FEMINIST PSYCHOLOGY

Feminist psychology is another form of psychology based on the societal structure and gender. Feminist psychology is mainly oriented on the values and principles of feminism. The ultimate objective behind this field of study is to get a clear idea and to understand the individual within the larger social and political aspects of the society.

Feminist psychology was at first discovered by Karen Horney, who is a neo-Freudian psychologist who found a psychology that was based on gender and revealed how gender affected the individuals.

The issues involved in the gender includes the way how people identify their gender (male, female, transgender), how they have been exaggerated by societal structures related to gender (gender hierarchy), the responsibility of the gender in the individual’s life (such as stereotypical gender roles), and any other gender related issues.

The most important topic of study within the feminist psychology is that of differences in the gender which has its main root in the emotions. Generally the feminist psychologists observe emotion as a culturally controlled form and state as “the differences lie in the expression of emotion rather than the actual experience.”

According to the Stereotypes of emotion they view women as the more emotional sex. Feminist psychologists gives us the point that women are only viewed as experiencing reflexive emotions which includes sadness, happiness, fear, and surprise more strongly. When men are viewed they are more likely to convey their emotions in a more dominant nature, such as anger.

Feminist psychologists consider that men and women are being socialized all the way through their lifetimes to view and communicate or express their emotions differently. E.g. From infancy mothers use additional facial expressions when communicating to female babies and use more of emotional words in discussion with them as they get older.

The Psychologists have also found that women, on the whole, are more experienced, skilled at decoding emotion using non-verbal cues which includes facial expressions, tone of voice, and posture.

The AWP or Association for Women in Psychology was formed in the year 1969. The most important reason for creating this organization is for fighting and raising alertness and giving knowledge about feminist issues within the field of psychology.

Questions

• What is feminist therapy and what is the work of feminist therapists?
• What do we come to know from the article written by Horney on feminine psychology?