Thank you to everyone who took the time to visit this blog and share your comments and thoughts!!
What I have learned from your posts and from this book is that everyone has different experiences and everyone benefits when we recognize and listed to those experiences. When conducting research and creating theories, we can not focus on only one demographic or one audience and expect the results to be all encompassing. As Adult Educators we can not expect everyone to fit into one model or one theory and therefore, we must understand the theories and adjust when necessary.
I respect Carol Gilligan for speaking up and challenging Erik Erikson theory. Much has changed in the twenty years since she wrote this book and I do believe that her book has made a difference in brining in women's voices. I hope that everyone finds an opportunity to read this book and enjoy it as much as I have.
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Key discussion point:
Key discussion point:
Why is important, to the field of Adult Education, to consider Psychological Development, their Models of Development and their Theorists?
Why is important, to the field of Adult Education, to consider Psychological Development, their Models of Development and their Theorists?
Book Reference:
Book Reference:
Gilligan, C. (1993). In A Different Voice: Psychological Theory and Women’s Development. Cambridge: Harvard University Press
Gilligan, C. (1993). In A Different Voice: Psychological Theory and Women’s Development. Cambridge: Harvard University Press
Book Analysis
Analysis:
What I gleamed from the book as it relates to Adult Education is the need to ensure that Women’s voice is taken into consideration when creating theories or development models.
There is no argument that men and women are psychologically different. The argument here is not if one gender is better, smarter, or right however, it is critical that both voices are heard. It is critical that both viewpoints are examined and considered.
For those who have completed EDAE 624 – Adult Teaching and Learning, you will recall that we discussed in depth Psychological development and the stages of Adult Development. We even explored Erikson’s Psychosocial Development model in particular. This is the same model that Gilligan challenges in her book. According to Gilligan, Erikson’s model was created based on interpretation of the male child. She does not argue that the stages are not applicable to the male child she merely contends that the female interpretation results in the stages are a bit different and since women make up around 50% of the audience, it would behoove us not to include this population in the research. Therefore, life cycle theories should include experiences of both males and females to be all inclusive.
What does this have to do with Adult Education? In an effort to mentor Adult Learners and guide them through their transformational journeys in education, Adult Educators must be aware of their audiences, their social roles and the timing of life events that affect their audience’s development. When we utilize theorist’s models, we need to know that they are all encompassing; that they look at all of human experiences and not just one sided.
Gilligan worked with Erikson and Kohlberg at Harvard. They taught psychology in the traditions of Freud and Piaget. Through research, listening, studies and interviews, Gilligan found that the basic conflict that men face in the adolescence stage of Erikson’s model, Identity vs. Role Confustion, was actually faced by women in the young adulthood stage and that during a women’s adolescence stage the basic conflict was that of Intimacy vs. Isolation which men experience in their young adulthood stage. This is extremely important to recognize as Adult educators as the Young Adulthood stage spans from 19 – 40 years.
To be successful as Adult Educators, our focus on course development, audience expectations and needs, and transformational learning, must take into consideration our learner’s motivations, social roles, and assumptions, all of which are driven by their psychological development which differs between men and women.
What I gleamed from the book as it relates to Adult Education is the need to ensure that Women’s voice is taken into consideration when creating theories or development models.
There is no argument that men and women are psychologically different. The argument here is not if one gender is better, smarter, or right however, it is critical that both voices are heard. It is critical that both viewpoints are examined and considered.
For those who have completed EDAE 624 – Adult Teaching and Learning, you will recall that we discussed in depth Psychological development and the stages of Adult Development. We even explored Erikson’s Psychosocial Development model in particular. This is the same model that Gilligan challenges in her book. According to Gilligan, Erikson’s model was created based on interpretation of the male child. She does not argue that the stages are not applicable to the male child she merely contends that the female interpretation results in the stages are a bit different and since women make up around 50% of the audience, it would behoove us not to include this population in the research. Therefore, life cycle theories should include experiences of both males and females to be all inclusive.
What does this have to do with Adult Education? In an effort to mentor Adult Learners and guide them through their transformational journeys in education, Adult Educators must be aware of their audiences, their social roles and the timing of life events that affect their audience’s development. When we utilize theorist’s models, we need to know that they are all encompassing; that they look at all of human experiences and not just one sided.
