During the past two decades, the study of how gender influences social life has moved from the outskirts to the centre of psychology. Some of psychology′s most cherished assumptions have been challenged and feminist scholars proposed alternative views of human development, research methods, cognitive functioning, family life and communication. These challenges have invigorated many areas of psychology.
Distinctive in its emphasis on applied issues that have practical importance in the lives of women and men, this volume presents current knowledge about key gender issues and sheds light on problems and controversies. Specific issues explored include: gender differences in emotion; desire for control; attitudes towards leadership; and expressive behaviour.
Stuart Oskamp (Ph.D., Stanford University) has focused his research interests in the areas of attitudes and attitude change, applied social psychology, behavioral aspects of energy and resource conservation, and social issues and public policy. His books include
Attitudes and Opinions and
Applied Social Psychology. He has been elected a member of the American Psychological Association (APA) Council of Representatives and President of the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues (SPSSI) and of the APA Division of Population and Environmental Psychology. He has also served as editor of the
Journal of Social Issues and of the Applied Social Psychology Annual. Since 1984 he has organized the Claremont Symposium on Applied Social Psychology and co-edited the resulting annual volume published for many years by Sage Publications and now published by Erlbaum.