important to have courses on the psychology of women? psychology of women?

Do you believe there should be a course on the Psychology of Do you believe there should be a course on the Psychology of Men? Why or why not?Men? Why or why not?

What kinds of comments have you received from friends and What kinds of comments have you received from friends and family regarding you taking a Psychology of Women course? Why family regarding you taking a Psychology of Women course? Why do you believe your received these comments? How have you do you believe your received these comments? How have you addressed these comments with your friends and family?addressed these comments with your friends and family?

Do you think it would be desirable for women and or men if more Do you think it would be desirable for women and or men if more people identified themselves as feminists? Explain your answer. people identified themselves as feminists? Explain your answer.