Gender and Culture in Psychology Theories and Practices

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http://fap.sagepub.com/Feminism & Psychology

http://fap.sagepub.com/content/23/4/567.citationThe online version of this article can be found at:

DOI: 10.1177/0959353513503984

2013 23: 567Feminism & PsychologySarah F Bailey

and Jeanne MarecekEva MagnussonGender and culture in psychology: Theories and Practices

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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 offer 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 flicker through the book, and might offer 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 examplesof 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

field and can gain further directions for their research.

The book has an approachable format, consisting of 15 brief chapters that

include subheadings for specific topics. At the end of many of the chapters, the

authors refer readers to further readings on the topic, guiding students researchinterests. 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 beconsidered 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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prompt discussion among students in social work or mental health practitioner

programs. One of the most useful aspects of this section isthe ethics of resistance,

which serves as a call to action for all psychologists to be continuously vigilant to

the organizational and societal pressures affecting 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 fields in

science, looking closer into the scientific 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 difficult 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 thebook, 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 firmly 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 onlyapparentlytransparent. 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 artisticdiscipline, as well as that of film. The historical confrontation between the realistic

and the fantastic use of media traditionally downplays the need for artificiality in

taking the picture, independently of the content of the final object. The current

manifestation of this cultural desire of visualizing anything is called in this volume

Book reviews 569

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Gender and Culture in Psychology Theories and Practices