Alice Brow n-Col I i ns Wellesley CollegeThis article calls for a revision in the methodology of feminist psychological research because cultural differences can neither be investigated nor integrated without methodological change. A methodology that combines etic (objective, behavioral) and emic (subjective, phenomenological) approaches was demonstrated in an empirical investigation.White women did not differ from women of color in self-ratings on several gender-role stereotypic terms (etic data). However, the two groups differed significantly in how they had defined and interpreted those terms while rating themselves (emic data), and these subjective, culturally constituted interpretations predicted the self-ratings.We advocate for a revision of the methodology employed in feminist psychological research because cultural diversity in feminist psychology cannot be achieved without methodological change. We review the feminist challenge to traditional empiricist methods, present a cultural critique of those methods, and discuss the need for a revised method to address cultural differences. We then outline a revised method and present the results of a simple study as an example of the need for and benefits of the revised methodology.

This article goes beyond the question of the positive-negative valence of the Afro-American female self-concept. It proposes a model of self-concept formation for Afro-American women that explains the complexity involved in the synthesis of gender and race self-referents. Three self-referents. psychophysiological referent, African-American referent, and myself referent, are proposed to provide an understanding of the Black female self.The quest for knowledge concerning the experiences and contributions of Afro-American women has been characterized by a long and difficult struggle to capture the essence of what it means to be Afro-American and female. The complexity of such a search lies in understanding the historical past of Afro-American women,

This article calls for a revision in the methodology of feminist psychological research because cultural differences can neither be investigated nor integrated without methodological change. A methodology that combines etic (objective, behavioral) and emic (subjective, phenomenological) approaches was demonstrated in an empirical investigation. White women did not differ from women of color in self‐ratings on several gender‐role stereotypic terms (etic data). However, the two groups differed significantly in how they had defined and interpreted those terms while rating themselves (emic data), and these subjective, culturally constituted interpretations predicted the self‐ratings.

How do socialization practices differ by gender, class, race, religion, and other relevant factors? In a self-study, students can analyze their own childhood and adolescence, including both the positive and negative messages they received from family, friends, school, and the media about being a girl or boy of their particular background. These insights can be used in class to compare and contrast strategies for raising female children. The film Growing Up Female: As Six Become One [New Day Films, P. 0. Box 315, Franklin Lakes, N J 074173 shows the influences of forces such as parents, teachers, the media, and pop music in the lives of six women. Novels or autobiographies can be used to reinforce students' awareness of diversity in the socialization and development of women. The following readings may be included:

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