The Psychology of Gender

The Psychology of Gender, in its attempt to understand all of the issues surrounding gender and gender issues, does not give preference to one specific viewpoint or approach. Instead, the chapter authors vary both in how they view gender and in how they support their view: Some address broad sweeping theories of gender, while others focus on a specific issue. The book is divided into three separate but distinctly related sections. Chapters in the first section address how gender affects our thoughts and behavior. The second section explores broad theories of why the two genders appear to be different; and finally, the third section illustrates how gender operates in biological and cultural ways. Each of these sections is steeped in both theory and data with chapters written by distinguished authorities. Together, their contributions provide a uniquely comprehensive, interdisciplinary view of the many controversial issues that surround the topic of gender.Providing a valuable framework for the study of gender, this book illuminates the social and scholarly debates that have profound implications for the way men and women perceive themselves, and how these perceptions affect their relationships at work, with their children, and with each other. It will interest clinicians and researchers, academics, and informed general readers alike. Clearly written and well integrated, it serves as text for courses in the psychology of gender and as supplementary reading for introductory courses in psychology, social psychology and sociology.