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Women's Programs Office
Committee on Women in Psychology October 1 – 3, 2004 CWP Members Attending: Robin A. Buhrke, PhD, Chair; Carla K. Bradshaw, PhD; Janet Shibley Hyde, PhD; Louise B. Silverstein, PhD; Veronica G. Thomas, PhD; Jacquelyn W. White, PhD Liaisons Attending: Lula A. Beatty, PhD*; Roberta A. Downing*, PhD; Ruperto M. Perez, PhD APA Staff Attending: Norman B. Anderson, PhD*; Shirlene Archer, JD*; Tanya Burrwell*; Leslie A. Cameron; Danielle Dickerson; Ellen Garrison, PhD*; Lori Valencia Greene*; Gwendolyn Puryear Keita, PhD; Eileen Santa*; Janet Soller*; Henry Tomes, PhD* Guests: Barry Stuart Anton, PhD*; Diane F. Halpern, PhD*; Joy K. Rice, PhD*; Sandra L. Shullman, PhD* * indicates partial attendance 1. Approval of March 26-28, 2004 CWP Meeting Minutes CWP approved the minutes of the March 26-28, 2004 minutes with minor editing changes. CWP also noted that Teachers of Psychology in the Secondary Schools (TOPSS) had sent their agenda to the CWP monitor on CD. Having the agenda on CD made it easier for the CWP monitor to search for key terms on relevant issues. Committee members suggested that this idea be shared with other staff liaisons. 2. Strategic Planning and Future Direction CWP has agreed to conduct strategic planning at each meeting. In a discussion at the beginning of the meeting, CWP members review their strategic goals and priorities in the context of what are the most pressing critical issues for women currently, especially women in psychology. In a second discussion toward the end of the meeting, committee members review the strategic goals and priorities again, revise as necessary to take into account issues raised over the course of the meeting, and agree on the specific steps committee members will take with specific projects within those goals. At this meeting, committee members first confirmed the current overarching strategic goals, with no revisions. In addition, CWP members reviewed current projects and priorities. CWP conducted this strategic planning discussion differently this time. Given limitations of time and resources (including that CWP includes six members only), the committee organized issues into the following categories: issues that CWP itself will take on; issues for which CWP's role is as catalyst, encouraging action by other groups; issues CWP will monitor but not act on currently; and issues CWP, with the Women's Programs Office and Public Policy Office, will work on with other groups and coalitions, but not take on as committee projects per se. Following are projects CWP members are currently implementing, with the CWP members identified as point person for each. This task list reflects decisions made over the course of the meeting and described throughout these minutes:
3. Legislative Priorities and Advocacy CWP continues to see effective development of and influence on policy as an ongoing priority for the committee. In particular, the committee seeks to mobilize wider and more consistent response to action alerts issued by APA's Public Policy Office. CWP reviewed and discussed several aspects of their involvement in policy. Dr. Ellen Garrison (Director, Public Interest Policy), Lori Valencia Greene (Senior Legislative/Federal Affairs Officer), and Eileen Santos (PPO Intern) joined CWP for this discussion. CWP reviewed the proposed Public Interest policy goals for 2005 and recommended approval of these goals, with the following changes:
CWP also received the March - September 2004 PI-PPO activity report. Committee members agreed to participate in the CWP Coordinated Advocacy Campaign in February 2005. Based on the Congressional schedule and in consultation with CWP, PPO will identify a critical issue for CWP members to bring to their Congressional member's attention. CWP also reviewed its standing list of policy priorities and confirmed the following, which the committee requests PPO to continue to track:
4. Women as Journal Editors Dr. Hyde reported on the working meeting at the APA convention on Increasing the Participation of Women as Journal Editors, including a presentation by Dr. White of the results of the 1996 CWP Survey of Journal Editors. This informal meeting included representatives from the Publications and Communications Board and APA Publications staff, journal editors, and CWP members. Dr. Hyde commented that the workload established by the P&C Board for editors, though lower at 90 manuscripts per year, was still substantial and likely presented a barrier to women. Dr. Hyde commented that a group not represented by the survey included women who had declined to be considered. She had reported at the meeting on the barriers identified in her informal conversations with a few women who had not wanted to be considered. She also had commented that her conversations indicated that highly qualified candidates who were women were not necessarily invited, which represented another kind of problem. CWP asked Dr. Hyde to work with Dr. Gary VandenBos (APA Publisher) in contacting COGDOP (Council of Graduate Departments of Psychology), with the goal of suggesting a presentation at the next meeting of COGDOP on increasing the proportion of women serving as journal editors, including the importance of journals and journal editors to the science of psychology and also on providing sufficient release time and institutional support. Committee members commented that women often negotiate more poorly and will seek to work