*Note* This scheduling program was not designed by folks who do a lot with APA Style and unfortunately it defaults to listing authors in alphabetical order. We cannot fix this for this online schedule, but the author orders are posted in the order submitted in the printed program available via pdf here.
This workshop addresses supervision and diversity, particularly the intersections of gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and disability. Four experienced supervisors will offer best practices, processes, case examples, and exercises for supervising diverse students and addressing their diverse clients within a framework of multiple identities. The first presenter will provide feminist/multicultural models of supervision that facilitate supervisees’ expanding knowledge and reducing resistance to self-reflection and dialogue. Topics include: power, privilege, identity development, and under- or over-identification with members of diverse groups. The models are grounded in feminist, The second presenter will explore multicultural considerations and the complexity of issues, such as “cookbook” cultural interventions, socialization into politically correct thinking, and fear of exposure of “not knowing.” These issues complicate the dialogue between supervisor, trainee, and client. A framework for transforming this dialogue toward a more reflective multicultural metapsychology will be advanced. Presenter #3 will address the changing face of supervision for LGBT supervisees and clients. New issues have surfaced as the availability of information about LGBT issues and the sophistication of current supervisees have increased. Topics will include: shifting from a focus on homophobia/heterocentrism to new realities in the lives of LGBT individuals; providing multiple ways to assess supervisees’ competencies with LGBT people and communities; strategies for helping supervisees determine the role of LGBT issues in case formulation; and addressing obstacles to effective interventions and relationships. The fourth presenter will address ways to supervise individuals with disabilities. She will delineate manifestations of both “concrete” barriers, such as physical access, absence of sign language interpreting or Braille materials, and contextual/ psychological barriers such as isolation, prejudice and discrimination. She will describe ways for supervisors to maximize the probability of success for the supervisor, the supervisee, the client, and the agency. Both commonalities across disabilities and specific issues and accommodations for categories of disabilities will be addressed
Many feminist scholars strive to create safe classroom environments that deepen students’ awareness, and raise critical consciousness about the ways societies disperse social power within hierarchies across the world. In order to support a community of teaching pedagogy that promotes this awareness, the purpose of this workshop is to share specific tools and techniques that have found to be successful in classrooms when discussing issues such as identity, inequality, social power, oppression, and privilege. This interactive workshop aims to introduce attendees to four teaching tools focused on raising the critical consciousness of undergraduate and graduate students in classrooms. These activities may also be adapted for use with community groups or in workplace settings. Workshop attendees will have an opportunity to participate in each simulated activity. Each experiential learning activity will begin with an exercise that either requires participants to become aware of their power and privilege or simulates a real world experience that replicates systems of privilege and oppression. This will be followed with a facilitated discussion about how the participant’s social identity is implicated within systems of social power; this discussion will model practices that can be used in classrooms and other group settings. The workshop will conclude with a facilitated conversation about the heightened awareness that came as a result of participation in the exercises. Facilitators will provide attendees with materials on how to run the activities, and suggestions about how to use them in different classrooms.
Three presenters address aspects of women’s lives which have been marketed to the general public in a false and misleading way to support the billion dollar profits of the medical-pharmacological industry. The authors challenge the marketing and “science” that objectify women’s bodies, or render women’s bodies and experiences a series of symptoms, diseases, and dysfunctions that require pharmaceutical or surgical intervention by medical professionals. Each presenter addresses the marketing of a specific “condition” in which the marketing is designed to misinform or misrepresent women at the expense of corporate America. The session is part of a larger movement that critically challenges the marketing associated with the medical-pharmacological industry. In addition to a scientific critique, the presenters provide a gender lens. For example, the labeling of the menstrual cycle- related experience as a syndrome (PMS) is based on a culturally pejorative perspective on women’s bodies and bodily process, which has resulted in the widespread experience of reproductive shame (Chrisler & Caplan, 2002; Johnston-Robledo, Voigt, Sheffield, & Wilcox-Constantine, 2007). Presenter 1 examines the marketing of menstrual suppression to avoid the problem of menstruation, and questions the impact of this campaign for women’s experience of their bodies. Presenter 2 critically examines the pinking of breast cancer, the proliferation of pink products which are alledgedly promoting awareness of breast cancer, and contributing resources to breast cancer research. She advises that we think before we pink. Presenter 3 examines the misleading information about women’s sexual functioning that has been used to argue for drugs for women’s FSD. She focuses on the recent campaign of the drug industry to pressure the FDA to approve drugs for women, to Even the Score. In each case marketing techniques and misinformation are cleverly used to convince women to adopt behaviors that are not conducive to women’s health and well being.
