Feminism Project

1. Feminism Project Bethany Price-Morato and Matt Fleming

2. What is feminism? • Affirmative-Action Feminism • Anti-Feminism • Amazon Feminism • Anarcho Feminism • 'Boss Tweed' Feminism • Catholic Feminism • Christian Feminists • Constructionist Feminism • Cultural Feminism • Difference Feminism • Dominance Feminism • Eco Feminism • Equity Feminism • Erotic Feminism • Femicommie • Feminazi French Feminism Gender Feminism Hegemonic Feminism Individualist, or Libertarian Feminism Lesbianism Lesbianism — 30+ sexual orientations Liberal Feminism Libertarian Feminism Marxist Feminism Material Feminism Matriarchal Separatist Feminism Moderate Feminism Pod Feminist Pop Feminism Post-modernist Feminism Power Feminism Pro-Family Advocates Pro-Feminist Men Pro-Life feminists Pro-Sex Feminists Radical Feminism Redfem Resenter (angry at men) Feminism Separatists Socialist Feminism Survivor-Feminism Total Rej (total rejection) Feminism Vegetarian Feminists Victim Feminism Women of Color Feminism (Womanism)

3. “Feminisms” "We can't even agree on what a 'Feminist' is...Feminism in America has come to mean anything you like, honey. There are as many definitions of feminism as there are feminists, some of my sisters say, with a chuckle. I don't think it's funny." Carmen Vasquez, Towards A Revolutionary Ethics

4. Brief Herstory of Feminism in the United States • 1848 Seneca Falls, NY--Declaration of Sentiments • 1890 Wyoming --First women voters • 1900 All states pass Women’s Property Act • 1918 Birth control advice allowed • 1938 Minimum wage regardless of gender • 1960 Marks beginning of ‘second wave’

5. Timeline for Feminism Suffrage Movement Begins First Wave Second Wave Suffrage Movement Begins Suffrage Movement Begins Third Wave

6. Major Issues in Feminism(s) • Social and Political Equality • Reproductive Rights • Domestic Violence • Sexism, Racism, Class-ism, Heterosexism, Able-ism, and other “isms.”

7. Feminist Cartoons and Images

8. Feminism and Therapy • Naomi Weisstein (1968) • Validation of sexist biases about women • Personality traits vs. social context • ‘Essential differences’ between men & women • Phyllis Chesler (1972) • Emphasis on illness and pathology rather than strength and coping • ‘masculinity’ = health

9. Feminism and Therapy • Chesler (1972) • Mother as ideal woman or mother to blame? • Women’s promiscuity viewed as cause for abuse, therefore responsible for own suffering • Psychotherapeutic relationship protecting status quo in a male dominated society • reinforces sexism, bias, heterosexism, and racism

10. Feminism and Therapy • “The psychotherapeutic encounter is just one more instance of an unequal relationship, just one more opportunity to be rewarded for expressing distress and to be ‘helped’ by being (expertly) dominated.” • Phyllis Chesler (1972)

11. Feminism and Therapy • Some change in degree of gender gap in psychotherapy, but recent research also finds stereotypes in therapy • How do therapists view women? • hypothetical rating of male and female • healthy female rated less independent, more submissive, less adventurous, less aggressive, less competitive, and more easily influenced than healthy male

12. Do Traditional Therapies work for Women? • Traditional Approaches through the feminist lens • Psychoanalytic • Humanistic • CBT • Family Systems Therapy • Interpersonal Therapy • Postmodernism, constructivism, and Narrative Therapies

13. Traditional Approaches • Psychodynamic Approaches • Women viewed as appendages to men • “Electra complex,” “penis envy” • Object relations and Self Psychology • Jungian Archetypal Psychology • focus of “feminine psychology” • “heal the wounded feminine”

14. Traditional approaches... • Humanistic Therapies • Person-Centered Therapy • Emphasizes autonomy, realizing individual potential, self-directedness, etc. • Unconditional positive regard with clients viewed as their own best experts (Rogers, 1951) • Gestalt Therapy • Encourages expression of strong emotions and responsibility for actions • Addresses social context

15. Traditional Approaches... • Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy • Early use to resocialize women in becoming aware of rights and negative self-beliefs • Retrain women in redirecting their power in productive ways, influencing environments • Many positive aspects of CBT with women • Fair amount of critique

16. Traditional approaches... • Assertiveness Training • Serves as an important tool for women • But holds a narrow definition of ‘correct’ assertive responses • View human rights as independent from complex gender role context • Assertive speech typically resembles stereotypically masculine behavior • May encourage individualism over interdependence

17. Treatment for disorders specific to women • Depression • Eating disorders • Coping with trauma • Borderline personality disorder

18. Traditional Approaches... • Family Systems Therapy • Interpersonal Therapy • Postmodernism, constructivism, and Narrative Therapies

19. Feminist Therapy • Essential Elements • Empowerment • Respect • Gender Sensitivity • Activism

20. Feminist Therapy • “The personal is political.” • Considerations • Power Differentials • Context • Socio-Cultural Factors • Therapeutic Relationship

21. Video • Discussion of Feminist Therapy in Practice • Post session discussion with Lenore Walker

22. Video 2 • Can a man be a feminist therapist? • Male therapist role plays feminist techniques with two feminist therapists.

23. Feminist Therapy • Applications and Special Populations • Family Therapy • Domestic Violence • Prison Populations • Disabled Clients • Women of Color • LGBT • Life Cycle Changes

24. Discussion • Gender Relevant Health Issues • Ethical Practice • Integrating Feminist Principles in General Practice • Men as Feminists

25. PMDD