Carol Gilligan’s Human Voice Represents the 21st Century

In her groundbreaking book, In a Different Voice (1982), Carol Gilligan brought women’s voices that were “inconspicuously” missing from psychological studies at the time into the conversation. She found it startling that women, who made up at least half of the population, were not represented in the samples of these studies. Her book changed the discourse when it appeared, shedding much-needed light on a woman’s experience, highlighting her own psychological growth, conception of morality, and what she deemed most important in life—to name just some of the areas she explored. Gilligan continues to be actively engaged by writing, teaching at New York University, and sharpening her thinking about topics that matter deeply to her. A feminist and activist at heart, she has always maintained a keen interest in the psychology of women and men, moral development, and freedom of expression.