Amina Mahmood (The University of Iowa)
Jessica Barnack (University of Wisconsin-Madison)
Katharine Hahn (University of Kentucky)

Consistent with Dr. Cynthia de las Fuentas' (past president of Division 35) presidential initiative to “make feminism relevant” to diverse people, the American Psychological Association of Graduate Students (APAGS) and The Society for the Psychology of Women (Division 35) began to collaborate on a project that encourages graduate students to attend and write about feminist-relevant APA Convention programs at the 2005 APA Convention in Washington, DC. This collaboration was reestablished for the 2007 convention. Participants were selected by Jessica Barnack and Katharine Hahn (Division 35 representatives), and Amina Mahmood (APAGS Member-at-Large Diversity Focus). These graduate students reviewed feminist-relevant convention programs sponsored by APAGS and Division 35 and submitted reflective reviews of programs attended. Below are the review pieces submitted as a result of the collaboration. If you have any questions or suggestions for future Making Feminism Relevant collaborations, click here to contact Amina Mahmood, Jessica Barnack, or Katharine Hahn.

For a look at the 2005 APAGS/Division 35 Collaboration Reviews click here.

Fear of Losing Control: Power, Perfectionism, and the Psychology of Women
Reviewer(s):
Elizabeth Adams, Gallaudet University

Spirita: Reclaiming the Sacredness in Feminism
Reviewer(s):
Katie Edwards, Ohio University

New Research on the Effects of Viewing Objectified and Sexualized Body Images in the Media
Reviewer(s):
Valerie N. Fallon, Spalding University

Non-Traditional Students: Their Obstacles, Their Strengths
Reviewer(s):
Jae Yeon Jeong, The University of Memphis

Navigating Having Children at Different Developmental Stages of Academia
Reviewer(s):
Lauren Maltby, Rosemead School of Psychology

Fear of Losing Control: Power, Perfectionism, and the Psychology of Women
Reviewer(s):
Elizabeth Adams, Gallaudet University

The challenges that we face as women and feminists today are different than the revolutionaries before us. In the 19th century, with the first wave of feminism, a systematic ideology began to emerge. Second wave feminists continued a movement that changed laws, relationships, and ideologies through the 1960s and 1970s. With great strides taken, the work of feminists is not complete. The implications of a patriarchal society run deep and the oppression is systematic. Today’s feminists must closely examine the subtleties and cultural forces that exist in our society that strip women of ownership and power and promote sexism and inequality.

Joan Chrisler, Ph.D., is an internationally recognized researcher and writer in the areas of women’s health, body image, gender roles and psychology of women. Dr. Chrisler’s work considers the experience of women both individually and collectively, and closely examines the attitudes and beliefs in our society that shape the way women are perceived and treated. Dr. Chrisler examines the social cognitions that contribute to the oppression of women. In Dr. Chrisler’s presentation, she examined the attitudes and beliefs related to control. The presentation focused on women’s reported fear of losing control and how this perceived fear contributes to disordered eating and the notion of Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS).

Dr. Chrisler pointed out the numerous ways that fear of losing control is associated and expressed with women. Phrases like “I feel out of control,” “the feelings seemed uncontrollable,” it “feels like someone else is taking over” are commonly associated descriptions women give when describing eating habits and PMS symptoms. There is a definite presence of the concept of control in dieting. Dr. Chrisler noted that women that binge eat are often described as “out of control” while faithful dieters are described as “in control” who “restrict” and practice “controlled eating.” The connection between the concept of control and PMS is also evident, as women report feeling “out-of control” when describing PMS symptoms. During her presentation, Dr. Chrisler posed the important question: “What are they afraid they can’t control?”

Dr. Chrisler asserted that what these women are afraid of is being themselves. When women report a fear of “losing control” in relation to eating and emotions, they are reporting that they do not feel as though they have a right to experience and respond naturally. Eating, having an appetite, relaxing, being sexual and feeling emotions are natural, and the expectations that are placed on women to alter these human responses are unnatural.

