This is a pdf file of an unedited manuscript that has been accepted for. Jack, 1991, jack, 1996, jack and dill, 1992 self silencing theory holds that women form a concept of self based on participation in close, genuine relationships with valued others. Within the field of psychology, jack 1991 proposed. This chapter introduces the concept of this international book and the relevance of the selfsilencing construct to understanding depression and related problems across cultures, contexts, and populations. The silencing the self scale by dana crowley jack please circle the number that best describes how you feel about each of the statements listed below. The chapter summarizes silencing the self theory and situates the theory among other psychological theories of depression. Based on these results, a reinterpretation of selfsilencing through the perspective of selfdetermination theory ryan and deci in selfdetermination theory. The individual might feel that he is nonexistent, flat, or emotionally empty. Monuments, museums, displays and the like are all examples of how history influences our every day lives. If you would like the sfu library to attempt to contact the author to get permission to print a copy, please email your request to summit. The concept of silencing the self in lowincome, aging, hiv.
Silencing the self dana crowley jack harvard university press. Education theses, dissertations, and other required graduate degree essays. Examining the roles of multiple oppressions and silencing the self dawn m. Self silencing and hiv risk the theory of silencing the self was developed to explain why women become depressed jack.
Authors use silencing the self theory, which details the negative psychological effects when individuals silence themselves in close relationships and the. The self theory comprises of four factors that are explained below. Broadens the dialogue regarding theory, research, and treatment of womens depression by including the perspectives of international authors in one volume. If you are not currently in an intimate relationship, please indicate how you felt and acted in your previous intimate relationships. Neelysmith barry university, 2003 dissertation chair. Selfsilencing or the suppression of expressing ones thoughts, feelings, and needs can have a negative impact on the mental health of women, from depression to disordered eating behaviors.
Understanding gender, race, and depression in african american women. Perfectionism, silencing the self, and depression i. As hooks would say, it is education as the practice of freedom. The predictors of depressive symptoms were anger suppression and two facets of self silencing as measured with jacks silencing the self scale stss. Accordingly, in the current chapter, we focus on how our knowledge of the implications of self concept content also requires an appreciation of self concept structure. Everybody has certain beliefs about themselves, such as who or what they are, these beliefs form the self image and identity of a person. Publications relying on the silencing the self and theory updated 9. Selfinrelation theory proposes social intimacy as an organizer of wom ens experience and views the development of depression in women as tied to the. This blog entry features an excerpt from the introductory essay by dana jack and alisha ali to their book silencing the self across cultures.
Jack publications on womens anger and aggression by dana c. In particular, methods used to silence genes are being increasingly used to produce therapeutics to combat cancer and other diseases, such as infectious diseases and neurodegenerative disorders. In my opinion, schizophrenia is ultimately a disorder of the self, a disturbance of ones subjective selfexperience and. The authors examined the relationship between selfsilencing and disordered eating as well as intuitive eating. Pdf this chapter explores the associations between personality. Pdf silencing the self and personality vulnerabilities. However, little is known about the processes underlying the relation between child sexual abuse. Firstly, the dissolved self involves an excessive amount of permeability between the individual and others, causing an effect similar to that seen in severe depression.
The influence of selfesteem and selfsilencing on selfefficacy for negotiating safer sex behaviors in urban bahamian women shane l. Selfsilencing, emotional awareness, and eating behaviors in. This relationship was not stronger among adolescent girls compared to adolescent boys. Silencing the self theory jack, 1991 holds that womens depression is closely related to experiences in close relationships, especially if women conform with societal norms for feminine relations. Silencing the past is an excellent account of how mistakes and misreadings of history can contaminate the perspective an entire societys world view. The influence of selfesteem and selfsilencing on self. Stst to account for womens higher rates of depression relative to men in north american contexts. Silencing the self items 2, 8, 14, 15, 18, 20, 24, 26, 30 subscale 4. Silencing the self theory jack, 1 987, 1 991, 1 999 traces gender differences in depression to many womens moral orientation toward the interests of others ahead of ones own needs. Selfsilencing and well ku scholarworks university of. Consistent with this theory, a body of crosssectional research supports a link between selfsilencing and depression among women. Jack, edd is professor at fairhaven college of interdisciplinary studies western washington university. This book is relevant to anyone grappling with the central chal. This insightful approach to the dynamic of female depression forges new pathways to.
