Geoffrey W. Sutton PhD, Psychology and Culture

During my early years, several women were my teachers, bosses, supervisors, or mentors. It took awhile for me to realize that this was not a normal experience and that women were not treated as equals in society. So, I celebrate them for their accomplishments and their leadership. Sandra Sutton -- for managing work and family so well for so many years before I realized what women were up against. My lifelong friend and partner. Gladys  (New) Sutton , my first boss--she owned a bookstore  and she is one reason I thought it was normal for women to own and manage businesses! Thanks mum.   Obituary 2012 Joan Salamanca , High School English-- who encouraged me to write. I never forgot her kind words. Marjorie Moloney , High School Chemistry-- a no nonsense role model for women in science. 2021 Obituary  I had both women and men teach me math and science. Corrine S. Copy, PhD , Counseling Psychology. My Master's Degree Advisor was a top flight professor who boost...

  What’s up with women’s wear at the Olympics? In case you don’t know, the Norwegian women’s handball team were fined for wearing shorts instead of regulation bikinis ( NBC ). Is it sexist? It appear so. Here’s a quote from the Herald Sun. While men are allowed to play in tops and shorts “no longer than four inches above the knee”, women are forced to wear midriff tops and bikini bottoms “cut on an upward angle toward the top of the leg” with a maximum side width of 10 centimetres. Why bikinis? According to Jennifer Kessey, USA coach, it’s about performance and beaches. Women wear bikinis on beaches and that’s wear beach handball and volleyball are played. And for some players, a comfortable suit considering the sand and heat is important to performance ( TodayShow ). Do sports wear requirements vary with the sport? Yes. The requirements vary by gender and sport. Some are more flexible than others. Recently, women have challenged rules that do not allow them to wear...

How do you honor a mother? Can you avoid the madness? Getting it right on mother’s day can be a challenge for ordinary folks and religious leaders. Several countries set aside a day to honor mothers. That can be a good thing. Anna Jarvis, the advocate of the U.S. mother’s day, realized problems in her own day. (See Nicole Russell’s essay in the Atlantic .) Could it get much worse? That depends on your mother’s perspective. I was raised in a Christian home. Mother’s Day was a big deal to my mother. Of course in that era Christian mother’s always dressed up for church. She enjoyed cards, flowers, and meals out. As she aged, she enjoyed being recognized as the oldest mother at church—pretty much every year since she lived 93 years. But times have changed. Somewhere along the line even conservative churches realized mother’s day can be troublesome.  Some women who wanted to be a mother but were not mothers were reminded about their second class status every y...

Women as  Religious  Leaders a nd           the  Morality of  Discrimination This weekend saw the inauguration of a woman as president of a conservative evangelical university in the middle of the United States. Dr.Carol Taylor earned her Ph.D. from Florida State University, gained leadership experience in higher education, and was hired to be the fourth president of Evangel University located in Springfield, Missouri. What makes the appointment interesting is not only that she is a woman heading up what is arguably the flagship university of the Assemblies of God USA (AG) but the fact that she represents an unusual position taken by an otherwise highly conservative Christian group. Unlike many Christian groups, the AG ordains women. Ordained women serve as senior pastors and missionaries and have done so for years. Not surprisingly, many women were encouraged by this move. If you are wondering how it is that the AG can just...

Sex Differences Women and Men and the Words They Use Geoff W. Sutton It doesn’t take a psychologist to know that women and men use language differently. But how are they different and what do their words tell us about gender? Not long ago I attended a regional conference where social psychologist, James Pennebaker was a featured speaker. I have long been a fan of words so I looked forward to his talk. As slide after slide went by, I wanted more so, I bought the book. The title might sound uninspiring ( The Secret Life of Pronouns …) but Pennebaker is a good writer and he has lots to say backed by some pretty creative research. So who said these words as they introduced their commencement speeches? Can you tell if a woman or a man delivered these inspirational messages? I thank you for allowing me to be a part of the conclusion of this chapter of your lives and the commencement of your next chapter. To say that I’m honored doesn’t even begin to quantify the dept...

Understanding Rapists What can  religious organizations do? Earlier this month, January, 2014, major news sources told of a  gang rape  of a young Hindu Indian woman who violated village norms by having an affair with a married Muslim man and did not pay her portion of the fine.  President Obama called . Recently, newly elected  problem of predatory priests  within the worldwide Catholic church, which of course is not alone among religious groups dealing with the problem of predatory clergy. The U.S.  high rate of rape  within the U.S. military. Laws against rape are close to universal. But rape happens. And rape happens often. LOVE, RAPE, AND THE BIBLE The Bible contains classic tales of romantic love as in the story of Isaac who was smitten with love for Rebekah whom he met at the local watering hole ( Genesis 24 ). But there are also horrific stories of rape and laws about rape. I’ll reference one story as evidence....