Feminist psychology: the psychology of gender

Feminist psychology: the psychology of gender

What is feminism? 

Why is it so important to us? 

What is relevant to it in our society? 

Is it related to women only? If not so! Then how is it related to men or other genders too?

What psychology deals with the feministic perspective? What societal role it challenges in everyday life.

Feminism is all about equal rights and opportunities across genders. Gender is different from sex as sex is tied to the difference between male and female based on biology, where gender is linked to social processes governing the differences between male and female. In psychology, social processes, social learning, socialization is associated with traits, internal cognitive structures. It is a social-psychological expectation imposed on the biological sexes to perform in particular individual characteristics and behavior. Feminism advocates breaking these unfair social constraints and promote equality among sexes.

Two different components of feminism

• Equal rights and respect for all men and women
• Women are in a disadvantaged position compared to men in terms of rights and respect.

There is a great divide between men and women in our social, political, and economic systems. Both conscious and unconscious gender bias is prevalent within us. Many of us aren’t aware of this. Many of us aren’t clear about the idea of the real situation. The beliefs are profoundly personal and personal rather than on scientific data and research surrounding the issue.

Intersectionality and inclusivity are core parts of today’s feminism. It acknowledges not only gender interplay but also race, class, caste, age, religion, or ethnicity-based discrimination.

Feminism is not about hating men. It also not about women being better than men. It is about equality among all genders.

Feminist therapy

Feminist therapy is equally beneficial for both men and women. Men are also suffering from gender and social role constraints in demands of autonomy, competition, and strength. They are not allowed to express sensitivity, vulnerability, and empathy. The patriarchal society, gender stereotypes, and limiting culture equally are exploiting to all but in a different way. This therapy is helpful to understand issues related to emotions, intimacy, self-disclosure.

Four main philosophies of feminists include,

Socialist feminists: emphasize the change in institutional and social relationships

Radical feminists: focus on the change in gender relations, social institutions, and also about the awareness of women about their desires and sexuality.

Cultural feminists: talk about the recognition of devalued and damaging viewed of society about women.

Liberal feminists: talk about individuals and obstructions they facing towards self-awareness, self-esteem, self-respect.

All these philosophies are integrated over a common goal of equality.

Feminist therapy has four major approaches

consciousness-raising: awareness of the role of oppression and its socialization contributes to personal distress and dysfunction and also talks about the solution about creating change at an individual and social level.

Social and gender role analysis: evaluation of a client’s psychological distress and coping mechanism in everyday social life.

Resocialization: reorganizing the belief system of the client.

And social activism: speaking out, protesting, campaigning in public spaces.

Gerald Corey described five core principles “the personal is political that undergo social change”, “egalitarian relationship between therapist and client”, “the honor of women’s experiences and intuitions”, “defining the internal and external factors of distress and mental illness”, “both men and women are victims of stereotypes and oppressions”.

Later, Lenore walker defined six tenets of feminist therapy theory: “egalitarian relationships, power, enhancement of women’s strength, non-pathology oriented and non-victim blaming, education, and acceptance and validation of feelings”.

In 1992, Bohan framed the guidelines for the practitioner of feminist therapy. A practitioner should have knowledge of gender role socialization, power distribution within family and society, the sexist context within society, should not be conditioned with cultural and gender stereotypes, intervention skills in gender role, and committed toward the elimination of gender role biases.

There are certain limitations and criticism of the therapy as well. Feminist therapists are biased toward a particular view. Clients should be responsible for their actions and experiences that should not be shifted to blame society.

No practitioner should direct or tell someone to choose a certain “right” way of viewing things.

Conclusion

Human society is continuously evolving with the inventions of science, theories, and environments. The unsustainable and rigid approaches should be broken down. Society should be flexible enough to bring a healthy lifestyle irrespective of gender, race, caste, class, and culture. Feminist psychology is one of the approaches to bring more inclusiveness in society with respect to gender. The more inclusive is society is more stable it becomes.

 

Pardeep Kumar