Having It All?

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't want. 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 or backlash 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 personal Superwoman. 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 be doing 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's motives 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 winners now? 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 baby arrives? 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 you don't need to lose it all! 8 Coping with stress. Superwoman says 'no!' Juggle don't struggle! 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 problems now? Women joining in. Choices for today's Superwoman. Further information. Notes and references. Index.