with Dr. VandenBos and the P&C Board on collecting and sharing data on amount of support provided by institutions. In addition, CWP will submit a proposal for a workshop on negotiating skills for women for APA in 2005. In terms of building the pipeline, CWP commended the P&C Board for the continuing "How to Publish Your Manuscript" sessions at APA and at regional psychological association meetings. CWP also agreed to take more responsibility and take additional steps -- beyond current efforts -- to encourage qualified women to agree to be considered for journal editorships. CWP also will explore the option of student editorial boards, including an informal meeting at the 2005 APA convention on this topic. CWP also noted that APA President Dr. Diane Halpern, in a recent MONITOR column, had commented that women remained underrepresented in tenured full professor ranks. CWP expressed concern that women may be "stalled" at the associate professor level, and not moving into full professor ranks in the numbers expected. For their March meeting, CWP requested the following data: (1) % of psychology faculty who were/are full professors, associate professors, and assistant professors, in 1980, 1990, and then 1991 through 2004, broken down by sex. (2) these same data for Research I universities only. CWP also reviewed the recommendations from the working meeting at the APA convention (see below) and agreed to encourage the P&C Board and the Council of Editors to continue to work on this issue. Though there has been progress over time, the proportion of women serving as journal editors continues to be disappointing. Recommendations from Working Meeting on Increasing the Participation of Women as Journal Editors:
5. Gender Content in Graduate Psychology Curricula/ 6. Multiculturalism: Intersection of Gender and Culture CWP discussed Items 5 and 6 together. Whether multicultural topics, including gender, are routinely included in graduate curricula continues to be a source of concern. Committee members noted that anecdotal evidence indicates that accreditation site visitors still very rarely ask about content relating to gender or multiculturalism. Anecdotal evidence also indicates that it is not the case that multicultural topics, including gender, are included in curricula as a matter of course. CWP is one of a number of Public Interest committees that have expressed concerns about this over the past several years. CWP agreed to consult with BAPPI on how best to coordinate Public Interest committee concerns with the Office of Accreditation and Committee on Accreditation, to work toward ensuring that programs are routinely asked about this and assessed on multicultural content during site visits. For example, a requirement could be that one site visitor on every site visit team has multicultural expertise, especially in gender. In addition, CWP will request copies of accreditation site visitor training materials, with the goal of recommending revisions that could address these concerns. Also, CWP will request demographic data on the makeup of the teams that actually go on site visits and the summary data on the number of schools getting "dinged" on Domain D. CWP requested that this information be available for continuing discussion in March. Also, CWP will discuss the possibility of an award for "best practices" by graduate programs that effectively integrate multiculturalism and gender into their curricula. Resources for the development of this award include the database of Graduate Faculty Survey respondents. CWP also agreed to consult APAGS, Board of Educational Affairs, and the Ad Hoc Committee on Early Career Psychologists for ideas. Staff will collect materials for the Suinn award, as well as the guidelines on infusing diversity in introductory psychology textbooks, for further discussion at the March meeting. In addition to an award for a graduate program, an award for an undergraduate program will be considered. 7. Women in Male-Dominated Areas of Psychology The CWP Network has raised the issue of how best to support women in male-dominated areas of psychology. CWP noted that women in general do not join divisions in proportionally the same numbers as men and requested more information on why that might be. Committee members also commented that much of the effective work on behalf of women happens in the context of organizations and structures, and that addressing these issues would require working closely with state associations as well as divisions. CWP will also consider recommending convention programming on how to organize effective women's committees within divisions and states. CWP agreed to request more information from the Network representatives who have raised this issue, to get more specifics on where the problems are and what effective strategies might be. CWP saw this issue as one of continuing importance and requested to have this on their March agenda, for additional discussion. Part of this discussion will include looking at divisions with lower percentages of women (as well as comparable data on percentages of women and men in various areas of psychology). 8. Gender Gap for College Graduates: Implications for Women CWP postponed this item to the March meeting. 