Women in Psychology Essay Example for Free

Women in Psychology EssayInez Beverly Posser (1895-1934) was Americas first scorch female psychologist. Not only is this signifi screwingt in itself, it is also the adversity she overcame growing up to bestow there. And later, in the profound search in her dissertation that caused controversy as well as groundbreaking discoveries regarding education and integration vs. segregation as it relates to psychology. Inez was born into a family with 10 other siblings where she attended schools for saturnine in Texas. Since her family was poor, it was decided early on that they could only afford to send the oldest child (a son named Leon) to college, and in champion case graduated that he would pave the way financiall(a)y to help his siblings to attend college. However, it was apparent that Inezs proneness to attend college was greater than her brothers. Leon realized this and persuaded his parents to send her to college instead. Inez attended a historically down(p) college at Prai rie notion AM University. With a two year certificate she began to teach elementary school and then worked as a teacher at a high school. (this teaching experience, Im sure, will ground influential in her later look topic, where she addressed segregated vs. compound public schools). She went on to glossiness her Bachelors Degree at Samuel Houston college in 1926. To attend graduate school she was forced to leave Texas collectable to segregation. Undeterred, she established her Masters degree at the University of Colorado and in 1933 she received her PhD in psychology at the University of Cincinnati. The first female African American to achieve this degree.What makes Inez a pioneer in psychology was the circumstance that she was the first female African American to earn her PhD in psychology in America. Coupled with her research and study of segregated vs. integrated schools, of which she did her dissertation. Her destinationsfrom that research, caused much controversy with t he citizens as well as amongst her peers. (para 6) It is in this research where she concluded that inglorious school children fare far better in black schools than they do in integrated schools. Her findings were controversial in their time.It is interesting to note that her conclusions of this study came decades before the Brown vs. Board of indicant Court decision in 1954. In particular, even before the Civil Rights movement took hold crossways the country. (online Civil Rights Timeline, authors Brunner Haney, 2007). She had some support from other prominent African American figures of that time. One of those prominent figures that reluctantly agreed with her research was W.E.B. Dubois, believing that until the prejudicial attitudes of the pureness teachers against black students changed, only then would integrated schools be a positive environment for black students. (Americas depression Black Female Psychologist, 2008, p.1 para 6)In her research, by means of a psycholog ical perspective, she examined self-esteem and personality variables in the African American middle school students care integrated schools, and the African American middle school students attending segregated schools in the Cincinnati area. In her conclusion she found that black children in schools with black classmates being taught by black teachers fared far better than the students equivalent in the integrated schools. Even more astounding, she found that the children from the integrated schools experienced more social maladjustment, entangle less secure in their social relations, and had less satisfactory relations with their families.They were also more credibly to feel inferior at school, had less satisfactory relationships with their teachers and were more eager to leave school early.( Americas First Black Female Psychologist, 2008, p.1 para.5). Why did Inezs research and conclusion cause such controversy? at that backside are manydifferent views that can be drawn on th e research and conclusions. First, since Inez was African American herself, this may have conflicted inside her African American community. Why? Since African Americans have been struggling for check rights and equality in education, this would seem to go against what her own race has been struggling to achieve.On the surface it would bug out that way. However, her research was from a psychological perspective that had not yet been administered or researched. Ironically, her conclusions in her study in her dissertation could also be useful as the topic of desegregation that did not come on until decades after her study. The question that was answered even before its time, is how desegregation would effect the students themselves. Would this have a positive or forbid effect on their education? If equality was to be reached in the public school frame wouldnt this have to also mean that the African American students would also fare better than in integrated schools? Whats the use in achieving desegregation if it is going to have such a negative impact on the African American students?If you will notice, the word integrated is used in place of desegregation in her study since desegregation had not yet even been addressed As you can imagine, many different views, arguments, and psychological perspectives can be drawn from Inezs research and conclusions on integrated schools vs. segregated schools. Hence, any time a psychological study can stir controversy, arguments, or ideas within the psychology community, that in itself proves it is a study of great significanceAt a time when hurt ran deep, where women were trying to gain equality, and segregation was still in force most citizens would not even consider or given much thought on such a controversial topic as segregation vs. integration. Nor was there ever any studies, that I am aware of, as to how it affects the students themselves. Inez was way beyond her time in notonly her acceptance as a psychologist b y her peers, but in her dissertation where she voiced her results of the study. She was a pioneer for Black women in the field of psychology. Sadly, Inezs life was film editing short in a tragic car crash near Shreveport, La. after returning from a visit with her family in Texas.She was 38 years old at the time of her death. (An approximation, since her actual birth while is unknown) Thankfully, she was able to help six of her siblings financially to attend college, and was instrumental in helping many black students in gaining college funds for college and graduate school. (para 8) Since her untimely death at such a young age, it begs one to wonder, how much more she could have contributed to the field of psychology? The inscription on her tombstone reads How Many Hopes fabrication Buried Here. I guess this is a question that is the sentiment of many.Afterthought In reading her conclusions of her research, coupled with a previous experience, I can see that this makes sense Comin g from an all white school myself growing up, it was only when I entered high school did I encounter one black student who attended our school. I later befriended him and he explained to me that he came from an all Black school, but due to a move from an all Black area, he was transferred here. He voiced his feelings of inferiority. Not only did he feel he did not fit in, he trusted to go back to the all Black school. What is significant to mention is that he was also well behind his classmates in his studies when he arrived at the high school.This is important because it makes it clear that the all Black school was inferior in the education he was receiving. Since he started out behind the rest of the students, it was a constant struggle to get his grades even up to a C. This seems to conclude that the Black schools coupled with poorer neighborhoods tend to lack in the better education that is offered in the all white, upper class neighborhoods. That in itself is an inequality tha t I observed through this student. Despite the fact that he knew this school afforded him a better education than he was receiving, he still did not want to be here and wanted to go back to his old school where he fit in. As I read Inezs conclusion, through my experience with my Black friend, I feel it pull ahead enforced her findings.