Retiring But Not Shy: Feminist Psychologists Create their Post-Careers

by Ellen Cole (Editor), Mary Gergen (Editor)

Overview

Retiring But Not Shy: Feminist Psychologists Create their Post‐Careers is composed of the stories of 23 women who address this time of life we call “retirement.” Each woman has been highly successful in her career as a psychologist, and each has taken seriously her commitment to feminism. Yet the authors are diverse in other ways, with differences in age, career specialties, ethnicity, ableness, sexual orientation, and partner status. The chapters are engaging, personal, lively, and, above all, a helpful guide to any professional woman who is considering what the future holds for her in her “post‐career.” Issues of health, emotional well‐being, housing, balancing career and post‐career tensions, partner negotiations, financial decisions, endings and beginnings, are all touched upon. These accounts of resilience and creativity are written from the heart but also provide practical resources for readers. The introduction by Michelle Fine begins by describing it as “a textual pajama party of essays by the very women who pioneered feminist psychology.” The foreword by editors Ellen Cole and Mary Gergen invite us all to join in.

Who might be interested in this book?
-- Professional women thinking of retirement at any age.
-- Teachers for courses on aging, women’s studies, adult education, biography, diversity, and
the life‐span.
-- Anyone wanting a gift of life for a friend or family member.
-- Workshop leaders involved with mentoring, tenure, aging, retirement.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940015060119
Publisher:	The Taos Institute
Publication date:	08/31/2012
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	410
File size:	3 MB

About the Author

Ellen Cole is Professor of Psychology Emerita at Alaska Pacific University (APU) in Anchorage, where she directed the Master of Science in Counseling Psychology program. She is past-president of the Alaska Psychological Association and the Society for the Psychology of Women, Division 35 of the American Psychological Association, as well as an AASECT-certified Sex Therapist Diplomate and a Fellow of APA. For 12 years Ellen co-edited the journal Women & Therapy and the Haworth Press book program, “Innovations in Feminist Studies.” She is author and editor of many publications, including Featuring Females: Feminist Analyses of Media, co-edited with Jessica Henderson Daniel, Refugee Women and their Mental Health, co-edited with Oliva Espin and Esther Rothblum, and Wilderness Therapy for Women, co-edited with Eve Erdman and Esther Rothblum. She has received a variety of professional awards, including a Distinguished Publication Award and two awards for Jewish scholarship from the Association for Women in Psychology, two Faculty Merit Awards for research from APU, a Woman of Achievement award from Anchorage’s YWCA, and perhaps most meaningful, an award for Outstanding Contribution to Students from the students at APU.

Mary Gergen is Professor Emerita of Psychology and Women’s Studies at Penn State University, Brandywine, as well as a board member of the Taos Institute, a non-profit organization dedicated to the integration of social constructionist ideas with diverse professional practices throughout the world. She serves as an advisor to doctoral candidates in a joint international program in the Social Sciences with Tilburg University, The Netherlands. With a strong interest in feminist gerontology, she is a co-editor of the Positive Aging newsletter, an online publication, which is available in six languages. Her major works are involved at the intersection of feminist theory and social constructionist ideas. In 2001 she published Feminist Reconstructions in Psychology:Narrative, Gender and Performance. She has also been author or editor of seven other books, as well as over one hundred articles and chapters for scholarly books. She has published pieces on aging, dialogue, gender, narratives, collaborative practices, performance, and qualitative inquiry. Most recently she has written Playing with Purpose: Adventures in Performative Social Science, with Kenneth J. Gergen.

Editorial Reviews

A fascinating, intimate glimpse into the future. Candid reflections from the first generation of professional women. These accomplished trailblazers are now embarking upon a new journey – retirement. Once again, there really are very few, if any, role models providing guidance and assurance. Retiring But Not Shy – affirmatively facing the challenges of the future.

Online

The stories in Retiring But Not Shy combine to produce an inspiring, poignant, funny, motivating rich mosaic on the stage of life, “retirement.” Whether these amazing feminist authors are “poised on the diving board,” in “the mid-air plunge,” or in “splash down and recovery,” they provide very honest, informative personal and professional experiences and insights as they look back as well as forward.

online