9. Issues for Women in Practice In past discussions, CWP has considered the range of issues faced by women in practice, focusing in particular on work/life issues and the care-giving role of women, for example, competing demands of care-giving and work, difficulty balancing work and family, stereotypes and expectations about women as care-givers, and issues raised in therapy that concern pregnancy or maternity leave. Dr. Bradshaw raised the possibility of a publication that would examine how women psychologists’ decisions to have children, or not, have affected or been affected by career decisions. She envisioned this monograph as a collection of stories and reflections from women in academia and practice and at different stages of their careers. She was interested in information from a diverse group of women, including women of varying ethnicities, sexual orientation, single/married status, and so forth. CWP members suggested ideas and approaches and asked that Dr. Bradshaw report back in March on this developing proposal. Dr. Bradshaw will post updates to the CWP listserve in the interim, and CWP members are invited to provide input as appropriate. 10. Effective Part-Time Internships for Women CWP postponed this item to the March meeting. 11. Integration of SES into CWP Priorities and Activities: Report to BAPPI In response to BAPPI's request, CWP reported on committee activities addressing poverty and socioeconomic status, especially in relation to needs identified in APA’s Resolution on Poverty and Socioeconomic Status. CWP noted first that a high proportion of the nation's poor are women and their families. CWP sees this as an important constituency and regularly keeps the needs of poor women in mind when pursuing their work. For example, CWP has identified women and poverty as a public policy priority of the committee and has asked the Public Policy Office and Women’s Programs Office to track federal legislation relating to women and poverty. Currently, the primary federal legislation regarding poor women is the reauthorization of the 1996 Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (including Temporary Assistance to Needy Families, or TANF). CWP works with WPO and the Public Policy Office to help ensure that issues APA has identified as critical are addressed as part of welfare reauthorization, including provision of services for women with serious and multiple barriers to employment, such as mental health and substance abuse problems and experience of domestic violence. CWP is also working to better mobilize the CWP Network so that responses to action alerts, including alerts about welfare reform reauthorization and other legislation affecting poor women, is stronger and more consistent. In addition, CWP's mission includes monitoring activities and policy across APA. As CWP reviews documents and proposed projects and policies and provides comments to other groups, the committee includes feedback that calls for attention to the needs of poor women. In other words, CWP sees its role as advocate for all women, in all their diversity, to include low-income women. For example, at this meeting, as an outcome of CWP's discussion of a proposed continuing committee on socioeconomic status, the committee recommended that although a continuing committee may not be effective, a task force would be an effective means of collecting and disseminating the psychological research and practice related to socioeconomic status and developing recommendations for APA (see minute for CC-7). 12. CWP Submission for Psychology Matters Website CWP has followed the initiation and development of APA's "Psychology Matters" website with great interest. This site (at http://www.psychologymatters.org/), initiated and developed by APA Past-President Dr. Philip Zimbardo, is intended to demonstrate the application and value of psychological science in our everyday lives. The committee received an update on the status of CWP's submission of key research articles addressing aspects of gender to the “Psychology Matters” Website. Dr. White and Dr. Silverstein will convene a conference call to finalize the submission and report back to the committee on its outcome in March. 13. Leadership in Women's Health Research CWP received an update on this initiative from Women's Programs Office staff. This project is on hold currently, as WPO has several major priorities competing for time and resources. 14. Updating Lesbian & Gay Parenting: A Resource for Psychologists Dr. Buhrke and Dr. Silverstein, as CWP's representatives, met with CLGBC and the representative from CYF to agree on the process for finalizing the draft "Lesbian and Gay Parenting: A Resource for Psychologists." Dr. Silverstein will serve as CWP's representative to this joint project when Dr Buhrke's term on CWP ends this year. 15. APA Convention: Report of 2004 Activities and Plans for 2005 Dr. Buhrke reported on CWP's 2004 CWP convention activities, which were quite successful. These included 30th Anniversary events (the Council Walk-Through and Presentation of Citations by APA President Dr. Diane Halpern plus Anniversary Dinner); Annual CWP Network Meeting; Journal Editors Working Meeting; and presentation of the CWP Leadership Awards at the Division 35 Social Hour to Ellyn Kaschak, PhD (Distinguished Leader for Women in Psychology), Lisa M. Diamond, PhD (Emerging Leader for Women in Psychology), and Lisa M. Najavits, PhD (Emerging Leader for Women in Psychology). For the 2005 APA annual convention, August 18-21, in Washington, DC, CWP will schedule the following standard events: CWP Network Annual Meeting and Presentation of CWP Leadership Awards at the Division 35 Social Hour. In addition, CWP will submit a proposal for a workshop on