Through a detailed hermeneutic analysis of silencing. Self silencing couple members also reported greater experiences of depressive symptomatology. Gene silencing is the regulation of gene expression in a cell to prevent the expression of a certain gene. Divided self items 5, 16, 17, 19, 21, 25 note that the written answers that subjects provide below. A synthesis of the theory of silencing the self and the social. In the excerpt below, from the introductory essay by jack and ali, we learn about the silencing the self theory sts, which details the negative psychological effects when individuals silence themselves in close relationships and how the authors created a scale to measure silencing in patients. Oct 02, 2007 although men also selfsilence, the trait doesnt appear to take the same toll on their physical and mental health. Past theory and research have focused on selfsilencing in the romantic. Silencing the self across cultures explains why womens depression is more widespread than mens, and why the treatment of depression lies in understanding that a persons individual psychology is inextricably related to the social world and close relationships. Silencing the self is the first sweeping overview of depression in women that draws on new understandings of the importance of relationships in womens lives. In particular, methods used to silence genes are being increasingly used to produce therapeutics to combat cancer and diseases, such as.
The earliest milestone in the selfconcept theory is that of rene descartes, who proposed that a persons existence depended on how he perceives so. They are so relatable to women and so real, so much so that a lot of us can say wow, i have felt that. Pdf selfsilencing, anger and depressive symptoms in. Strongly disagree somewhat disagree neither agree nor. Authors use silencing the self theory, which details the negative psychological effects when individuals silence themselves in close relationships and the importance of. The predictors of depressive symptoms were anger suppression and two facets of selfsilencing as measured with jacks silencing the self scale stss. Partners of self silencing couple members reported feelings of frustration and discomfort when interacting with the self silencing member. Mar 04, 2015 this article identifies the theory of silencing the self sts and a widely known model, the social ecological model sem, as a synthesized explanatory framework in helping nurses understand how to address research questions and clinical care that is congruent with the experience of african american women living with hiv infection. As i dana jack listened to the inner dialogues of depressed women, i heard selfmonitoring and negative selfevaluation in arguments between the i a voice of the self. Dana jack fairhaven college of interdisciplinary studies. The stss consists of 31 items designed to tap the feelings thoughts and actions that women use to pre serve intimate relationships the 31 items of the stss are rated on a 5 point. Selfimage means what an individual thinks about himself. Here are four statements from a scale developed by dr. Attending closely to what depressed women have to say about their lives, jack reframes major concepts of depression, freeing them from traditional models that have restricted our ability to listen to womens perspectives on depression.
Relationships between depression, selfesteem, and selfsilencing. The chapter also presents issues arising from research on selfsilencing that raise questions for further investigation as well as ideas that relate selfsilencing theory to broader constructs of culture and self. The study investigated jacks silencing the self theory by examining the links among severity of depressive symptoms, self silencing, anger expression and anger suppression in women. Selfsilencing and wellbeing among turkish women silence has been a pervasive theme in the study of girls and women in multiple disciplines. The authors contend that there are many reasons why individuals engage in selfsilencing and these reasons reflect personality vulnerability factors associated with depression that are also.
