Reflections on a Feminist Psychology of Women: Paradoxes and Prospects

The articles published in Psychology of Women Quarterly provide both testimony to the progress made by feminist psychologists and an opportunity for critical self reflection on this literature. This paper reports an analysis of the methods and conclusions of articles published in Psychology of Women Quarterly from 1978 through 1981. The analysis was undertaken to document what has been accomplished by the psychology of women literature, to identify vestiges of traditional psychology reproduced within this literature, to examine conceptual paradoxes introduced by attempts to generate a feminist psychology, and to articulate prospects for a fuller realization of a feminist psychology. Three paradoxes, examined in detail, emerge from feminist psychology's commitment to contextual validity: the presumption of “progressive progress”; the implication of internal causes for social conditions; and the advancement of individualistic change strategies. The analysis concludes with recommendations for enhancing the contextual validity of feminist psychology.