negotiating skills for women (in academia and practice). Given that BAPPI will be allotted 4 program hours and, as has been the case for the past few years, will likely request its committees to collaborate on programming, CWP will submit this proposal to potentially interested divisions. CWP will also seek approval for this workshop to be offered with CE credits. CWP will also suggest to APAGS that it might consider offering a roundtable on this topic. CWP also suggested continuing a focus on socioeconomic status for BAPPI's programming, in particular, infusing SES throughout APA (and establishing a mechanism for assessing how effectively groups do this) and moving beyond SES as a proxy variable and getting at the underlying variables that contribute. CWP also suggested that it may be useful to request that APA journal editors routinely request that SES of participants be identified, in addition to gender and ethnicity. Dr. Hyde, as CWP Chair-elect, will raise this when BAPPI sets up its planning listserve. CWP also agreed to invite division journal editors to a working meeting on how to set up and manage student editorial boards (no program hours required). 16. Increasing the Effectiveness of the Nominations Process CWP discussed means of increasing the effectiveness of their process for nominating qualified women for slates on continuing committees and standing boards and committees. Committee members agreed that they would continue to work to raise the visibility of the names submitted and to coordinate with Women's Caucus. Also they agreed to continue to coordinate with Division 35 on nominees for major APA awards. 17. Nominations for CWP Membership: Preparation of Slates CWP prepared two rank-ordered slates to fill two CWP vacancies, for terms beginning in January, and will submit these slates to BAPPI and then the Board of Directors for approval. 18. CWP Network CWP expressed continuing appreciation to the Network representatives -- CWP relies on this group for valuable input. CWP also discussed topics raised at the CWP Network meeting: CWP agreed that it was important to increase the number of women selected as Fellows of divisions. CWP requested data on the numbers and percentages of Fellows of divisions who are women for review in March, with the goal of targeting those divisions in which women are underrepresented. In addition to data on the percentages of men and women who are Fellows, CWP requested data on the percentages of ethnic minority Fellows, if available. Communicating psychological science to the public: CWP requested that Rhea Farberman (Executive Director, Public and Member Communications) be invited to the March meeting, to discuss how to get good gender research into the public arena. CWP also requested a report on the topics covered over last year's worth of press releases. CWP agreed that an APA listserve of women presidents of state associations was an excellent idea; staff will contact these individuals and set up the listserve. It continues to be critical to mobilize the widest possible response to APA Public Policy Office action alerts. Women's issues have been on the "back burner" for the past few years. Every email or phone call from a constituent has the potential to make a difference. CWP is extremely grateful to those individuals who have responded and continues to encourage every representative on the Network to phone or email if at all possible, when the action alerts go out. 19. Cross-Cutting Items for CWP Review As part of its mission to monitor activities, projects, and policies as they are developed by other groups within the Association, CWP reviewed a number of items from the cross-cutting agenda. (see following for comments) CC1. Policy on Removal of Board and Committee Members Elected by Council During the March 2004 meeting, CWP had provided comments on proposed changes to the APA Bylaws and Association Rules regarding provisions to put in place a process to remove a person for cause from their position as a member of an APA board or committee (these provisions apply only to boards and committees elected by Council). The language was subsequently revised to reflect concerns raised during the March meetings. During the October 2004 meeting, CWP reviewed the revised language proposed for the APA Bylaws and Association Rules and contained in the new main motion, and CWP agreed to recommend approval of the main motion. CC2. Guidelines for Education and Training at the Doctoral and Post-Doctoral Level in Consulting Psychology/Organizational Consulting Psychology CWP reviewed the proposed "Guidelines for Education and Training at the Doctoral and Post-Doctoral Level in Consulting Psychology/Organizational Consulting Psychology," which recommend education and training guidelines at the three levels or domains of individual, group, and organizational/systems. CWP saw a need for the guidelines to do more to incorporate and reflect gender, and recommended that the guidelines be revised to explicitly include gender throughout the document, at all three levels, and conveyed these comments to the relevant APA staff. CC3. Council of Credentialing Organizations in Professional Psychology (CCOPP) CWP reviewed the proposed "Conceptual Framework for Health Service Specialization in Professional Psychology" and provided the following comments. Committee members commented that competency in health services psychology should include competency in multicultural issues, gender, and socioeconomic status. For