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At 90, Carol Gilligan Still Champions Women's Voices
23 Sep
Summary
- Carol Gilligan teaches radical listening, valuing curiosity over knowledge.
- She interviews girls on why they silence themselves to avoid conflict.
- Gilligan's work remains relevant amidst resurgent patriarchal ideals.
Psychologist Carol Gilligan, nearing 90, is instructing a "radical listening" seminar at New York University, valuing curiosity and uncertainty over knowledge. Her methodology requires deep presence, acknowledging unspoken elements in communication.
Gilligan, renowned for her 1982 book "In a Different Voice," continues to research why girls and young women silence themselves, a concern amplified by resurgent patriarchal ideals. She interviews elementary to high school girls in New York City and Boston about their experiences of being heard.
Her research, initially sparked by the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, explored how women voice moral decisions through relationships rather than abstract principles. This led to the observation that moral psychology had historically overlooked female perspectives.
Despite facing criticism for reinforcing stereotypes, Gilligan's nuanced work, described as more than "binary," remains relevant. Her listening approach is now applied across diverse fields, with a new international handbook on her method due for release.
