Now We Are Four: What Should We Be When We Grow Up?

Abstract

Soon after the beginning of my presidential year I concluded that I needed to devote my presidential address to the state of the division. This is not the traditional thing to do. What is customary, of course, is a substantive presentation, preferably one that revolutionizes the field. Indeed, our previous presidents followed tradition and spoke about role models, about continuing education, and about leadership styles. These are all important and interesting contributions to the psychology of women, and certainly there are still numerous topics that could stand consideration. Today we have ended our fourth year and entered the fifth, and so it seems like a very good time to have a look at how we got to be, who we are, where we have been, where we should go, and why. The purpose of my talk is to provide us with a basis for reflection. It is time to open a discussion of our social and professional goals.