New Assertive Woman, The - Softcover

Bloom, Lynn Z.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0440363934 ISBN 13: 9780440363934

Publisher: Laurel, 1980

Synopsis

Assertion is the hazy line between passivity and aggression. With societal preferences in constant flux, so is the amount of confidence and authority that is acceptable for women to display. Many women believe that it is inappropriate to display any anger at all. They are kept subdued by deep-rooted guilt and irrational beliefs, often taking responsibility for how others feel or react. Deciding when to be assertive can be a troublesome issue, and many choose to avoid the decision altogether. Their interpersonal achievements are gained through forms of manipulation. They communicate their preferences by sending covert, ambiguous, or unclear messages. Such indirect communication protects them from making mistakes and accepting blame. Even when used with the best intentions, passivity itself can backfire. Avoiding conflict can cause feelings of anger and frustration to build up, eventually resulting in outbursts and cycles of anxiety and low self-esteem.The answer to such self-defeating behavior can be found in this handy primer on assertion. Exercises, questionnaires, tips, and role-playing activities help conquer ineffective communication skills. Once provided with the resources to become confident, capable, and able to express themselves, women can easily manage difficult relationships with bosses, coworkers, family, and friends.

About this title

From the Back Cover

"This book is practical, accessible, and with all its reports of major and minor personal triumphs, downright inspirational."
-Chicago Tribune

Since the 1970s, women have achieved successes and broken barriers on many fronts. Yet, they still can experience conflicts between how they would like to present themselves and how they can operate effectively in a world with lingering societal expectations that favor women as the passive, compliant gender.

As a result, women play submissive games that allow them to manipulate a person's emotions without the risk of seeming aggressive, a tactic that can be detrimental to careers and personal relationships. This primer guides the reader step by step, providing the clues to recognize this behavior and the skills to overcome it. Assertive training techniques will teach you how to:

"Recognize how anxiety causes your assertiveness problems
"Set your priorities
"Develop your own assertive skills
"Combat your irrational beliefs
"Say no without feeling guilty

Lynn Z. Bloom is Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor and Aetna Chair of Writing at the University of Connecticut. She has authored nearly thirty books, including The Seven Deadly Virtues and Other Lively Essays and Writers without Borders.

Karen Coburn is the senior consultant in residence and longtime assistant vice chancellor at Washington University in St. Louis. A licensed psychologist and coauthor of the bestselling book Letting Go: A Parents' Guide to Understanding the College Years, she was a founding member of the St. Louis Women's Counseling Center.

Joan Pearlman is a licensed psychologist and cofounder of the St. Louis Women's Counseling Center. She previously served as counselor for women and director of continuing education for women at the University of Missouri-St. Louis.

About the Author

Lynn Z. Bloom is Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor and Aetna Chair of Writing at the University of Connecticut. She has authored nearly thirty books, including The Seven Deadly Virtues and Other Lively Essays and Writers without Borders.

Edition details

• Publisher: Laurel
• Publication date: 1980
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0440363934
• ISBN 13: 9780440363934
• Binding: Mass Market Paperback