This symposium addresses the importance of social context in relationship to significant social identities (e.g., race and gender) and commitment to social justice. All three presentations utilize qualitative methodologies in efforts to understand the role of race, class, gender, and sexuality in shaping the lived experiences of young Latina/os. The first presentation focuses on the experiences of young Latina students attending an alternative high school in Northern California. Using data gathered from an ethnographic study, the authors explore from an intersectional perspective young Latinas’ experiences in a school setting designed primarily for the surveillance and training of young men. Findings show instances of gendered microaggressions that reproduce practices that may lead to harmful outcomes for young Latinas. The second presenter discusses the transformative power of higher education in facilitating a commitment to work on behalf of Latina/o and gender issues. The author draws from interviews conducted with a sample of educated Latinas. Data analyses are informed by the social engagement model (Hurtado, 1997) and highlight the importance of student organizations and exposure to feminist and ethnic studies courses in galvanizing political activism geared at contributing to social justice and “the public good.” The final presenter draws from interviews with a sample of Latino men attending a “Hispanic” Serving Institution on the central coast of California. The purpose of the study was to understand how social context (familial, community, and educational) influence young Latinos’ views in defining the word “manhood.” The author utilizes intersectionality as a guiding concept informing analyses of participants’ responses. Findings indicate that most participants defined manhood in relational and ethical ways, and none endorsed hegemonic definitions of masculinity. Taken together, all three presentations illustrate the importance of social context in shaping educational trajectories and life chances, consciousness around gender, and commitment to social justice for marginalized communities.
The sexual domain is an essential space for justice researchers to consider – not only to understand how sexual relationships serve as sites of violence and conflict, but additionally, how sexual relationships reflect adaptions to and normalizations of inequality. This symposium offers three perspectives on working with justice theories to “enliven” key concepts in sexuality research. The three papers each take up a key concept – choice, empowerment, and satisfaction – and use a range of theoretical and empirical work to assess how previous conceptualizations have overlooked how entitlement and deservingness shape individuals’ sexual lives. The three papers each address how gender shapes sexual entitlement as well as how feminist psychological research plays an essential role in understanding experiences of normalized injustices in intimate relationships. The first paper examines the concept of “choice” in sexuality research and analyzes interviews with a sample of racially and ethnically diverse girls about their experiences with providing oral sex in heterosexual sexual encounters. The second paper takes us to the concept of “empowerment” and argues that an intervention into discussions of female empowerment must more carefully consider the role of sexual embodiment in order to more fully articulate what exactly one is empowered to do, be, or feel. Lastly, the third paper makes a theoretical and empirical argument that studies of “sexual satisfaction” do not sufficiently consider the ways in which individuals are socialized to feel entitled (or un-entitled) to feel sexually satisfied. Drawing on a mixed methods study of individuals’ definitions of satisfaction, this paper argues that feminist psychology must more systematically link examinations of satisfaction with deservingness.
