Lectures on the Psychology of Women

Book excerpt: Twenty-two distinct essays, prepared especially for Lectures on the Psychology of Women, present readers with topics often not covered in depth in standard texts. Essays are written by feminist psychologists, all of whom are active and committed teachers and researchers within the psychology of women. More than half the lectures are new to this edition, and the others have been significantly updated to include recent research and contemporary examples. The book’s organization aligns with core texts, making it ideal supplemental reading. However, each lecture stands alone, so instructors can assign readings to meet their own course needs. Part I on the diversity of women includes lectures on women with disabilities, social class, immigration, relational race privilege, aging, sexual fluidity, and mothering. Part II delves into body images and female embodiment, with lectures covering such topics as the sexualization of girls, PMS, weight and body image, media representations of Black women, genital anxieties, and the hairless ideal. Part III addresses women’s physical and mental health with lectures on depression, multicultural therapy, Black women’s health in the U.S., and institutional corruption in psychiatry. Part IV focuses on discrimination, control, and violence against women with lectures on slut-shaming, online gender harassment, and microaggressions. Part V on social justice and activism includes lectures on awareness of intersectional identities, and the relation between the psychology of women and feminist activism.