example, in reference to the language regarding "Respect for Individual and Cultural Diversity" on page 4 of the draft, CWP recommended that "knowledge of" be added to item (e) in the section on "Foundational Competencies." Similarly, on page 11 of the draft, CWP commented that "understanding" ... "in working professionally with diverse individuals, groups, and communities who represent various cultural and personal background and characteristics" was not sufficient in demonstrating competency, and the committee recommended that "knowledge" be reinstated in place of "understanding." That is, the need is not for general understanding, but explicit training. CWP also noted that this has implications for graduate psychology curricula and for accreditation requirements as well. CC4. Revision of the High School Psychology Standards CWP reviewed the Revisions to the APA National Standards for the Teaching of High School Psychology. Dr. Bradshaw and Dr. Thomas represented CWP at the conference committee on this item and conveyed CWP comments on the document. In addition CWP requested comments from an outside expert, and provided those to TOPPS following the meeting. CWP's comments were as follows. CWP commended TOPPS for its work on this important document and also for the implementation of an extensive revision and review process that permits a wide range of expert input, from many areas within the field. One of CWP's critical functions is as monitor of activities, projects, documents, and policies as they are developed by other groups within the Association, with the goal of ensuring that women and women's interests are fully and equitably represented. In the context of this broad aspect of the committee's mission, CWP felt its comments on the High School Psychology Standards should focus on issues related to gender in the document. CWP noted that a wide range of other expert reviewers had provided comments that address gender. Committee members determined that the most useful contribution for CWP would be to invite comments from a psychologist with expertise both in teaching and writing textbooks on introductory psychology and in the psychology of women. Dr. Margaret Matlin, Distinguished Teaching Professor of Psychology, SUNY Geneseo, agreed to review the revised Standards and provide comments. She is the author of a textbook on the Psychology of Women and an introductory textbook (Psychology, 3rd ed.), as well as other textbooks (Cognition and Sensation & Perception). She also taught introductory psychology for 15 years and served on the Curriculum Committee at the 1991 St. Mary’s Conference. Dr. Matlin's comments appear below. CWP in particular wished to highlight the concept that the concentration on gender differences is overplayed; in fact empirical studies have documented that there is much more overlap in behaviors than significant differences between men and women. Dr. Matlin's comments: Probably the major problem with respect to this document’s treatment of gender as a form of diversity is that it emphasizes gender differences, rather than gender biases. For example, it implies that women differ from men in several areas. It would be even more important to emphasize that women are often treated differently from men. This same argument can be applied to the other kinds of diversity discussed in this document. p. 13, par 5. Add this sentence after “of diversity”: “This information also emphasizes that people are often the target of stereotypes, prejudice, and discrimination, based on their social category.” p. 18, par. 1: Use their more recent publication: Bronstein, P., & Quina, K. (Ed.). (2003). Teaching gender and multicultural awareness: Resources for the psychology classroom. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association. p.30, par. 4. Again, the text emphasizes that people differ as a function of their social category, but it should emphasize differential treatment. Add this sentence: “The psychology course should also examine how stereotypes, prejudices, and discrimination operate in our culture.” Note: compare this list of “cultural diversity issues” with the list on p. 13. Perhaps these lists should be the same. p. 40, last line. Most of these schools are from the early 20th century. You must add “and cognitive psychology” to this list! p. 41. Good treatment of women and ethnic minorities on p. 41. p. 47. Point b: NO!!! Do not include “gender differences and aggression.” This example would encourage high school teachers to discuss how evolutionary mechanisms encourage men to rape women—clearly a topic for inappropriate speculation. This is definitely a sexist topic, and inclusion of this example (or any other example for gender) would undo the positive benefits of mentioning diversity. p. 54. A typo suggested during revision: “decision making” is a noun. Use “decision-making” only as an adjectival phrase, followed by a noun. p. 58. Section 1.2 b. Here is a good example of appropriate wording: Yes, each of these factors affects our life. This is correct wording, rather than emphasizing that people are basically different. p. 60. Section 3.2. This section is generally good. However, b is too narrow. It should be reworded analogous to 3.3 b. “Exploring effects of gender discrimination on development throughout the lifespan.” p. 67. Section 5.3a. Good so far, but change the example, because the chilly climate literature is no longer current: “Examining factors affecting academic performance