What does Jean Baker Miller's Toward a New Psychology of Women say about caretaking?

What does Jean Baker Miller's Toward a New Psychology of Women say about caretaking?

• A. Caretaking is a central aspect differentiating women's development.
• B. Caretaking is irrelevant to psychological development.
• C. Caretaking hinders relationships for both genders.
• D. Caretaking is exclusively a male trait.

Answer: (A)

Caretaking is presented as a defining experience that shapes women's psychological development. In Toward a New Psychology of Women, caring for others and keeping relationships central are seen as core parts of how women grow, relate, and make meaning. This relational focus explains why women’s development often emphasizes connection, empathy, and interdependence, rather than pursuing independence as the sole measure of growth. It also recognizes how social expectations around caregiving shape both strengths and pressures for women, rather than treating caretaking as irrelevant or exclusive to men. So, caretaking is central to women's development because it forms a foundational part of the way they experience themselves and their relationships.

Caretaking is presented as a defining experience that shapes women's psychological development. In Toward a New Psychology of Women, caring for others and keeping relationships central are seen as core parts of how women grow, relate, and make meaning. This relational focus explains why women’s development often emphasizes connection, empathy, and interdependence, rather than pursuing independence as the sole measure of growth. It also recognizes how social expectations around caregiving shape both strengths and pressures for women, rather than treating caretaking as irrelevant or exclusive to men. So, caretaking is central to women's development because it forms a foundational part of the way they experience themselves and their relationships.