Selfsilencing, anger and depressive symptoms in women. The silencing the self scale stss, the beck depression inventory bdi, and the. Pdf silencing the self and personality vulnerabilities associated. Authors use silencing the self theory, which details the negative psychological effects when individuals silence themselves in close relationships and the importance of the social context in precipitating depression. Selfconcealment is a psychological construct defined as a predisposition to actively conceal from others personal information that one perceives as distressing or negative. This insightful approach to the dynamic of female depression forges new pathways to selfchange, therapy, and research. Thus, the relationship between self esteem and hiv risk remains unclear, although the preponderance of evidence suggests that low self esteem is generally associated with high risk behavior. Specific patterns of thought about how to achieve closeness in relationships. Selfsilencing, emotional awareness, and eating behaviors.
Curiously, instead of psychiatrists, many philosophical researchers have. Despite a resilient spirit, the challenges that face lowincome, aging black women living with hiv infection are immense. Publications on the self silencing construct by dana c. Care as selfsacrifice securing attachments by putting the needs of others before the self 3. Publications on womens anger and aggression by dana c. This article identifies the theory of silencing the self sts and a widely known model, the social ecological model sem, as a synthesized explanatory framework in helping nurses understand how to address research questions and clinical care that is congruent with the experience of african american women living with hiv infection. Refereed articles using the silencing the self scale, published by. Based on these results, a reinterpretation of self silencing through the perspective of self determination theory ryan and deci in self determination theory.
Abstract the study investigated jacks silencing the self theory by examining the links among severity of depressive symptoms, selfsilencing, anger expression and anger suppression in women. Researchers are looking at how a personality trait called selfsilencing influences a womans health. This article describes a 10year iterative history of using the theory of silencing the self tsts as an explanatory model that was found to be gender sensitive, culturally relevant, and helpful in guiding a communitybased participatory research group of lowincome, hiv. Stst to account for womens higher rates of depression relative to men in. Gene silencing can occur during either transcription or translation and is often used in research. Download silencing the self women and depression pdf book free. Authors rely on silencing the self theory, which details the negative psychological effects when individuals silence themselves in close relationships and the importance of the social context in precipitating depression. Accordingly, in the current chapter, we focus on how our knowledge of the implications of selfconcept content also requires an appreciation of selfconcept structure. Longitudinal associations between childhood sexual abuse. Jourards work on self disclosure and pennebakers research on the health benefits of disclosing traumatic events and secrets set the stage for the conceptualization and measurement of self concealment. In this thesis, it is argued that the theory subsequently denigrates selflessness in all its forms, a stance that reflects jacks own moral individualism. Selfsilencing selfsilencing was measured by the silencing the self scale stss developed by jack and dill 1992 based on silencing the self theory jack 1991. Troulliots book is very applicable to the realm public history. Selfsilencing and hiv risk the theory of silencing the self was developed to explain why women become depressed jack.
One factor that may affect the development of sexual selfefficacy is child sexual abuse. Pdf silencing the self across cultures depression and gender. It has four factors that are described as silencing the self e. Pdf selfsilencing, anger and depressive symptoms in women. The mean number of such behaviors recorded by the four coders was used to index selfsilencing accommodations intraclass correlations. Jul 01, 20 self silencing was captured as the suppression of tastes and opinions that clashed with those of the prospective partner. Students want to be assured so that they can contribute to it and make it their own. Silencing the self theory jack, 1991 holds that womens depression is closely related to experiences in close relationships, especially if women conform with societal norms for feminine relationshi. A synthesis of the theory of silencing the self and the.
The authors examined the relationship between selfsilencing and disordered eating as. The divided self the experience of presenting an outer compliant self to live up to feminine role imperatives while the inner self grows angry and hostile. Factor structure of the silencing the self scale in women and. In order for us to study this theory, we need to know first the history of the development of selfconcept theory. Do you speak your mind, or bottle up your feelings.