that may differ for males and females (e.g., stereotype threat)." p. 68-71. This material on memory, thinking, and language is astonishingly outdated! It reads like the first edition of my Cognition textbook, published in the early 1980s. For instance, STM became working memory, and you need to include Baddeley’s model of working memory (a good overview in American Psychologist from about 2000). The material on p. 71 on categories/concepts is based on material from the 1970s. p. 70. Section 5.1b. The term “repressed memories” is inappropriate because it suggests a psychodynamic mechanism. This line should read: “Exploring the false memory/recovered memory controversy, as it relates to child abuse.” p. 72. The material on problem solving mentions brainstorming, which does not work (despite the popular press. Section 2.3 on decision making does not mention decision-making heuristics—something easy to describe to high school students. Look for the Kahneman & Tversky research in any cognitive psychology textbook. The current material in that paragraph is from about the 1950s (except that framing and overconfidence are good topics). p. 73. Section 4.1c—definitely simplistic; research on multilingualism shows no clear evidence for a critical period for language acquisition. 4.3 on animal language acquisition—no longer a current topic; not covered in cognition textbooks. However, bravo for 5.1b on sexist language! p. 79. The information on stereotypes and gender on this page is fine! p. 88. Section 3.2a is fine, but say “social class.” Also, be sure to check other notes about kinds of diversity to make sure that it is included. Psychologists have been criticized (rightfully) for neglecting social class. Section 4.1. Add a section “c” that should read something like: Identifying sociocultural factors that can help to explain the higher incidence of depression in women than in men (e.g., workplace discrimination, family violence, and poverty). (Incidentally, do not mention biological factors—they cannot explain the gender difference.) p. 89. Section 1.1a—good that feminist therapy is mentioned p. 93. Section 2.2c good for mentioning this idea, but say “other gender,” not “opposite gender.” p. 94. At the beginning of list 3.3, should have the first item (a) read, Describing how social biases create a world where one kind of person is considered to be normative, and other kinds of persons are “different” (e.g., males are normative, whereas females are different; European Americans are normative, whereas other ethnic groups are different). Without this kind of emphasis, the diversity issue doesn’t pay enough attention to the way people are treated, unless they belong to a “first-class” group. p. 94. Section 3.3g should read …”stereotypes about ethnic groups and gender.” CC5. Psychological Effects of Efforts to Prevent Terrorism CWP reviewed the document prepared by the Task Force on the Psychological Effects of Efforts to Prevent Terrorism and provided the following comments. CWP sees this issue as extremely important and an issue for which psychological science has substantial contributions to make. Committee members also felt that the document would be more effective if it focused more strongly on what the social sciences research says that is pertinent to current efforts to prevent terrorism, on the mental health implications for individuals, and on what research contributes to improving mental health. Some of the current language could be perceived as political and potentially inflammatory, and this would likely detract from the important information the document contained. CWP recommended that the document be reworked, and as part of that process, that the recommendations be prepared in standard format and that the abstracts be omitted. CWP also recommended as a model the Working Group on Same-Sex Families and Relationships, which produced and submitted the Resolution on Sexual Orientation and Marriage and the Resolution on Sexual Orientation, Parents, and Children. This Working Group's approach to collecting the psychological research that addressed this potentially controversial topic and developing resolutions founded on this strong scholarship is an excellent model. In addition, CWP recommended that the Task Force work more closely with APA staff, to assist the Task Force in developing the strongest document possible. Dr. Hyde and Dr. White represented CWP at the conference committee on this item and conveyed CWP comments on the document. CC6. Proposals for APA Policy on Gender Identity At the request of BAPPI last March, CWP had reviewed the proposal from the Committee on Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Concerns (CLGBC) to insert "gender identity" following "gender" in Article III Section 2 of the Bylaws and to insert "gender identity" following "gender" in the third clause of APA's Resolution on Hate Crimes. CWP recommended approval of the main motion that APA adopt these policy revisions, and reiterates this recommendation at this time. CC7. Establishing a New Committee within the Public Interest Directorate, the Committee on Socioeconomic Status At BAPPI's request last March, CWP reviewed the proposal to establish a new Committee on Socioeconomic Status within the Public Interest Directorate. At that time, CWP opposed establishment of a continuing committee and recommended approval of the substitute motion, with several amendments. During its October meeting, in continuing discussions of socioeconomic