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Feminism & Psychology
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DOI: 10.1177/0959353513503984
2013 23: 567 Feminism & Psychology
Sarah F Bailey
and Jeanne Marecek
Eva Magnusson Gender and culture in psychology: Theories and Practices

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at INIST CNRS DRD on October 30, 2014 fap.sagepub.com Downloaded from at INIST CNRS DRD on October 30, 2014 fap.sagepub.com Downloaded from
be particularly useful, and I also was particularly engaged by her analysis of how
an emphasis on agency and resistance can function to entrench rather than chal-
lenge liberal humanist discourses. However, ultimately Thomass conclusion does
not oer a particularly well worked through alternative to a focus on agency in
girlhood theory though there are many interesting glimpses of alternative theor-
isations that icker through the book, and might oer fruitful openings for
future work.
Eva Magnusson and Jeanne Marecek, Gender and culture in psychology: Theories and Practices.
Cambridge University Press: Cambridge, 2012; 238 pp. ISBN 978-1-10701-803-7 (hdb), ISBN
978-1-10764-951-4 (pbk), ISBN 978-1-13922-790-2 (e-book)
Reviewed by: Sarah F Bailey, Northern Illinois University, USA
In Gender and Culture in Psychology, renowned scholars Eva Magnusson and
Jeanne Marecek share their knowledge and expertise in an accessible, engaging
way. Magnusson (a Sweden-based psychologist) and Mareceks (a United States-
based psychologist) collaboration crosses national boundaries, giving their book an
international approach to culture and research examples. The authors aim is to
introduce readers to theoretical frameworks, methodology, and concepts related to
the study of gender and culture, emphasizing feminist psychology. The book is a
wealth of information, including central theories, research methods, and examples
of studies. Its interdisciplinary approach weaves together examples of concepts and
theories from various disciplines. The authors discussion of foundational theories,
methodology, and research is a resource for scholars who want to integrate gender
and the social context into their research. Although the book is highly useful for
novices, experts can also appreciate the books discussion of the evolution of their
eld and can gain further directions for their research.
The book has an approachable format, consisting of 15 brief chapters that
include subheadings for specic topics. At the end of many of the chapters, the
authors refer readers to further readings on the topic, guiding students research
interests. The chapters are organized into three parts to address the authors main
objectives: content/theoretical frameworks, methodologies, and new ways of
thinking about psychological knowledge (p. 1). This creates a cohesive, appealing
layout that introduces the reader to a wide range of topics in feminist psychology.
Although the three themes intentionally build on each other, readers would likely
understand the chapters if reading them separately.
Magnusson and Marecek are the teachers, and they guide their readers as they
would their students. With this approach, they teach readers how gender and cul-
ture create a context for peoples experiences, and that this context should be
considered in studying human thought and behavior. Their intended audience is
students and scholars from all disciplines of psychology, whom they engage by
integrating concepts and examples universal to psychology. Through the authors
clear and informative examples, the readers gain an experiential lens with which to
Book reviews 567
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view imminent social issues. Psychology students will also gain a broader under-
standing of feminisms role in psychology. Instructors would likely nd the
approachable wording and concise format benecial for introducing their students
to various topics.
Part 1 (chapters 14) is a discussion of the content and goals of feminist psych-
ology, specically how gender and culture involve meaning and interpretation. For
instance, one of the rst topics is a discussion of the meaning of social categories,
which includes various examples of how the majority group gets to dene social
norms. The authors explain how these norms shape how people interpret and make
meaning of their everyday experiences. Chapter 2s discussion of how cultural
norms shape perceptions and status would be benecial in a multicultural psych-
ology course for discussing the elevated status of privileged groups.
In part 2 (chapters 57), Magnusson and Marecek extensively describe the meth-
odology of interpretative research, which continues the discussion of the interpret-
ation and meaning of gender. The reader gains an understanding of how feminist
psychologists study the content areas previously discussed in part 1. Readers learn
the need for interpretative research and various methodologies (including inter-
views and discursive psychology) and are introduced to ethical dilemmas in
research. Two interpretative research techniques, interviews and discourse, are dis-
cussed in detail. For those who are familiar with discursive psychology and the
reectiveness of open-ended interviews, these chapters would likely stir new
research questions and help them learn new insights about their eld. These chap-
ters would be useful reading in a qualitative methods course, especially for helping
psychologists with quantitative research experience appreciate interpretative
research.
