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摘要
摘要
At the beginning of the twentieth century, "hysteria" was a medical or psychiatric diagnosis applied primarily to women. In fact, the term itself comes from the Greek, meaning "wandering womb." We have since learned, however, that this diagnosis evolved from certain assumptions about women's social roles and mental characteristics, and is no longer in use.
The modern equivalent of hysteria, however, may be borderline personality disorder, defined as "a pervasive pattern of instability of self-image, interpersonal relationships, and mood, beginning in early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts." This diagnosis is applied to women so much more often than to men that feminists have begun to raise important questions about the social, cultural, and even the medical assumptions underlying this "illness." Women are said to be "unstable" when they may be trying to reconcile often contradictory and conflicting social expectations.
In Women and Borderline Personality Disorder , Janet Wirth-Cauchon presents a feminist cultural analysis of the notions of "unstable" selfhood found in case narratives of women diagnosed with borderline personality disorder. This exploration of contemporary post-Freudian psychoanalytic notions of the self as they apply to women's identity conflicts is an important contribution to the literature on social constructions of mental illness in women and feminist critiques of psychiatry in general.
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Wirth-Cauchon (sociology, women's studies, and cultural studies, Drake Univ.) presents a superb, up-to-date feminist analysis of the borderline condition. Although the borderline diagnosis has fallen out of grace in many psychological and psychoanalytic circles, it certainly made a big impact while in fashion. Characterized by stereotypically feminine qualities, such as poor interpersonal boundaries and an unstable sense of self, borderline diagnosis has been questioned by many as a veiled replacement of the hysteria diagnosis. As with hysteria, more women than men have received the borderline diagnosis. And far more men than women have made the diagnosis. In addition to examining the theoretical underpinnings of the borderline diagnosis, Wirth-Cauchon includes narratives from women exhibiting the characteristics of the condition. The author is rigorous in her analysis, and mainstream academics and diagnosticians should take note lest they create yet another label that disregards the contradictory and conflicting expectations experienced by so many women. Includes an excellent bibliography and a wealth of good references. Highly recommended for upper-division undergraduates, graduate students, faculty, and professionals. R. Kabatznick CUNY Queens College