Gilligan worked with Erikson and Kohlberg at Harvard. They taught psychology in the traditions of Freud and Piaget. Through research, listening, studies and interviews, Gilligan found that the basic conflict that men face in the adolescence stage of Erikson’s model, Identity vs. Role Confustion, was actually faced by women in the young adulthood stage and that during a women’s adolescence stage the basic conflict was that of Intimacy vs. Isolation which men experience in their young adulthood stage. This is extremely important to recognize as Adult educators as the Young Adulthood stage spans from 19 – 40 years.
To be successful as Adult Educators, our focus on course development, audience expectations and needs, and transformational learning, must take into consideration our learner’s motivations, social roles, and assumptions, all of which are driven by their psychological development which differs between men and women.
Book Summary
Carol Gilligan does an excellent job in taking the works of theorist’s Kohlberg and Erikson in development pshychology and expanding on it to include women’s experience. She began writing the book in the 1970’s a time in which the women’s movement was at a forefront of our society.
The book includes the research and interviews that support the need for women’s voices to be heard in society. Gilligan explores the theories of moral and emotional development and outlines three stages of moral development. The book focuses three themes; Voice, Difference and Women’s and Men’s Development.
The book is pretty small with only six chapters and 174 pages. It opens with a letter written ten years after the first publication. This letter is the only change to the book when it was reprinted in 1983 and the story in a different voice remains unchanged. It is considered to be a classic in its own right considering the changes in our society from the 1970s to today in the area of women’s inclusion in society.
I did find parts of the book to be very dense but to me that is to be expected when it comes to psychology and the discussion of theories. Overall, it was a good read. The interviews and discussions were extremely interesting and I felt that the validation in research and linkage to the theories mentioned very strong.
The book includes the research and interviews that support the need for women’s voices to be heard in society. Gilligan explores the theories of moral and emotional development and outlines three stages of moral development. The book focuses three themes; Voice, Difference and Women’s and Men’s Development.
The book is pretty small with only six chapters and 174 pages. It opens with a letter written ten years after the first publication. This letter is the only change to the book when it was reprinted in 1983 and the story in a different voice remains unchanged. It is considered to be a classic in its own right considering the changes in our society from the 1970s to today in the area of women’s inclusion in society.
I did find parts of the book to be very dense but to me that is to be expected when it comes to psychology and the discussion of theories. Overall, it was a good read. The interviews and discussions were extremely interesting and I felt that the validation in research and linkage to the theories mentioned very strong.
About the Author
Carol Gilligan is University Professor at the New York University School of Law.
“Carol Gilligan believes that psychology has persistently and systematically misunderstood women--their motives, their moral commitments, the course of their psychological growth, and their special view of what is important in life. Here she sets out to correct psychology's misperceptions and refocus its view of female personality. The result is truly a tour de force, which may well reshape much of what psychology now has to say about female experience.” (Harvard University Press)
For additional information on the author go to the Harvard University Press website at:
http://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog/GILDIF.html
“Carol Gilligan believes that psychology has persistently and systematically misunderstood women--their motives, their moral commitments, the course of their psychological growth, and their special view of what is important in life. Here she sets out to correct psychology's misperceptions and refocus its view of female personality. The result is truly a tour de force, which may well reshape much of what psychology now has to say about female experience.” (Harvard University Press)
For additional information on the author go to the Harvard University Press website at:
http://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog/GILDIF.html
Saturday, June 27, 2009
About the Book
This book was first published in 1983 and reprinted in 1993 with the addition of a Letter to Readers. Gilligan challenges the theories of Freud, Erickson, and Kohlberg by stating that their theories are centered on the male voice. She wanted to ensure that women’s perspectives are taken into consideration. Gilligan wanted women’s voices to be heard as well as for women to feel acceptable in having their voices heard.
In a Different Voice: Psychological Theory and Women's Development
I chose this book for my blog as I am very interested in Psychology and this book gave me an opportunity to explore moral and emotional theories. I was so focused on reading the book I am late in posting on my blog. I hope everyone enjoys learning about this book with me via this blog.
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