Very little is known regarding the experiences of women of color in psychology; however, their joint social categorizations as both women and ethnic minorities have led some to believe that they likely experience a “double disadvantage” or “double jeopardy” (Carter, Pearson, & Shavlik, 1969). Intersectionality theorists, on the other hand, have cautioned against an over-simplified, additive perspective. They argue that the experiences of ethnic minority women cannot be adequately or accurately encapsulated by the mere sum of their singular identities as “women” and “persons of color.” Instead, they suggest that ethnic minority women are likely to experience “intersectional invisibility,” or an inability to be fully recognized by either subordinate group, effectively rendering their voices and perspectives socially silent or neglected (Purdie-Vaughns & Eibach, 2008). In supporting the leadership pipeline of women of color in psychology, we need to consider solutions to help with their overall experience, retention, and advancement toward upward mobility. Though limited in scope, there are some literature, including anthologies, that speak to the experiences of women of color in higher education and the multidimensionality of their identities. These narratives offer number of viable possibilities in supporting women of color in higher education. These include but are not limited to: mentoring, building supportive professional networks, and opportunities for leadership development. Ultimately, the success of our profession rests with the diversity of its members and leaders. As such, the present proposal challenges existing ideologies and practices that hinder this potential and offers recommendations that promote the leadership pipeline for women of color in academia.
The experience of sexual identity for females no longer represents a strict adherence to a static course of development (Diamond, 2008). Thompson & Morgan (2008) reported that 42% of their female sample expressed a degree of sexual identity uncertainty and label difficulty. This point has become contentious as many are pushing away from the oppressive nature of the gender and sexual binaries (Iantaffi & Bockting, 2011). Method This study utilized a qualitative research method to explore the differences in the ways three generations of sexual minority females viewed the process of sexual identity labels, development, and gender identity. Eighteen participants (13 cisgender, 4 transgender, and 1 agender/gender non-conforming), ranging in ages from 20 to 67 years old, completed a semi-structured interview. Preliminary Results Currently, data has undergone open and comparative-coding procedures utilized in the grounded theory method (Charmaz, 2006). Two teams of graduate students have assisted in the coding process. While data is currently undergoing analysis, this project will be complete by the March conference. At this time, a number of themes have emerged. First, struggling to define and express an authentic identity is the strongest theme. Participants noted how labels that represent the gender binary and restrictive notions of sexuality did not fit their sense of self. Second, negative perception and rejection within the LGBTQ community. Third, participants discussed the importance of feminism on both their sexual and gender identities. Many participants in the oldest generation reported involvement in feminist organizations, culminating in a fusion between feminism and sexual identity. In younger generations, feminist ideals pervade struggles for representation and equality. Discussion It is expected that themes representing an intersection of sexual and gender identities will emerge. Such findings will further an understanding of female sexual identity that is fluid and requires greater social protection to achieve equal standing.
Despite the growing number of women in the labor force and increased opportunity for salary negotiation, women, in comparison to men, do not ask for more (Babcock & Laschever, 2003). Meta-analyses (Stuhlmacher & Walters, 1999; Walters, Stuhlmacher, & Meyer, 1998) confirm the existence of gender differences in negotiation behavior and outcomes. The impact of gender on negotiation performance was carefully reviewed with a focus on the situation; the review suggested that women’s performance is impacted by stereotype threat and empowerment. The mere mention of a negative stereotype about one’s social group (stereotype threat) can lead to poor outcomes on stereotype relevant tasks (Steele, 1997). Stereotype activation positively affects men’s negotiation performance but negatively affects women’s (Kray et al., 2001). The effects of experiencing power indicate increased approach behavior (Keltner et al., 2003) and increased connections between one’s goals and actions (Galinsky et al., 2003). Men’s negotiation performance is less affected by the experience of power compared to women’s (Hong, 2013). The current study examined the impact of stereotype threat, hypothesized to undermine women’s performance, and an empowering instructional set. expected to enhance negotiation performance. Using a home-purchasing negotiation task, 45 women negotiated after receiving one of three instructional sets: a control, stereotype threat and empowerment. Preliminary analyses suggested that women’s negotiation is impacted by the situation; women respondents performance (final offer) was more easily undermined than enhanced. Post performance measures confirmed women’s discomfort with negotiating in the stereotype threat condition. Implications for training women to negotiate are discussed.
