Psychology and Gender

This book provides an understanding of how psychology and gender are closely interrelated. It examines, critiques, and debunks some of the theoretical premises from mainstream psychology while remaining mindful and respectful of their utilities. The book brings together psychological concepts, theories, and paradigms and examines how they interplay with gender studies going beyond the typical understanding of gender as merely demographic variable. The volume discusses important concepts such as gender role development and interpersonal relationships across caste, class, genders, sexualities, race, and region. It also studies the significant link between psychology and gender and with feminism, women’s studies, the women’s movement, the queer movement, queer studies, as well as other social movements. It uses an interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary approach all through.

This book will appeal to students, researchers, and teachers of psychology, applied psychology, gender and women studies, sociology, practitioners, activists, those working in not-for-profit organizations and those working specifically on engendering psychology. The book will also be valuable reading for those interested in South Asian studies and other interdisciplinary courses in social sciences.

Sadhana Avinash Natu did her BA (psychology) from Fergusson College, Pune; her MA (clinical psychology) from the Department of Psychology of the then Pune University; and BEd from Tilak College of Education, Pune. She secured positions in the merit list of the university during all these courses. Thereafter, she cleared her UGC NET-JRF and obtained a doctorate from Pune University. Her thesis was titled ‘A Psycho-social Enquiry Into the Gender Roles and Other Related Factors of Young Males with Special Reference to Maternal Employment’. She works across multiple sectors and disciplines. She has long-standing engagement and work in academics, NGOs, community-based organizations, corporate sector, and psychotherapy. She has worked on boards of studies of psychology and women’s studies in Savitribai Phule Pune University as well as autonomous colleges. She was awarded the ‘Innovative Teaching Award’ of Savitribai Phule Pune University for facilitative, participatory teaching which allows students to engage critically with curricula. She writes in English and Marathi, and her translation of Social Psychology in Marathi, where she was the first author, won the Best Book Award of Marathi Manas Shastra Parishad. She facilitates a peer support and speak-out group, DISHA, in her institution which has served as a model for institutions across the university. She believes that there is a cogent, meaningful relationship between her social action, feminism, gynagogy, research, and the students’ world and that the classroom is a microcosm of the outside world and social reality. She has written for journals, chapters in books, and books as well as columns in newspapers for dissemination of ideas. She has participated in several national and international conferences and led many symposia and conducted pre-conference workshops, especially on gender and psychology, mixed methods, and gender analysis in psychological research and critical psychology.