25 Oct Transpersonal Psychology: Feminism
In the introductory class for the CIIS doctoral program in Integral and Transpersonal Psychology, the required text is the Wiley-Blackwell Handbook of Transpersonal Psychology (2015), out of which the 38 articles presented as essential to the field, nine were written by women. A perusal of the syllabus shows clearly that women authors have been siloed into their own special category, rather than entering the conversation at large. These scholars are identified as “women authors” whether their subject matter is feminist in topic or not. There were no included readings either required or suggested about Goddess worship, Wicca, or Paganism.
Bertram (1998) points out the inherent gender bias in excluding emotions from academic writing and the inherent sexism of research: it privileges the objective, the rational, and the use of experiment over subjectivity, emotionality, and experience. These are primary areas of women’s concern and lives. This bias in research, which students are asked to uphold today so as to increase the likelihood that transpersonal psychology will be accepted by the mainstream, Bertram points out, functions to maintain the status quo, effectively policing what subjects are accepted as legitimate for research.
Although the participatory philosophy revolutionized the transpersonal field by including women’s and Indigenous perspectives instead of degrading them as the perennial philosophy had done, these elements are still not considered as equal to the white and Asian male perspective offered as the crux of integral and transpersonal psychology. As Lancetta points out (2005), the spiritual journey is still dominated by patriarchal thinking, unjust relationships, and the oppression of women’s states of consciousness.
Wright (1995) wrote that women’s values are needed in the field in order to develop more relational approaches, a model of development that does not sacrifice the phenomenal world of physical bodies, the senses, sexuality, and the earth. Women talk about wholeness, not enlightenment, and express concern for relationships, connection, and communion. She suggests that an alternative model needs to be developed that reflects nonhierarchical patterns, born from a relational approach. Although participatory theory has offered such an alternate model, transpersonal psychology as a field is not demonstrating this in its actions.
References
Friedman, H.L. & Hartelius, G. (Eds.), (2015).The Wiley-Blackwell handbook of transpersonal psychology. Wiley Blackwell.
© 2023 Catherine Auman
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