status (SES), CWP agreed to modify its original recommendation on this item. CWP supports the substitute motion but believes it does not go far enough. The committee proposes the following new substitute motion: BAPPI recognizes the importance and impact of Socioeconomic Status (SES) on psychological issues and, in addition, that SES is not currently adequately and consistently addressed within APA. BAPPI recommends the establishment of a Task Force on Socioeconomic Status. BAPPI also charges its continuing committees with taking SES into consideration as they conduct their business. Because SES is not limited to Public Interest groups, BAPPI also recommends that groups outside Public Interest consider addressing SES as part of their activities as well. This new substitute motion includes a recommendation for establishment of a Task Force on Socioeconomic Status because CWP believes that while a continuing committee may not be an effective mechanism (as indicated in March), the substitute motion proposed by BAPPI does not go far enough. CWP believes it likely that SES will "fall through a crack" if ownership of the issue is spread across groups in this manner and that broader, overarching issues would not be addressed effectively. A task force could identify and collect the critical issues; determine and recommend what needs to be done; identify the boards, committees, and other groups who should be involved; and conclude its work with a strong and coherent action plan for APA. CC8. Guidelines for Psychological Practice with Girls and Women CWP commended the drafters of the proposed "Guidelines for Psychological Practice with Girls and Women," and expressed great appreciation for their work. CWP strongly supports adoption of these guidelines. In particular, CWP highlights the importance of Guideline 11 (line 1420 of the draft): "Psychologists strive to understand and change institutional and systemic bias that may impact girls and women and to encourage efforts in prevention, education, and social policy." Fundamental to any guidelines dealing with girls and women is recognition of the role of power, and CWP believes that any such guidelines or indeed any such analyses would be incomplete without it. CC9. APA Policy Formation on Mental Illness and the Death Penalty CWP reviewed the report and recommendations of the Task Force on Mental Disability and the Death Penalty, a joint task force of the American Bar Association and APA. CWP recommended adoption of the main motion, which included the recommendations of the Task Force. CC10. Call for Nominations for the CLGBC Outstanding Achievement Awards CWP will suggest nominees for the CLGBC Outstanding Achievement Awards; staff will collect and forward nomination materials as appropriate. 20. CWP Monitor Reports and Assignments CWP commended TOPSS for the vigilance that they are exercising to ensure that those who teach psychology in secondary schools have the information and skill to do so and that the material they teach is accurate. CWP believes the teaching of diversity, including gender, is fundamental to the teaching of psychology. CWP expressed a willingness to assist in identifying resources that would help teachers integrate gender into their psychology curriculum. Given that gender issues are of particular personal importance to adolescents, CWP thought gender could be an effective “hook” for students’ interest in psychology and psychological research. Noting that TOPSS had identified as a goal the integration of psychology into science fairs, CWP suggested that providing teachers of psychology with examples of research projects involving gender could meet the multiple goals of getting students interested in psychology and teaching them the process of psychological research. Other CWP members provided reports on the monitor materials they received. Dr. Silverstein felt that issues of family and girls were underplayed in the issues the Committee on Children, Youth, and Family were dealing with. CWP will continue to monitor these issues. Dr. Buhrke noted that the Committee on Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Concerns was working on the "Lesbian and Gay Parenting" document (see Item 14). CWP also agreed to monitor assignments as follows: BAPPI: Hyde BEA: Thomas Council of Representatives: Hyde BSA: Hyde CYF: Silverstein CEMA: Bradshaw Ethics: Thomas CDIP: Silverstein COLI: Thomas CLGBC: Silverstein Accreditation: Bradshaw Aging: Thomas BPA: Silverstein CAPP: Bradshaw Council of Editors: Hyde P&C Board: Hyde CPTA: Thomas APAGS: Bradshaw TOPSS: Silverstein Ensuring that CWP members who are monitoring other groups receive agenda books and minutes continues to be a problem. CWP suggested that staff ask other staff liaisons to send tables of contents by email, and then members could request copies (by email) of items of particular interest. 21. Women's Programs Office Report Dr. Keita reported on recent activities of the Women's Programs Office, highlighting the following:
