Feminism and psychoanalysis /

For the past two decades, most discussions of feminism and psychoanalysis quickly led to criticism, blame, or outright attack. The fundamental principles of each system seemed not only to contradict the other but to challenge whether the other had a right to exist. This collection of essays represents a new phase, the beginning of a rapprochement, between the two viewpoints. Based on papers given at the 1986 Conference on Feminism, the 16 essays wrestle with many of the interdisciplinary questions raised by early feminist psychoanalytic critics. The essays are divided into two sections: theoretical texts and literary texts. Together, they attempt to find the root of sexual violence and oppression and to understand how sexual differences are socially and culturally constructed. Although the style of the essays is austerely academic, the book as a whole is a formidable attempt to understand basic human dilemmas, conflicts, and tragedies by using the power and insight of both disciplines. Recommended for graduate students and faculty. R. Kabatznick Queens College, CUNY