In a different voice: Psychological theory and women's development

In a different voice: Psychological theory and women's development

Introduction

The purpose of this study is to write a book report on the Carol Gilligan's “In a different Voice, Psychological theory and women's development published by Harvard University press. First published in 1982, this classic book challenges the traditional way of looking at women's psychological development, focusing on the importance of relationships in women's lives. Still important today, the book looks at voice, which the author defines as "something like what people mean when they speak of the core of the self. Voice is natural and also cultural. And voice is a powerful psychological instrument and channel, connecting inner and outer worlds." What a person says and doesn't say and how she says it tell much about an individual and how she views herself in relation to others (Gilligan, 1982). In the next section, we will examine the author's qualification and also provide a brief summary of key points stated in the book. We will also assess the author's objectives and the extent to which the author's objectives were fulfilled in the book. Finally, we will provide a conclusion that includes overall rating of the importance of this book to the study of the history of psychology.

Discussion & Analysis

Carol Gilligan was born in New York City in 1936. She attended Swarthmore College, majoring in literature and graduating in 1958. Afterwards, she attended Radcliffe College, obtaining her master's degree in clinical psychology in 1960. She ultimately earned a doctorate in social psychology from Harvard University in 1964. After earning her doctorate, Gilligan began teaching at Harvard, where she worked with renowned psychologists Erik Erikson and Lawrence Kohlberg. While working as a research assistant for Kohlberg, Gilligan noted that his research techniques were heavily biased toward white males. With this in mind, she started to study the moral development of girls. In 1982, Gilligan published her most well-known book, centered on the topic of female development, In a Different Voice: Psychological Theory and Women's Development. Her book stressed that men and women are psychologically different; Gilligan maintained that men tend to think in terms of rules, while women think in terms of caring and relationships (Gilligan, 1982).

The book started a movement known as “difference feminism.” Gilligan received tenure from Harvard University in 1986. She then taught in Cambridge, England, from 1992 through 1994. Later in her career, she developed the Listening Guide Method, a technique for interpreting meaning from the subject's verbal retelling of a personal experience. She also wrote and edited several other books about the psychology and development of women and girls. Gilligan received the Grawemeyer Award in Education in 1992 and the Heinz Award in 1998. Ms. magazine named her Woman of the Year in 1984, and in 1996 she was one of Time magazine's twenty-five most influential people.

In this extraordinary book, Gilligan clearly demonstrates that major psychological theories explaining adult development have ignored women's “voices” or perceptions and ...