The lecture also encouraged us to examine how society influences a variety of factors related to self-monitoring including standards, monitoring and ability and strength. Society interferes with all three variables in systematic ways that oppress women and encourage an external locus of control. Society sets unrealistic standards for beauty ideals and sends clear messages about expectations related to behavior. Women are expected to regulate their emotions, and stay in line with gender expectations. The expectations related to work, dual roles, physical appearance and behavior create an overwhelming pressure for perfection. Additionally, women have less power, status and position in our society. Dr. Chrisler noted that women are not empowered to control the self. In many situations, there is an expected external locus of control. Cultural beliefs about who can control what are evident in our society. Women are often victims of such atrocities as abuse and violence, where the power and locus of control is taken. Additionally, women are not encouraged to have the power, thus further encouraging a lack of control.

What is the fear of losing control? Dr. Chrisler states that this fear is an internalized oppression that operates to systematically deprive women from being their authentic selves. Dr. Chrisler’s work encourages us to re-examine our definitions of control and empower ourselves to live authentically, combating the cultural forces that encourage us to self-regulate. As we confront and contemplate our challenges as feminists today, we would be wise to carefully examine these constructs, and demand the right to be ourselves.

Dr. Chrisler will be publishing an article on this subject in an upcoming volume of Psychology of Women Quarterly.

Spirita: Reclaiming the Sacredness in Feminism
Reviewer(s):
Katie Edwards, Ohio University

This year’s Annual Meeting of the American Psychological Association provided attendees with a plethora of enriching programming. However, the most memorable talk I attended at the Convention was given by Dr. Lillian Comas-Díaz, a renown ethnocultural psychologist. Her talk, “Spirita: Reclaiming the Sacredness in Feminism,” was an invited address associated with her receipt of the Carolyn Wood Sherif Award—given to outstanding women demonstrating excellence in scholarship, teaching, mentorship, and leadership. Nevertheless, Dr. Comas-Díaz did not take full credit for her accomplishments. In fact, she began her talk asserting that by giving her this Award, Division 35 was also giving it to her “Womanist/Mujerista Village.” When she asked all of the women in her Village that were present in the audience to stand, the professional and personal connectedness of this group was felt by all in the room.

After describing the collective nature of her award, Dr. Comas-Díaz introduced Spirita, a concept emanating from the Womanist and Mujerista movements. As clarified by Dr. Comas-Díaz, the Womanist movement embodies women of color’s feminism and reality, which underscores the intersection of multiple identities and oppressions. The Mujerista movement signifies Latina feminism and reality, which amalgamates feminism, Latin American liberation theology, and folk spirituality. Taken together, Spirita represents fighting against multiple oppressions, striving for universal liberation, experiencing spirituality as a (r)evolution, working towards social justice, and honoring the sacredness in everyday life.

Dr. Comas-Díaz delineated how feminist spirituality differs from Spirita. For example, whereas the former focuses on self-liberation, cross-cultural borrowing, and the goddess within, the latter underscores collective liberation, cultural inclusion, and sacredness. Alice Walker’s famous quote, “womanist is to feminist as purple is to lavender”, reverberated throughout this discussion. Dr. Comas-Díaz concluded her talk emphasizing that Spirita infuses feminism with various dynamics, including ethnogender resilience, crossroads perspective, syncretistic consciousness, unity for oppressed individuals, gifts of power, and a feeling of sacredness. Unlike most conference talks, Dr. Comas-Díaz’s presentation was infused with Womanist/Mujerista-inspired art, poetry, and literature, which added an element of emotionality to her presentation and underscored the importance of thinking from an interdisciplinary and multi-cultural framework.

