Psychohistory’s Failure to Attract Enough Women Leaders

Throughout my long career as a psychohistorian, I have worked especially hard in my mostly failed efforts to bring women into our field as leaders. In this endeavor, I have not been alone. For example, David Beisel also worked assiduously in this effort. We’ve had very little success in attracting women to be presidents of the International Psychohistorical Association (formerly the IPA, now the IPhA), having only one in our almost half-century-long existence. Regrettably, this talented psychoanalyst seemed much more concerned with the IPhA as a vehicle for political change rather than for developing psychohistory. While there have been women leaders in various non-presidential positions, they have shied away from taking the presidency, even when vice president. This has been most frustrating to both of us. Naturally, there are a variety of reasons for this, including Lloyd deMause’s propensity for working with men and sometimes driving women away. (This in no way should distract from the credit deMause rightfully deserves for having done outstanding work on the history of childhood and bringing psychohistorians together.)