ILLUSTRATING FEMINIST THEORY - POWER AND PSYCHOPATHOLOGY

Feminist theory holds that many of the pathological behaviors observed in patients result from their position in the social hierarchy. The g oals of the demonstration detailed in this article are to show the imp act of current gender roles on the psychological well-being of women a nd men and to generate understanding and discussion of the problems th at relative status can create in the therapeutic relationship. This te aching demonstration draws parallels between the Zimbardo (1971) priso n experiment and the impact that assignment to low-and high-power role s can have on the psychological health of women and men. Students are asked to rate men and women on some of the diagnostic criteria that th e Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (American Psyc hiatric Association, 1994) associates with Axis I and II diagnoses. Th e students watch a video of Zimbardo's prison study and then rate the prisoners and guards. This demonstration provides another explanation for gender patterns in psychopathology by demonstrating that psycholog ically healthy White males will develop different patterns of psychopa thology depending on whether they are placed in a dominant or subordin ate role. When placed in the subordinate role, they exhibit behaviors typically seen in women clients; when placed in a dominant role they e xhibit behaviors commonly associated with male clients. This exercise demonstrates the unhealthy nature of the gender roles for both women a nd men.