Carl Gustav Jung’s analytical psychology was important in valuing the feminine in counterbalance to what he saw as an excessive shift towards “masculine” logos, rationality, and science in Western society. But, infused with patriarchal assumptions, Jung’s work on gender is flawed and lacks awareness of the issues raised by later feminist psychologists such as Crawford and Unger (2000). Jung’s work is however an important catalyst. Jung’s critique of religion has inspired some women and men to challenge the absence of the divine feminine and women leaders in their religions of birth and others to turn to goddess spirituality to find empowering religious images and roles.
Women in Switzerland
Carl Jung’s attitudes to women were formed in the conservative patriarchal culture of late nineteenth-century Switzerland. It was an era that saw the beginning of first-wave feminism; but women did not gain the vote in Swiss federal elections until 1971 (CFQF 2009b), and equality in education was...
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Bibliography
Adler, G. (Ed.). (1975). C.G. Jung letters, Vol. 2: 1951–1961 (trans: Hull, R.F.C.) Princeton: Princeton University Press.
Adler, M. (1986). Drawing down the moon: Witches, druids, goddess-worshippers and other pagans in America today. Boston: Beacon.
Bachofen, J. J. (1861). Das Mutterrecht [Mother right]. Stuttgart: Krais und Hoffmann.
Bolen, J. S. (1984). Goddesses in everywoman: A new psychology of women. New York: Harper & Row.
CFQF (La Commission fédérale pour les questions féminines). (2009a). Education des filles et mixité. Retrieved from www.ekf.admin.ch. Accessed 31 May 2012.
CFQF (La Commission fédérale pour les questions féminines). (2009b). Le long chemin menant au droit de vote et d’éligibilité des femmes. Retrieved from www.ekf.admin.ch. Accessed 31 May 2012.
CFQF (La Commission fédérale pour les questions féminines). (2009c). Le movement féministe du début du siècle à la première guerre mondiale. Retrieved from http://www.ekf.admin.ch. Accessed 6 June 2012.
Crawford, M., & Unger, R. (2000). Women and gender: A feminist psychology. Boston: McGraw-Hill.
Crowley, V. (1989). Wicca: The old religion in the new age. Wellingborough: Aquarian.
Crowley, V. (1998). Principles of Jungian spirituality. London: Thorsons/HarperCollins.
Crowley, V. (2000). Carl Jung: Journey of transformation – an illustrated biography. Wheaton: Quest.
Daly, M. (1978). Gyn/Ecology: The metaethics of radical feminism. Boston: Beacon.
Douglas, C. (1997). The historical context of analytical psychology. In P. Young-Eisendrath & T. Dawson (Eds.), The Cambridge companion to Jung (pp. 17–34). Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press.
Goldenberg, N. R. (1976/1990). A feminist critique of Jung. In R. L. Moore & D. J. Meckel (Eds.), Jung and Christianity in dialogue: Faith, feminism and hermeneutics (pp. 104–111). Mahwah: Paulist Press.
Harding, M. E. (1971a). The way of all women: A psychological interpretation. London: Rider.
Harding, M. E. (1971b). Women’s mysteries ancient and modern: A psychological interpretation of the feminine principle as portrayed in myth, story and dreams. London: Rider.
Hillman, J. (1985). Anima: An anatomy of a personified notion. Dallas: Spring Publications.
Jung, C. G. (1953/1979). The collected works of C.G. Jung. 20 Vols. (H. Read, M. Fordham, G. Adler & W. McGuire, Eds. & trans: Hull, R.F.C.). Princeton: Princeton University Press.
Jung, E. (1957). Animus and anima: Two essays. Zurich: Spring Publications.
Kristeva, J. (1979/1986). Woman’s time. In T. Moi (Ed.), The Kristeva reader (trans: Jardine, A., & Blake, H., pp. 187–213). Oxford, England: Basil Blackwell.
Lauter, E. (1985). Visual images by women: A test case for the theory of archetypes. In E. R. Lauter (Ed.), Feminist archetypal theory (pp. 46–95). Knoxville: University of Tennessee.
McKenzie, S. (2006). Queering gender: Anima/animus and the paradigm of emergence. The Journal of Analytical Psychology, 51, 401–421.
Perera, S. B. (1981). Descent to the goddess: A way of initiation for women. Toronto: Inner City Books.
Rowland, S. (2000). Jung: A feminist revision. Cambridge, England: Polity.
Starhawk. (1979). The spiral dance: A rebirth of the ancient religion of the great goddess. San Francisco: Harper and Row.
Tacey, D. J. (1997). Remaking men: Jung, spirituality and social change. London: Routledge.
Ulanov, A. B. (1971). The feminine in Jungian psychology and in Christian theology. Evanston: Northwestern University Press.
Wehr, D. S. (1988). Jung and feminism: Liberating archetypes. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul.
Wolff, T. (1941). A few thoughts on the process of individuation in women. Spring, 1, 81–103.
Wolff, T. (1956). Structural forms of the feminine psyche. Zurich: C. G. Jung Institute.
Woolger, J. B., & Woolger, R. J. (Eds.). (1990). The goddess within: A guide to the eternal feminine: Myths that shape women’s lives. London: Rider.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2014 Springer Science+Business Media New York
About this entry
Cite this entry
Crowley, V. (2014). Jung, Carl Gustav, and Feminism. In: Leeming, D.A. (eds) Encyclopedia of Psychology and Religion. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6086-2_9092
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6086-2_9092
Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA
Print ISBN: 978-1-4614-6085-5
Online ISBN: 978-1-4614-6086-2
eBook Packages: Behavioral Science