From freud, jung, and adler, to the learning theorists like hull and tolman, to more and more researchers today, motivation has been recognized as the organizing and energizing force behind all actions. Can this theory of existential permeability explain anything such as a lack of goaldirected behavior, affective flattening, and poverty of speech. This blog entry features an excerpt from the introductory essay by dana jack and alisha ali to their book silencing the self across. Pdf silencing the self across cultures depression and. The concept of silencing the self in lowincome, aging. In my opinion, schizophrenia is ultimately a disorder of the self, a disturbance of ones subjective selfexperience and the external or objective reality. Carol pat patsdaughter the rapidly increasing rate of hivaids among bahamian women is daunting for the future of bahamian society.
Selfsilencing is not just biting your tongue when fighting with your husband, experts. Sexual selfefficacythe belief in ones ability to engage in desired and to refuse unwanted, sexual activities and behaviorsis an important feature in promoting adolescent sexual health and wellbeing. Self silencing moderated the effect of rejection on hostility. Secrets and secret keeping have been a longstanding interest of psychologists and psychotherapists. Family, self, and human development across cultures. Abstract the study investigated jacks silencing the self theory by examining the links among severity of depressive symptoms, self silencing, anger expression and anger suppression in women. Silencing the self across cultures depression and gender in the social world. Through feminist education, students from all walks of life have had an explosion of freedom. I attempt to use a theory of existential permeability to explain the various symptoms of the condition and how psychiatrists could help in recognizing the patients selfdisturbance. What i loved were the examples from actual depressed women and their words. The influence of self esteem and self silencing on self efficacy for negotiating safer sex behaviors in urban bahamian women shane l. Thus, the relationship between selfesteem and hiv risk remains unclear, although the preponderance of evidence suggests that low selfesteem is generally associated with high risk behavior.
The silencing the self scale western washington university. Jack to help you consider whether you are at risk for becoming a selfsilencer. Silencing the self across cultures hardcover dana c. In the article, i attempt to use a theory of existential permeability to explain the various symptoms of the condition and how psychiatrists could help in recognizing the patients selfdisturbance. This article identifies the theory of silencing the self sts and a widely known model, the social ecological model sem, as a synthesized explanatory framework in helping nurses understand how. Silencing the self theory jack, 1991 holds that womens depression is closely related to experiences in close relationships, especially if women conform with societal norms for feminine relationship roles.
Pdf perfectionism, silencing the self, and depression. Partners of selfsilencing couple members reported feelings of frustration and discomfort when interacting with the selfsilencing member. Dweck heidi grant g oals lie at the heart of motivation, and thus of psychology. Silencing the self thompson 1995 psychology of women. The self is no longer an entity, but a solution made of millions of invisible particles. Pdf the current study examined the associations among dimensions of. May 06, 2016 pdf silencing the self across cultures depression and gender in the social world free books. Personally, i think the answer is yes but from a slightly different angle. Professional manual odessa, fl psychological assessment resources, inc. Jack, this paper contains lists of publications relying on the silencing the self scale and theory. Dunn university of tennessee feministrelational theories recognize that dominant cultural messages can have a powerful influence on.
Self silencing to the prospective partner was associated with greater postrejection hostility among women, but not men. Its opposite is selfdisclosure the concealed personal information thoughts, feelings, actions, or events is highly intimate, negative in valence and has three characteristics. Factor structure of the silencing the self scale in women. The authors each describe the research that led them to become. The authors contend that there are many reasons why individuals engage in self silencing and these reasons reflect personality vulnerability factors associated with depression that are also. Silencing the self makes a major contribution to the psychology of women by drawing from the recent literature on womens relational self and detailing its relevance to female depression. Selfsilencing couple members also reported greater experiences of depressive symptomatology. Selfsilencing is prescribed by norms, values, and images dictating what women are supposed to be like. Silencing the self inhibiting ones selfexpression and action to avoid conflict and possible loss of relationship. Publications on the selfsilencing construct by dana c. A synthesis of the theory of silencing the self and the social ecological model.
456 1279 1145 12 1315 818 961 404 132 842 1258 50 911 1124 998 1006 1063 726 799 1234 681 1276 91 936 56 1385 789 1405 764