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Feminist Approaches for Men in Family Therapy
The growing feminist voice in family therapy has elevated the topic of gender roles from its formerly neglected position to a central place in the field of family therapy. The major thrust of the feminist critique includes charges that family therapy (a) is overly blameful of women and mothers for family pathology; (b) ignores real power inequities of the larger system in which families are embedded; (c) reinforces traditional stereotyped roles; and (d) neglects the political dimension of family life (Bograd, 1986; Goldner, 1985; Hare-Mustin, 1978). The bulk of the attention given to gender issues in family therapy has been focused on women's perspectives. This is understandable and appropriate considering that women's relatively disadvantaged position in our culture makes them more vulnerable to harm from sexist practices. Recent feminist writers, however, have expanded their focus to consider how one aspect of their critique, reinforcement of stereotyped roles, may also harm men (Avis, 1986; McGoldrick, 1988). Other writers (Brooks, 1990; Pittman, 1985) have looked exclusively at men as potential recipients of sexist family therapy practices.
