Is Psychoanalytic Theory Relevant to the Psychology of Women?

Abstract

This article reviews the literature addressing the relevance of psychoanalytic theory to the psychology of women and offers a possible rapprochement between these divergent perspectives. This rapprochement is accomplished first by defining "psychoanalytic theory" and "the psychology of women" in line with current scholarship, then by comparing and contrasting these definitions in an item-by-item analysis. The basic tenets of modern psychoanalytic theory emerge as highly relevant to the understanding of the psychology of women, despite the fact that particular "brands" of psychoanalytic theory may not demonstrate this same compatibility.