22. Graduate Faculty Interested in the Psychology of Women: Survey Update WPO staff member Tanya Burrwell provided an update on this survey to CWP. WPO is responsible for regularly surveying graduate faculty in psychology to identify programs and faculty that offer expertise in women's issues. Ms. Burrwell is redesigning and restructuring the entire process for the Graduate Faculty survey. This includes redesigning the questionnaire, with the assistance of outside experts, and working with APA Research, MIS, and Internet Services staff to design and create a web-based database of survey results. Ultimately, programs will be able to access their own records in the web-based database and update the information online. This will keep the information made available to students seeking graduate study much more current, as well as reducing the staff time required to conduct the survey. Once the forms, database, and procedures are worked out for Graduate Faculty, Ms. Burrwell will implement these for other surveys (e.g., the Internship Survey). 23. Governance Survey: Representation of Women, Ethnic Minorities, Gay Men, Lesbians and Bisexuals, and Individuals with Disabilities on APA Boards and Committees CWP received an update on the 2004 Governance Survey, currently being conducted by the APA Research Office. At the recommendation of CWP, Council directed staff to regularly collect demographic data for governance members. In 1999, 2000, and 2001, governance members were surveyed by mail for data on age, gender, race/ethnicity, disability status, and sexual orientation. The report of the 2001 survey was included on the March 2002 cross-cutting agenda, for all boards' and committees' information. In December 2003, CWP reviewed the draft governance survey form and provided feedback. CWP will have a report of the results of this 2004 survey at their March meeting. The second part of the CWP recommendation and Council's directive was that staff should survey standing board and committee nominees and members running for Council every 5 years to track the progress of nominees in the APA governance pipeline (nominees, names on slates, individuals selected/elected) and thus allow better determination of where diversity issues may need to be most vigorously addressed. After the 2004 Governance Survey is completed, the next survey will be the 5-year version. CWP agreed to include the 5-year survey on its agenda for the March meeting. 24. APA Central Office Affirmative Action Report CWP members reviewed APA's Central Office Affirmative Action Report and noted that while there remains underrepresentation in some areas, APA is continuing to focus productively in those areas. 25. Council of Representatives Minutes Received as information. 26. Board of Directors Minutes Received as information 27. Board for the Advancement of Psychology in the Public Interest Minutes Received as information 28S. Impact of Media Messages on Girls CWP discussed an action alert disseminated by Dads and Daughters, a watchdog group that mobilizes responses to negative media images for girls. The action alert referred to an ad in a national magazine marketed to 10- to 14-year-old girls. The ad included a teen boy in the process of unzipping the jeans on a teen girl. CWP discussed this and other such ads in the context of the broader issue of the impact of media and cultural messages that promote the sexualization of girls, at younger and younger ages. Social sciences research has documented the negative impact of media and cultural messages that sexualize girls. CWP believes that these messages are increasing in frequency and number, and in particular that girls are being targeted at younger and younger ages. The sexualization of girls establishes negative expectations and patterns that affect women over the course of their lives. APA has addressed issues that are somewhat related in the recent past, but not the specific issue of the sexualization of girls. CWP believes a Task Force on the Sexualization of Girls is critical at this time. There is evidence of growing concern in the general public about this issue, and this issue is one for which psychological research and practice has substantial contributions to make. CWP agreed to that the Board for the Advancement of Psychology in the Public Interest (BAPPI) recommend to the Board of Directors and Council of Representatives that a Task Force on the Sexualization of Girls be established by APA, with funding to be supplied from 2005 Council of Representatives discretionary funds. CWP also requested that the action alert from Dads and Daughters be sent to the CWP Network, for their information. 29S. "52 Resolutions": Follow-Up As part of CWP's 30th anniversary, CWP members and former members conducted a "walk-through" of the July 2005 Council of Representatives meeting, to reenact the confrontation of Council over 30 years earlier by members of the Association for Women in Psychology (AWP). During the walk-through, copies of the original demands from AWP, updated with actions of Council responsive to those demands, were distributed to Council members. In addition to celebrating progress over the past 30 years, CWP is using this anniversary to look forward, with the goal of identifying critical issues that remain for women. CWP agreed that at their March meeting, committee members would review the 52 Resolutions and Motions Regarding the Status of Women in Psychology: Chronicling 30 Years of Passion and Progress, to determine what follow-up is needed. Drs. Thomas and Silverstein will work with staff to identify next steps and frame this discussion for CWP to pursue in March. For example, the discussion may include addressing the following questions: Where are we right now? Where do we want to be in another 30 years? How can we measure success? Looking at the future may involve forecasting societal trends (e.g., reproductive technology, internet harassment).
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