Despite evidence indicating that many young women are engaged in activism behaviors (Taft, 2008), many adults minimize the potential role that youth can play in creating social change. Understanding adolescent girls’ perceptions about activism and their rationale for identifying (or not identifying) as an activism can provide insights into youth activism. Further, cultural debates about feminism, including campaigns in which individuals proclaim their anti-feminism stance, lead many to assume that most young women reject feminism. This assumption may neglect the perspectives of adolescent girls who do see a place for themselves within the feminist movement and can oversimplify potentially nuanced conversations about feminism, activism and effective ways to engage in social change work. Method Interviews were conducted as part of a larger mixed-methods study examining the impact of an activism program with high school students attending an all girls' school. The program consisted of seven workshops examining social issues and teaching activism skills. Students participated in individual interviews on the last day of the program during which they discussed their perspectives regarding activism and feminism, whether they identified as an activist and/or feminist, as well as what they learned from the program. Results Interview are being analyzed by a team of researchers using grounded theory (Charmaz, 2006). Preliminary results suggests that the themes will consist of 1) changes in perceptions due to the program, 2) definitions of activism, 3) definitions of feminism, 4) intentions to engage in activism, 5) feminist identity, 6) activist identity, and 7) barriers to activism. Frequencies of the individual categories and quotes from the girls will be reported. Discussion We will discuss implications of our findings, including examining the role that young women can play in feminist activism and ways that they choose to engage in social change work.
Latina doctoral students’ struggles encompass a combination of individual, familial, and institutional factors that can affect success. In addition to pre-existing barriers (e.g. low SES), Latinas face institutional barriers including stigmatization, discrimination based on race, gender, and class, perceived hostility, and lack of financial support. Departmental barriers for Latinas include lack of mentors, tokenization by peers, and marginalization and low expectations from professors (Gonzalez, 2006). The impact includes Latinas experiencing cultural isolation as a result of leaving their families and tokenization on campus, and that, as ethnic minority women, many feel the need to work twice as hard as their peers to prove their legitimacy. In this paper we offer recommendations for how graduate psychology programs can use feminism as a tool to recruit and retain Latina students. Feminism is especially well suited to address this need because it considers how gender, race and ethnicity and social class impact women’s academic and professional endeavors. Recommendations offered in this paper include paving a financial path for success, meeting linguistic needs in clinical training settings, increasing diversity representation amongst students and faculty, and expanding the knowledge production in the field of psychology to include the voices of Latinas.
In the U.S., negative stereotypes of feminism (e.g., as outdated) have been associated with a reluctance among many young women to identify as feminists (McRobbie, 2009). However, feminist identification has drawn increasing attention recently—particularly in the digital realm and among young audiences—with regular social media campaigns targeting feminist self-labeling and consistent online media coverage of newly self-identified celebrity feminists. This rising wave of interest in feminism—and the feminist label, specifically—raises questions about whether the tide is turning among young women today on feminism. The present study used open-ended questionnaire methods to explore identification with, and perspectives on feminism by 267 female college students (Mage = 18.9 years; 66% first-year undergraduate; 80.5% White/European American; 91.5% heterosexual). Thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006) was used to explore how these young women, (1) define feminism in their own words, (2) explain identifying as a feminist (or not), and, (3) reconcile points of agreement and disagreement with feminist perspectives. Findings encompass a wide range of views on feminism—from strong disavowal to unequivocal endorsement. On the one hand, stereotypes of feminism as both extreme and excluding men were discouraging of feminist self-labeling. On the other, for a significant portion of women in this study, simply being a woman was reason enough to label oneself a feminist. However, women often expressed a mixture of positive and negative evaluations of feminism. For example, women’s definitions commonly employed a rights-based discourse, which a majority of women supported. At the same time, for many, feminism was seen as synonymous with activism, which was frequently viewed as extreme. Interestingly, many women who supported collective action on feminist issues hesitated to label themselves feminist if not currently engaged in activism. Findings highlight the importance of the visibility of self-identified feminist role models for young people today.