Feminist Foremothers in Women's Studies, Psychology, and Mental Health

by Cole; Ellen

• ISBN13: 9781560247678
• ISBN10: 1560247673
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 1996-01-03
• Publisher: Routledge

Summary

Feminist Foremothers in Women's Studies, Psychology, and Mental Health is by and about the more recent wave of feminist foremothers; those who were awakened in the 1960s and '70s to the realization that something was terribly wrong. These are the women who created the fields of feminist therapy, feminist psychology, and women's mental health as they exist today. The 48 women share their life stories in the hope that they will inspire and encourage readers to take their own risks and their own journeys to the outer edges of human possibility. Authors write about what led up to their achievements, what their accomplishments were, and how their lives were consequently changed. They describe their personal stages of development in becoming feminists, from unawareness to activism to action. Some women focus on the painful barriers to success, fame, and social change; others focus on the surprise they experience at how well they, and the women's movement, have done. Some well-known feminist foremothers featured include: Phyllis Chesler Gloria Steinem Kate Millett Starhawk Judy Chicago Zsuszanna Emese Budapest Andrea Dworkin Jean Baker Miller Carol GilliganIn Feminist Foremothers in Women's Studies, Psychology, and Mental Health, many of the women see in hindsight how prior projects and ideas and even dreams were the forerunners to their most important work. They note the importance of sisterhood and the presence of other women and the loneliness and isolation experienced when they don't exist. They note the validation they have received from grassroots feminists in contrast to disbelief from professionals. Although these women have been and continue to be looked up to as foremothers, they realize how little recognition they've been given from society-at-large and how much better off their male counterparts are. Some foremothers write about the feeling of being different, not meshing with the culture of the time and about challenging the system as an outsider, not an insider. These are women who had few mentors, who had to forge their own way, "hit the ground running." Their stories will challenge readers to press on, to continue the work these foremothers so courageously started. Throughout the pages of Feminist Foremothers in Women's Studies, Psychology, and Mental Health runs a sense of excitement and vibrancy of lives lived well, of being there during the early years of the women's movement, of making sacrifices, of taking risks and living to see enormous changes result. Throughout these pages, too, sounds a call not to take these changes for granted but to recognize that feminists, rather than arguing over picayune issues or splitting politically correct hairs, are battling for the very soul of the world.

Table of Contents

Foreword
A Leader of Women	p. 1
Incest: A Journey to Hullabaloo	p. 25
Working with the Light: Women of Vision	p. 33
Working on Gender as a Gender-Nonconformist	p. 43
By My Sisters Reborn	p. 55
Women's Psychology, Goddess Archetypes, and Patriarchy: A Jungian Analyst, Feminist Activist, Visionary Feminist Foremother	p. 71
Notes of a Feminist Therapy "Foredaughter"	p. 87
Spiritual Dandelions	p. 97
The Fitting Room	p. 103
"Weak Ego Boundaries": One Developing Feminist's Story	p. 113
Judy Chicago, Feminist Artist and Educator	p. 125
Becoming a Feminist Foremother	p. 141
Pauline Rose Clance: The Professor from Appalachia	p. 155
Feminist and Activist	p. 163
Fighting Sexual Abuse	p. 171
Bridging Feminism and Multiculturalism	p. 187
"Fag Hags," Firemen and Feminist Theory: Girl Talk on Amtrak	p. 195
Lesbian Feminist Fights Organized Psychiatry	p. 205
A New Voice for Psychology	p. 213
On Being a Feminist and a Psychotherapist	p. 229
Judy Herman: Cleaning House	p. 243
Revolutionizing the Psyche of Patriarchy	p. 251
Feminism: Crying for Our Souls	p. 265
Progress Notes	p. 273
Working with Feminist Foremothers to Advance Women's Issues	p. 283
Enlightened, Empowered and Enjoying It!	p. 291
Feminist Reflections from the Wheat Fields	p. 301
Who Ever Thought I'd Grow Up to Be a Feminist Foremother?	p. 309
When Aphrodite Called I Listened	p. 325
Learning from Women	p. 335
Adventures of a Feminist	p. 347
Foremothers/Foresisters	p. 361
Testing the Boundaries of Justice	p. 373
Words of Honor: Contributions of a Feminist Art Critic	p. 383
Feminist Anthropologist Anointed Foremother!	p. 391
Reminiscences, Recollections and Reflections: The Making of a Feminist Foremother	p. 407
From Suburban Housewife to Radical Feminist	p. 419
Politicizing Sexual Violence: A Voice in the Wilderness	p. 425
A Feminist in the Arab World	p. 435
A Late Awakening	p. 443
Count Me In	p. 459
Reclaiming the Sacred	p. 469
Steps Toward Transformation: A Conversation with Gloria Steinem	p. 477
Catharine R. Stimpson: Charting the Course of Women's Studies Since Its Inception	p. 489
A Woman Undaunted: Bonnie R. Strickland	p. 495
Some Contributions to Feminist Research in Psychology	p. 507
The Transmogrification of a Feminist Foremother	p. 517
An Unlikely Radical	p. 531
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