Young-Eisendrath and Wiedemann break with the tradition of “deficit thinking,” the examination of what is absent, wrong, or deficient. Recognizing this as a fundamental barrier to the empowerment of women, they work instead from an understanding of what is already strong and satisfying in the lives of women and girls in a patriarchal society. This volume unravels the paradox of female authority through the examination of its sociocultural, symbolic, and personal dimensions. Chapters 1 through 4 present a re-visioning of the female self, using the psychologies of C. G. Jung and Jane Loevinger as major theoretical frameworks. The authors argue for a modification of Jung’s concept of “animus'”—the repressed masculine in the girl or woman—and in chapters 5 through 8 present a detailed model of psychotherapy based on five stages of animus development. Using a wealth of clinical material from their own practices—including two extended case presentations in chapters 9 through 11—the authors skillfully illustrate their own efforts to help women assume greater personal authority. The book’s concluding chapter presents New Texts and Contexts for Female Development.
Unique in its combination of feminist theory, social psychology, and Jungian psychology, FEMALE AUTHORITY offers a fresh approach to the analysis of gender concerns in identity. The book will be of great value to practitioners and theoreticians in the human services.
