Does the idea of patriarchy still resonate today, given our increasingly gender-diverse culture and feminist achievements? Gilligan gives a definitive yes in this interview, where the longtime professor and author gives her thoughts on modern feminism, gender within the family, and the positive potential impact of women’s empowerment on child development.
Over the hour-long interview, Gilligan draws compelling connections to suggest a relationship between patriarchy, parenting, and pleasure. She examines ways that the family unit, particularly mother-daughter and mother-son relationships, exemplifies and maintains patriarchy; the ways that self-denial women are conditioned to adopt leads to a denial of their own pleasure, as well as their power both as women and as strong maternal figures. For women, she continues, pleasure is a psychosocial dilemma that can be even harder to acknowledge than pain, both because women aren’t socially allowed to embrace their desire and because feeling into desire triggers grief and shame.
Feminist psychotherapy, she maintains, can compel women to face up to their disowned selves, own their authentic voices, and be more present for the sake of their children—especially their daughters, who long for empowered role models. Gilligan offers a rich overview of the nuances of feminism today—be sure to add this one to your library.
By watching this video, you will:
- Understand Gilligan’s definition of “patriarchy” and its relevance to modern feminism and families.
- Discover how children’s emotional honesty can be threatening to patriarchy.
- Learn how psychotherapy can support women’s empowerment as it pertains to embracing desire and pleasure.
Length of video: 00:31:00
English subtitles available
Individual ISBN-10 #: 1-60124-446-0
Individual ISBN-13 #: 978-1-60124-446-8
Group ISBN-10 #: 1-60124-447-9
Group ISBN-13 #: 978-1-60124-447-5
Carol Gilligan, PhD, is an American feminist, psychologist, ethicist, and author of many books, including
In a Different Voice: Psychological Theory and Women's Development (1982),
Between Voice and Silence: Women and Girls, Race and Relationships (1997),
The Birth of Pleasure (2002), and
The Deepening Darkness: Patriarchy, Resistance, & Democracy's Future (2009). She is a professor at New York University.