THE DILEMMA OF THE GIFTED WOMAN

The abilities of highly capable women have rarely received serious recognition, support, or guidance. Although there is increasing interest in attracting women to positions of social, political, educational, and scientific leadership, many obstacles inhibit women from realizing their potential in these areas. These obstacles include: confusion about the meaning and nature of giftedness; psychological and cultural barriers to owning and displaying one's abilities; and ambivalent attitudes of peers, parents, and significant others toward exceptional ability in women. This paper encourages feminist psychologists to respond to this population's unique affective needs, and focuses on recognizing, understanding, and furthering exceptional ability in women in the face of gender-role stereotyping and cultural pressures.     

THE CORPORATE WOMAN OF THE 1990s

Attention to gender and the impact of perceived female/male differences on vocational choices, vocational behavior, and career opportunity peaked in the late 1970s and seemed to reach a plateau with the conclusion that most workplace gender differences can be accounted for by other variables, for example, job tenure and organizational level. Women who entered the workplace in the mid 1970s are now reaching the middle levels of organizations and provide a cohort group on which to test this hypothesis. This study examines gender comparisons on paper-and-pencil personality tests and interest surveys in a group of executive-level adults representing a wide variety of industries and job functions. Gender comparisons are discussed either as a function of occupational choice or membership in a minority group. Acknowledging and explaining gender differences where they exist can provide women with validation and support for their own experience.     

DECONSTRUCTING THE MYTH OF THE NONAGGRESSIVE WOMAN

One of the most pervasive and undisputed gender stereotypes is that men are more aggressive than women. However, this stereotype has, until recently, led researchers to conclude that women are nonaggressive and, therefore, to ignore the topic of female aggression as a distinct phenomenon. The basis of the myth, factors supporting its maintenance, and theories of female aggression are examined. A feminist reinterpretation of aggression that views women's and men's aggressive behavior within social structural arrangements that create and sustain differential power relations is presented.     

COMMENTARY ON SEXUALITY AND THE MIDLIFE WOMAN

In responding to Sandra Leiblum's clearly written, well-researched, and very well-balanced article, we would like to make three points about (a) the nature of language in menopause research and discussion; (b) the pathological and heterosexist bias in the scientific literature on menopause; and (c) our own research of menopausal lesbians.     

A REVIEW OF PSYCHOLOGY OF WOMEN TEXTBOOKS: FOCUS ON THE AFRO-AMERICAN WOMAN

A review was conducted of 28 psychology of women textbooks selected from university libraries and utilizing a psychological approach. The question of whether authors of psychology of women books in their treatment of Afro-American women had replicated the errors of authors of introductory psychology books in their treatment of women was raised. Of the 28 books reviewed, 18 offered either token or no references to Afro-American women. It is concluded that race and class biases underlie the exclusion, limited inclusion, and biased treatment of Afro-American women in these works.     

FROM THE EDITOR

No abstract available for this article.