At the end of the talk, Dr. Comas-Díaz encouraged participants to ask questions and engage in collaborative dialogue. During this time, an audience member asked Dr. Comas-Díaz about her own personal process. Her response was brief, yet profound: “I did not find the Black Madonna. She found me.” Dr. Comas-Díaz went on to describe her journey as a “wonderful ride,” a process of rejection, exploration, re-naming, and incorporation. For those of you who did not have the pleasure of attending this talk, I encourage you, as Dr. Comas-Díaz encouraged me and other attendees, to consider your multiple identities and how they contribute to your own spiritual journey.

New Research on the Effects of Viewing Objectified and Sexualized Body Images in the Media
Reviewer(s):
Valerie N. Fallon, Spalding University

Magazine images showed women who were pencil-thin trying to lose weight. A photograph depicted a model in sexy lingerie pretending to be dead as part of the show “America’s Top Model.” Pictures were presented of women with suckers in their mouths attempting to look like sexy children. These images are similar in that they display an unrealistic “ideal” body image. Also, objectification and violence toward women is shown as being sexy. I feel this type of research is relevant to feminism due to the negative presentation of women that exists in the media which makes some women feel inferior.

Murnen, and Levine of Kenyon College presented their study, “Do fashion magazines promote body dissatisfaction in girls and women? A meta-analytic review.” This study examined correlational research which related media consumption to attitudes about the body and eating habits. Results suggested that females are generally more affected by the media than are males, magazines as opposed to television have more of an effect on women, and fashion magazines and internalization of symptoms produced the largest effect size. The negative effects of the media on some women is concerning, in my opinion.

Since the media almost exclusively portrays white women, it had been theorized that women of color would experience a “buffer effect,” from ideas of body dissatisfaction, and feelings of low sexual attractiveness. Natalie Sabik and Elizabeth Cole from the University of Michigan studied Caucasian, African American, and Asian women using measures of ethnic identity and multiple tests of body dissatisfaction. Overall, African-American women were more satisfied in areas of sexual attractiveness, weight, negative thoughts and drive for thinness although not at a significant level. Also, ethnic identity was associated with high body satisfaction, but not with sexual attractiveness in African-American women. This refutes the “buffer hypothesis” as it would have suggested that African-American women would have high levels of both. The research team indicated that more research was needed due to lack of studies which look at body image in women of color. Psychologists concerned with women’s issues should conduct research using women of diverse backgrounds to combat the effects media images have on all women.

Media images also affect men’s views of violence toward women. Lamb and Machia of St. Michael’s College presented “Sexualization of girlhood: Do ads affect attitudes about sexual abuse?” Researchers hypothesized that looking at pictures of women looking like young girls would affect participants’ attitudes about sexual abuse more than would looking at pictures of sexy adult women. Participants in this study viewed pictures of nature (control group), of sexy adult women, and of women looking like children. The Child Sexual Abuse Myth scale was given to all participants. The results found that viewing pictures of sexy women, regardless if they attempted to dress like young girls, increased scores on the Child Sexual Abuse Myth scale.

This symposium discussed several research studies which showed the effects of viewing women as sex objects in the media. Also, it showed the negative effects of viewing unrealistic “ideal” body images in magazines. The results of the second study showed that these images affect women from diverse backgrounds; not just white women. It is my opinion that these studies are very important in making feminism relevant today because they address how the media causes some women to feel inferior.

Non-Traditional Students: Their Obstacles, Their Strengths
Reviewer(s):
Jae Yeon Jeong, The University of Memphis

The APAGS program on Non-Traditional Students: Their Obstacles, Their Strengths focused on individuals who met at least one of the following criteria: over 35 years old, attending school while holding a full-time job, primary caretaker of children or of elderly parents, or for whom psychology was a second or third career.

