Psychological Gender and Modernity

The aim of this book is to describe the 'psychological story' of gender in contemporary civilization. How is gender identity constructed through our socialization at different stages? And what happens to gender identity in a society where traditional sex roles seem to evaporate? When the question of gender in modern society is debated, one often gets the impression of no change at all, on the one hand, or total disintegration, on the other. The authors examine the often confusing story of gender and change from different developmental psychology, historical modernity and youth culture. A tentative conclusion is that the set of problems connected with femininity today seems to be different for young girls. Femininity and individuality seem no longer to be a contradiction in terms, as they often were in older generations. On the contrary, to explore and test one's gender becomes an aspect of exploring one's individuality, and the right to be one's gender becomes part of the more encompassing modern right to be a unique individual. This work will interest developmental and educational psychologists as well as students of youth culture, feminist studies, and sociology.