Dr. Carol Gilligan is an esteemed professor and developmental psychologist, who is the author of a landmark book called In a Different Voice—a book that I talk about and write about all the time. Back in the ‘80s—Gilligan is 87 now and still working—she looked at all the research from the likes of Lawrence Kohlberg and Piaget and made a stunning and obvious realization: These developmental psychologist giants had only ever studied boys. Typically white, middle-class boys. In response, Gilligan did a study on girls and moral development, a groundbreaking look into how culture genders our response to the world: Gilligan found that for girls, morality is relational and rooted in care—not so much law—and that fear of separation from relationship encouraged these girls to stop saying what they know. She struggled to get this study published—it was rejected multiple times—and has since become the most requested reprint out of Harvard. It also became the subject of In a Different Voice, which has sold 500,000 copies—unheard of in academic publishing. Everything that Carol Gilligan shares with us in this conversation is a revelation and also deeply resonant—and something you will know to be true. Before I go, if you missed Niobe Way’s episode from a few weeks ago, tune in to that next—Niobe was Carol’s student, and has done for boys what Carol has done for girls.

MORE FROM CAROL GILLIGAN:

In a Different Voice

In a Human Voice

Why Does Patriarchy Persist?

Carol Gilligan’s Website

Niobe Way’s Episode: “The Critical Need for Deep Connection”

FROM MY NEWSLETTER:

“What Valley Girl’s Tell Us”

“What Are We ‘Really, Actually” Saying

“The Achilles Heel of Women” 

“How to Keep Caring” 

“Why is it So Hard to Scream?”

EPISODES IN THE “GROWING UP” SERIES:

Niobe Way, “The Critical Need for Deep Connection”

Harvey Karp, M.D., ”The Long-Term Implication of Sleep”

Carissa Schumacher

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