Non-traditional students face unique obstacles. Candice Conner works full-time in the Dallas public school system, and when an opportunity arose Conner, like many others, chose to enroll part-time while maintaining her job. Jim Shaw also sought a doctoral degree, but postponed his plans until his children were older and he was more financially secure. Time management can be quite difficult when juggling coursework, full-time employment, practicum, and a family. To meet multiple demands with limited time, Amanda Hook, who arranged to see patients prior to work, shared that creativity and flexibility with time is a must. The benefits of having a non-traditional background include transferring skills from previous careers and having an abundance of valuable life experiences. The panelists voiced that they were more efficient with time and had better problem solving skills. Instead of blindly committing to new responsibilities, it was easier for them to be more assertive and to say “no.” Self-care and maintaining balance between personal and professional life are most relevant for non-traditional students. When Ginger Hilley unexpectedly became a widow, she managed to skillfully balance family life and school.

The program challenged the notion of diversity, which has traditionally included race, ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic status, and sexual orientation. With more non-traditional students in the pipeline, they, too, deserve the same recognition and provision of resources like other diverse, minority groups. Following the conclusion of the program, members of the audience spoke up about needing a stronger, collective voice and the general lack of support from their programs and governing organizations that provide accreditation. They indicated a strong interest in advocating for non-traditional students; however, searching for available time to commit to advocacy work on these issues will be a major challenge.

On a broader level, there is room for change. The non-traditional student, who represents a broad spectrum of diverse life experiences, needs to be recognized as a form of diversity. Through a feminist lens, context and power are significant obstacles to face. Powerful forces such as accreditation of programs and internships limit opportunities for all students. With current policies on residency requirements, non-traditional students may not be able to maintain 1year of full-time residence at the same institution. Other life circumstances such as working full-time may restrict the course load for each semester, making it difficult to meet this requirement. For non-traditional students in clinical programs, an alternative to a full-time internship is completing two, half-time internships. Due to the scarcity of accredited half-time internships, psychology must first acknowledge and accept non-traditional students in the field as a diversity issue and respond appropriately by creating and implementing policies that allow these students to pursue quality education and training, without potentially jeopardizing employment opportunities.

Navigating Having Children at Different Developmental Stages of Academia
Reviewer(s):
Lauren Maltby, Rosemead School of Psychology

This article reflects the conversation hour “Negotiating Having Children at Different Developmental Stages of Academia” from a feminist and student perspective. Each speaker shared her own experience of navigating academia and parenthood during coursework, dissertation research, pre-tenure faculty work, or post-tenure faculty work. While each speaker highlighted the unique challenges and benefits encountered at each of the different stages, several themes emerged consistently throughout the four presentations.

All four women emphasized the uniqueness of being an academic mother, and the need for understanding from social support systems. As researchers, we can run ourselves into a frenzy over an insignificant result, or fret about sample sizes until we’re blue in the face. How to blend (or combine) a teaching schedule with a feeding schedule is yet another example of one of the unique challenges of being an academic and a mother. Women need support systems that understand these challenges.

Many of the women expressed strong experiences of guilt in the time after having their baby. They felt guilty for spending time with their child while their work was put off, and/or they felt guilty for spending time at work while their child was with someone else. Several speakers found the source of this guilt in perfectionism, the belief that we must be able to do it all. It is my experience that, especially as women in what has traditionally been a male-dominated field, we often feel the pressure to prove our right to play hard-ball in the academic league. Learning to relinquish the need to be the perfect academic and the perfect mother was a joy that many of the speakers listed. In accepting their limits, they maximized their experiences and enjoyment in both endeavors.

Navigating the space between academia and motherhood proved to be quite a challenge, but also quite a blessing. As one speaker shared, her identity was expanded. She was not only a crying-monitor for a newborn infant, but she was also a researcher. When she felt she failed at one thing, she could feel successful at another. This more robust sense of self is one benefit of having a child at any stage of academia.

Another common theme was that of integration. All of the women at one point or another commented on integrating what they were learning and experiencing in their family life with their professional work, and vice versa. Being an academic made them better mothers, and being mothers made them better academics, in the sense that their work took on new significance and meaning.

Balancing the multiple roles inherent in being both an academic and a mother is challenging, no matter where one is in the process. But the joys are equal in number to the challenges, and the experience is a rich one, bringing together previously disparate areas of our lives and our selves.