Conclusion

In 1993, author Octavia Butler said, “All struggles are essentially power struggles. Who will rule? Who will lead? Who will define, refine, confine, design?” (Butler, 1993, p. 94). This quote illustrates much of the current questioning both within feminism and within society as a whole. As we discussed in this chapter, power operates on many different levels. When people and institutions abuse power, there can be negative psychological and social implications. The ideal scenario is for people to learn how to share power, yet this is often difficult to do because so many aspects of privilege and power are unseen. Feminist psychologists aim to explore these unseen realities and make recommendations for more equitable ways to live.