Synopses & Reviews
It is well known that depression occurs more often in women than in men. It is the most commonly encountered mental health problem among women and ranks overall as one of the most important women's health problems.
Researchers have studied depression a great deal, yet women's depression has rarely been the primary focus. The contexts of women's lives which might contribute to their depression are not often addressed by the mental health establishment, which tends to focus on biological factors. Situating Sadness sheds light on the influence of sociocultural factors, such as economic distress, child-bearing or child-care difficulties, or feelings of powerlessness which may play a significant role, and points to the importance of context for understanding womens depression.
Situating Sadness draws on research in the United States and other parts of the world to look at depression through the eyes of women, exploring what being depressed is like in diverse social and cultural circumstances. It demonstrates that understanding depression requires close attention to the social context in which women become depressed.
Review
“Why do women experience depression at twice the rate of men? This important collection brings the missing voices of women's own experience to the discussion, with rich and original results. Contributors—leading researchers as well as rising stars—provide sophisticated and nuanced studies of women working to make sense of and cope with their experiences of depression. An important analysis of gendered expectations in creating the context for depression. A needed and most welcome addition to fathoming the experience of depression.”
-Stephanie A. Shields,author of Speaking from the Heart: Gender and the Social Meaning of Emotion
Review
“This book brings together work from a number of researchers who have been in the vanguard of changing the ride. . . . presents a powerful and convincing case for a relational approach.”
-Journal of Reproductive and Infant Psychology,
Synopsis
Republicanism, liberalism, and the rule of law have a long and tangled common history in the development of Western institutions. All three claim to secure "liberty" for citizens or subjects of the state, without always agreeing about what this should mean in practice. Mortimer Sellers' The Sacred Fire of Liberty places the concept of "liberty" into the context of its political origins, and explains the structures and vocabulary of liberty that still dominate contemporary legal and political debate. Contrary to the common opposition of liberal and republican traditions as rival conceptions of political legitimacy, Sellers demonstrates the close links between the two, their common roots in developing Western conceptions of liberty, and their eventual divergence over structures of government following the French revolution.
About the Author
Janet M. Stoppard is Professor of Psychology at the University of New Brunswick in Canada. She is the author of
Understanding Depression: Feminist Social Constructionist Approaches.
Linda M. McMullen is Professor of Psychology at the University of Saskatchewan.