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Book Review: Women and Gender: Making a Difference (4th ed.)

Taryn A. Myers Psychology of Women Quarterly 2012 36: 510 DOI: 10.1177/0361684312456301 The online version of this article can be found at: http://pwq.sagepub.com/content/36/4/510

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510 Each chapter ends with an engaging Considering Diversity section. Brannons chapter Sexuality is a particularly good example of the benefits of the gender perspective because it clearly compares and contrasts male and female anatomy, attitudes, and experience. Helgesons text combines sociological and psychological approaches in very advantageous ways. Her chapter Sex Differences in Health: Evidence and Explanations, for example, discusses morbidity and mortality statistics, as well as health behaviors. And it clearly emphasizes that apparent gender differences may be due to the artifacts of confounding variables, such as socioeconomic status. Both books do a good job with many topics, but I do hope future editions will have better coverage of womens unique

Psychology of Women Quarterly 36(4) concerns. Otherwise, I think the change from psychology of women to psychology of gender will be a step backward rather than a step forward. Reference
Hoffnung, M. (2011). Teaching about motherhood: Revisioning family. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 35, 327330. doi:10. 1177/0361684311401824

Bio
Michele Hoffnung, PhD, is a professor of psychology at the Quinnipiac University, Hamden, Connecticut.

Janice D. Yoder Women and Gender: Making a Difference (4th ed.). New York, NY: Sloan Publishing, 2013. 532 pp. $84.95 (paperback). ISBN: 1597380407 Reviewed by: Taryn A. Myers, Virginia Wesleyan College, Norfolk, VA DOI: 10.1177/0361684312456301

For those who teach undergraduate courses such as Psychology of Women or Psychology of Gender, it is often difficult to find a textbook that is engaging to students and also includes cutting-edge research findings from the science of psychology. The fourth edition of Yoders Women and Gender: Making a Difference manages to meet both of these needs while being extremely readable and informative for both student and professor alike. Yoders text, the previous edition of which was published in 2007, has been an excellent option for coursework for years, and this recent edition is no exception. Yoders increased focus on a social justice approach to issues related to the psychology of women make this edition even more applicable to university courses where service-learning and other active-learning activities are becoming increasingly popular. Other useful additions include an emphasis on the updated principles for feminist psychotherapy created by a joint task force of members of American Psychological Association Divisions 17 and 35, cutting-edge information about intersexuality, and incorporation of research from the fields of body image, objectification theory, and ambivalent sexism. The clear explanations of novel findings from extremely recent studies throughout the book are particularly helpful. Most citations in the book are now from the last decade of work, ensuring that students receive up-to-date information about topics where new information provides a more holistic and inclusionary view. The book is very user-friendly, with information clearly explained in language appropriate for even first-year and sophomore students. Boxes in each chapter are helpful and

thought-provoking, making them excellent potential jumping-off points for class discussion. However, sometimes placement of the boxes in the chapter is far from the location where the topics are discussed in the text, disrupting continuity. The book is written to engage the reader at all times, as Yoder includes anecdotes from her own experiences as a woman, scholar, and parent throughout the book. She also grabs the readers interest with powerful vignettes, like those that begin Chapter 13s discussion of violence against women, and statements that challenge, such as a brain teaser about the surgeon that leads into Chapter 7s discussion of sexism. This text also challenges the reader to explore topics further. Each chapter ends not only with a list of suggested readings but a brief explanation as to why each is recommended, making connections for students who may otherwise ignore such helpful lists. In reading this book, it is clear that Yoder draws on her own experience as a researcher, professor, and editor. For example, in Chapter 1, she seems to anticipate the types of questions and arguments often encountered when concepts such as oppression and inequality are introduced in the classroom, such as What about sexism against men? and What about racism? The inclusion of these issues in the initial chapter reflects the wisdom of someone who has encountered these arguments previously. Chapter 2 also includes a frank, noholds-barred discussion of the problems in the field of psychology regarding how psychologists have traditionally treated both the topic of gender and female academics and clinicians. There are two minor concerns with this text. First, the material about balancing multiple roles is divided into Chapter 8, which explores close relationships, and Chapter 9, which examines work-related issues. This division seems to further emphasize, rather than continue to challenge, the conflict between work and home life for women. Second, although it is discussed later in Chapter 13, the omission of any reference to sexual harassment in Chapter 9s treatment of sexist discrimination seemed problematic. However, for every small issue to be found with the text, there

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Else-Quest et al. are multiple strengths that more than compensate, such as the inclusion of development across the life span and clear explanations of topics that are often difficult for students (and even faculty) to grasp, such as objectification theory. Women and Gender: Making a Difference is not only an excellent overview of how we do the psychology of gender but also of how we do psychology in general. Yoders descriptions of the types of research methodologies and statistical techniques utilized in this area of research are much more detailed than many other undergraduate textsincluding many undergraduate texts that focus on research methods. In particular, her clear introduction of concepts such as moderators, mediators, and meta-analysis in Chapter 2 is

511 invaluable for students who will be exposed to these methods frequently when reading primary source literature in this area. Rather than omit these difficult constructs, it seems that Yoder trusts students to understand them. This trust, which is reflected in her frank treatment of numerous difficult topics throughout the text, not only shows Yoders insight into students minds but also illustrates yet another application of the feminist values this book sets as one of its goals. Bio
Taryn A. Myers, PhD, is an assistant professor of psychology at Virginia Wesleyan College.

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