Having It All?

Paula Nicolson is an expert on gender relations and reproductive health. Her work shows how psychological theories explain women's desires and their experiences at home and work.

• About the author. Acknowledgements. Introduction: Who should read this book, and why? 1 Making Choices. Choices for today's Superwoman. Today's Superwoman. Identifying the pressures: what we want, what we don'twant. Exposing the myth of Superwoman. Being true to yourself: making your own choices. 2 The Superwoman Syndrome. The heart of women's psychology? Historical background. Women's minds and women's lives. Who is a Superwoman? The history of today's Superwoman. 'Superwoman Quits!!!' - reasoned withdrawal orbacklash politics? The heart and mind of Superwoman. What women want. Controlling women's bodies and minds. Superwoman rising from the ashes. Conclusions. 3 Psychological survival and managing your 'self'. The psychodynamic approach. Presenting your self. Choice and preference: clues to our self-awareness. What do we need? What do we want? Fulfilment and health. Self-actualisation and psychological type. Superwomen, choices and having it all. I know who I am. What have feelings got to do with it? Mind the gap! Self-fulfilment and the emergence of our personalSuperwoman. What others do to you. Being confident in adversity. Conclusions. 4 Myth, magic or just hard work. What type of Superwoman are you?: Are you sure you should bedoing this? Describing Superwoman. Real and false choices. Beware of the false self. The real self: understanding our drives. What about Superwoman? What kind of Superwoman are you? But really - who are you? 5 The rise of Superwoman From fear of success to emotional intelligence Women'smotives at work. Fear of success: the myth of the passive woman? Femininity and passivity: women's natural self? Different bodies, different minds. Freud and femininity. Biology, genes, brains and gender. From different psychologies to better psychologies. Emotional intelligence and female natures: are we the winnersnow? Emotional competence. Conclusions. 6 It is still a man's world! Having it all at work: Having it all - at work. Real women's lives. Conflicts at work: challenges to having it all. Beware of hazards. Mapping the territory. Barriers to success and the downfall of a Queen Bee. Overcoming internal barriers. Overcoming external barriers. Conclusions. 7 Motherhood versus the glittering career. Coping with the backlash Lifestyle choices for Superwoman. Expectations versus reality: what do you do when the babyarrives? You can still find a pathway to success! The emancipation of mothers: an oxymoron! The role of fathers in the lifestyle choice. Superwoman and the backlash against feminism. Conclusions: You don't need to do it all and youdon't need to lose it all! 8 Coping with stress. Superwoman says 'no!' Juggle don'tstruggle! Stress and Superwoman. Recognising stress in our lives. How to cope with stress. Breaking the stress/burn-out cycle? Assertiveness - saying 'no'. Conclusions. 9 Challenging choices. Working with what you've got!: So who has problemsnow? Women joining in. Choices for today's Superwoman. Further information. Notes and references. Index.

"…If you feel that you are about to make choices or are unhappy with your day-to-day life, then read Paula Nicolson's book…" (familyonwards.com, 24 October 2002) "...offers particularly reassuring advice...", January 2003)"…Easy to read and reassuring, keep it handy for when you have to make decisions about home-life versus career…" (Rollercoaster.ie – Competition, 17 January 2003)