| Maybe personality disorders are not objective | | | | interview and the more fuzzy the diagnostic |
| clinical entities, but culture-bound | | | | criteria, the more the diagnostician relies |
| syndromes. | | | | on stereotypes (Widiger, 1998).Quotes from |
| | | | the Literature"Specifically, past research |
| Ever since Freud, more women than men sought | | | | suggests that exploitive tendencies and open |
| therapy. Consequently, terms like "hysteria' | | | | displays of feelings of entitlement will be |
| are intimately connected to female physiology | | | | less integral to narcissism for females than |
| and alleged female psychology. The DSM | | | | for males. For females such displays may |
| (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, the bible | | | | carry a greater possibility of negative |
| of the psychiatric profession) expressly | | | | social sanctions because they would violate |
| professes gender bias: personality disorders | | | | stereotypical gender-role expectancies for |
| such as Borderline and Histrionic are | | | | women, who are expected to engage in such |
| supposed to be more common among women. but | | | | positive social behavior as being tender, |
| the DSM is rather even-handed: other | | | | compassionate, warm, sympathetic, sensitive, |
| personality disorders (e.g., the Narcissistic | | | | and understanding.In females, Exploitiveness |
| and Antisocial as well as the Schizotypal, | | | | Entitlement is less well-integrated with the |
| Obsessive-Compulsive, Schizoid, and Paranoid) | | | | other components of narcissism as measured by |
| are more prevalent among men.Why this gender | | | | the Narcissistic Personality Inventory (NPI) |
| disparity? There are a few possible | | | | - Leadership/Authority, Self-absorption |
| answers:Maybe personality disorders are not | | | | Self-admiration, and Superiority/Arrogance- |
| objective clinical entities, but | | | | than in males - though 'male and female |
| culture-bound syndromes. In other words, | | | | narcissists in general showed striking |
| perhaps they reflect biases and value | | | | similarities in the manner in which most of |
| judgments. Some patriarchal societies are | | | | the facets of narcissism were integrated with |
| also narcissistic. They emphasize qualities | | | | each other'."Gender differences in the |
| such as individualism and ambition, often | | | | structure of narcissism: a multi-sample |
| identified with virility. Hence the | | | | analysis of the narcissistic personality |
| preponderance of pathological narcissism | | | | inventory - Brian T. Tschanz, Carolyn C. |
| among men. Women, on the other hand, are | | | | Morf, Charles W. Turner - Sex Roles: A |
| widely believed to be emotionally labile and | | | | Journal of Research - Issue: May, 1998"Women |
| clinging. This is why most Borderlines and | | | | leaders are evaluated negatively if they |
| Dependents are females. Upbringing and | | | | exercise their authority and are perceived as |
| environment, the process of socialization and | | | | autocratic." |
| cultural mores all play an important role in | | | | |
| the pathogenesis of personality disorders. | | | | Eagly, A. H., Makhijani, M. G., & |
| These views are not fringe: serious scholars | | | | Klonsky, B. G. (1992). Gender and the |
| (e.g., Kaplan and Pantony, 1991) claim that | | | | evaluation of leaders: A meta-analysis. |
| the mental health profession is inherently | | | | Psychological Bulletin, 111, 3-22, and |
| sexist. | | | | ...Butler, D., & Gels, F. L. (1990). |
| | | | Nonverbal affect responses to male and female |
| Then again, genetics may be is at work. Men | | | | leaders: Implications for leadership |
| and women do differ genetically. This may | | | | evaluations. Journal of Personality and |
| account for the variability of the occurrence | | | | Social Psychology, 58, 48-59."Competent women |
| of specific personality disorders in men and | | | | must also appear to be sociable and likable |
| women.Some of the diagnostic criteria are | | | | in order to influence men - men must only |
| ambiguous or even considered "normal" by the | | | | appear to be competent to achieve the same |
| majority of the population. Histrionics | | | | results with both genders."Carli, L. L., |
| "consistently use physical appearance to draw | | | | Lafleur, S. J., & Loeber, C. C. (1995). |
| attention to self." Well, who doesn't in | | | | Nonverbal behavior, gender, and influence. |
| Western society? Why when a woman clings to a | | | | Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, |
| man it is labeled "codependence", but when a | | | | 68, 1030-1041.Gender and the Narcissist - |
| man relies on a woman to maintain his home, | | | | click HERE!Homosexual and Transsexual |
| take care of his children, choose his attire, | | | | Narcissists - click HERE!Sex and Gender - |
| and prop his ego it is "companionship" | | | | click HERE! |
| (Walker, 1994)?The less structured the | | | | |