The Social Psychology of Gender: How Power and Intimacy Shape Gender Relations (Texts in Social Psychology) - Softcover

Rudman, Laurie A.; Glick, Peter

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1606239635 ISBN 13: 9781606239636

Publisher: The Guilford Press, 2010

Synopsis

Gender relations are rife with contradictions and complexities. Exploring the full range of gender issues, this book offers a fresh perspective on everyday experiences of gender; the explicit and implicit attitudes that underlie beliefs about gender differences; and the consequences for our thoughts, feelings, and behavior. Many real-world examples illustrate how the unique interdependence of men and women—coupled with pervasive power imbalances—shapes interactions in romantic relationships and the workplace. In the process, the authors shed new light on the challenges facing those who strive for gender parity. This ideal student text takes readers to the cutting edge of gender theory and research.

About this title

About the Author:

Laurie A. Rudman, PhD, is Professor of Psychology at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Her research interests are intergroup relations and implicit social cognition. The author of more than 40 professional publications, she is currently associate editor of Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin. Her honors and awards include the National Research Service Award from the National Institutes of Health and (with Eugene Borgida) the Gordon Allport Prize from the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues. Dr. Rudman is an honorary Fellow of the American Psychological Association, the Association for Psychological Science, and the Society of Experimental Social Psychology, for which she currently serves on the Executive Committee. She also serves on the Advisory Council for the National Science Foundation and is a representative on the board of the Federation of Behavioral, Psychological, and Cognitive Sciences. Dr. Rudman has served as an expert witness in several workplace discrimination cases.

 

Peter Glick, PhD, is Professor of Psychology and the Henry Merritt Wriston Professor in the Social Sciences at Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin. His research focuses on prejudice and stereotyping, particularly ambivalent prejudices. Along with Susan T. Fiske, he won the Gordon Allport Prize for developing the theory and measurement of ambivalent sexism. The Ambivalent Sexism Inventory has since been administered to tens of thousands of people in over 25 nations. These cross-cultural studies have shown that subjectively benevolent, but traditional, beliefs about women are associated with hostility toward nontraditional women, and with actual gender inequality. Dr. Glick is on the editorial boards of four professional journals and has been elected a Fellow of the American Psychological Association, the Association for Psychological Science, and the Society for the Psychology of Women. He is also on the Executive Councils (and a Fellow) of the Society of Experimental Social Psychology and the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues.

Review:

"An engaging, informative, and broad-ranging text by two scholars who have been leaders in explaining the central paradox of gender relations: pervasive inequality in the apparent absence of malice. Much work in this field tends to oversimplify or brush aside the complexities of gender relations, but Rudman and Glick muster a wide range of research that clarifies these ambiguities. The book systematically presents theoretical interpretations from three different schools of thought: evolutionary psychology, culture/role theory, and social structural theory. Ideal for classroom use as well as for anyone who wants to learn about important new directions in research on gender dynamics."--Mary R. Jackman, PhD, Department of Sociology, University of California, Davis

"The best text I've seen to date on how gender influences social interaction. The authors have organized the extensive research in this area into coherent, compelling chapters. The writing style is not merely clear and interesting, but is also appealing, convincing, and incisive. This book will engage students readily and teach them how to understand and analyze the impact of gender on everyday life. Their beliefs about social interaction will be forever changed. This excellent, well-organized text is accessible enough that it could be used in courses at any level."--Alice H. Eagly, PhD, Department of Psychology, Northwestern University

"This book is a splendidly engaging, highly intelligent review of psychological research on gender. Taking the stance that issues of gender are unique, marked by both power and status differences and intimate interdependence, it explores the complexity and apparent contradictions in how men and women are regarded and how they relate to one another. The review is comprehensive, the writing lively, and the insights plentiful. A 'must read' for all students of gender. I plan to use this book in my undergraduate course."--Madeline E. Heilman, PhD, Department of Psychology, New York University

"Although the social psychology of the interactions between men and women is complicated (and the authors make no attempt to over-simplify it), this book is an easy and enjoyable read. The authors weave together evolutionary, cultural, and social role theories in a narrative format. This allows the book to read more like a novel than a list of research. The authors also provide a unique perspective on gender interactions by tying together research from a variety of domains with their underlying theory of hostility vs. interdependence and the ambivalence that this engenders in men and women towards the other sex....The text would be ideal for a graduate level psychology of gender course or even as a supplemental text for a class on intergroup relations. In addition to its use in the classroom, The Social Psychology of Gender would also be an excellent reference for social psychologists or gender researchers to have on their shelf." (Sex Roles 2010-05-16)

"Written in a narrative fashion as accessible to the reader with no  scientific training as to the scholar seeking an introduction to the  current state of the literature on gender, the book integrates a diverse  array of findings on development, cognition, and culture to develop the  empirical foundations for a detailed understanding of the authors'  particular theoretical perspective on gender relations....The authors'  use of a coherent, overarching theoretical framework to connect and make  sense of the findings from a large and often bewildering array of  studies on gender is a strength of this volume....A useful guide to  understanding the origins of inequality and the barriers that impede  efforts to eliminate it." (Canadian Psychology 2010-02-03)

About this edition

• Publisher: The Guilford Press
• Publication date: 2010
• ISBN 10: 1606239635
• ISBN 13: 9781606239636
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 386