Gendered Situations, Gendered Selves: A Gender Lens on Social Psychology

Social psychologists have often assumed that situations and behavior are gender neutral, yet assumptions about gender have affected the questions they have posed as well as the answers they have provided. Gendered situations, gendered selves is the second volume in the new Gender lens series--a groundbreaking series that looks at the complex and fascinating role of gender within our social world. Authors Judith A. Howard and Jocelyn A. Hollander explore the ways in which social psychology has simultaneously ignored and been deeply influenced by gender--carefully noting that gender differences are not the same as sex differences. Also discussed are the approaches to gender in social psychology research; how social psychology theories have been shaped by assumptions about gender, race, class, and sexuality; and the way gender influences identity and interaction. The mission of the Gender lens series is to unpack the assumptions about gender that pervade social life, and to examine the centrality of the assumptions about the way we perceive and interpret our world. Gendered situations, gender selves is an ideal introduction to the discussion of gender in social psychology, and will be useful in sociology and gender studies courses.