The earlier chapters in part 3 (chapters 8 through 11) are each specic examples
of interpretative research studies on some of feminist psychologys main topics:
child development, household responsibilities, sexuality, and eating disorders.
These examples tie together concepts and terms taught in earlier chapters and
demonstrate the richness of interpretative research. Each topic has relevant impli-
cations for social justice, which engages readers. As Magnusson and Marecek
describe their research, as well the research of other renowned feminist psycholo-
gists, they build this unique combination of approachability and knowledgeable
authority. They refer to themselves by rst name and acknowledge each research-
ers cultural background (e.g., Nicola Gavey, a New Zealand-based psychologist).
Chapters 1215 incorporate broader examples of feminist psychologys social
impact, which inspires readers to think about the contributions of psychology
both past and upcoming. These chapters are strongly related to part 1s discussion
of the development of culture. Specically, the authors point out issues within the
culture of psychology, and how feminism helped redene psychologys norms.
Feminism transformed therapy to have an open, conversational approach of
awareness of issues aecting women, especially womens social circumstances.
This history will likely shape the ideas of both novice and advanced psychologists,
from future research directions to approaches to working with mental health cli-
ents. Chapter 12 on feminist psychologys impact on clinical psychology would
568 Feminism & Psychology 23(4)
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prompt discussion among students in social work or mental health practitioner
programs. One of the most useful aspects of this section is the ethics of resistance,
which serves as a call to action for all psychologists to be continuously vigilant to
the organizational and societal pressures aecting their work.
In summary, Magnusson and Marecek have created an excellent resource for
psychologists seeking to incorporate gender and culture into their understanding of
psychology. They inspire readers to rethink the importance of the social context
culture in peoples experiences. Students will gain both conceptual and methodo-
logical insights from the accessible and engaging chapters.
Robyn Bluhm, Anne Jaap Jacobson and Heidi Lene Maibom (eds), Neurofeminism: Issues at the
intersection of feminist theory and cognitive science. Palgrave Macmillan: London, 2012; 296 pp.
ISBN 978-0-230-29673-2.
Reviewed by: Dafne Muntanyola Saura, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, Spain
Are we looking at a re-feminization of neuroscience? The inclusion of neurobiolo-
gist Kay Tye in Natures last Women in Science volume (30 Something Science
March 2013) seems to point in this direction. Being one of the hottest elds in
science, looking closer into the scientic kitchen might gives us key insights into the
relationship between doing gender and doing science. A key guide to this process is
Neurofeminism, a collection of 11 essays on the critical relationship between fem-
inist theory and neuroscience. The authors, including the editors of the volume
Robyn Bluhm, Anne Jaap Jacobson and Heidi Lene Maibom, come from the
disciplines of Philosophy, Psychology and Women Studies, with some being neuro-
scientists, biologists and engineers. The essays are not divided into sections but
gather around key themes such as terminology, ethics, philosophy of science and
embodiment. The heterogeneity of topics and authors makes it a dicult read at
times, and reiterations are inevitable. Rather than going through the essays from
A to Z, readers will probably pick the authors they want to read selectively, just
like reading poetry. The bibliography, which has been merged at the end of the
book, is up to date and of extreme value for students and academics who wish to
understand the state of the art of feminist cognitive science.
Neuroscience is rmly based on naturalistic research methods such as psycho-
logical experimentation, brain imaging and stimulation (EEG, MEG, fMRI, TMS)
and mathematical modelling. As Letitia Meynell puts forward in The Politics of
Pictured Reality, fMRI and other tools such as 3D foetal ultrasound produce
images that are only apparently transparent. Scientists rely heavily on sophisticated
machinery for observation and analysis that shape the production of results. The
adoration of the image impregnated already the birth of photography as an artistic
discipline, as well as that of lm. The historical confrontation between the realistic
and the fantastic use of media traditionally downplays the need for articiality in
taking the picture, independently of the content of the nal object. The current
manifestation of this cultural desire of visualizing anything is called in this volume
Book reviews 569
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