Constructing Femininity - Witchcraft, Hysteria and the Psychological Sciences

As part of Women's History Month, and in celebration of International Women's Day 2025, the University of Derby Women and Allies Network invites you to attend this free, public lecture on witchcraft, femininity and the psychological sciences. 

The witch has cast a spell on modern culture that has left us transfixed on the image of femininity itself from the old toothless hag to the young sexy temptress. This lecture is a historical journey about the witch and witchcraft, the servant of the ‘evil one’ who spreads harmful magic (maleficium) from the medieval world to the modern day. Those considered most vulnerable to the charm of darkness were women through their so called ‘weak and corruptible’ minds and bodies.

The witch hunts and trials in Europe functioned as punishment, deterrent and cleansing of evil. There was, however, the other side to these practices, whereby the ‘sex confession’ became the centre piece revealing the otherness, secrets and excesses of femininity.

We will explore the image of the witch as both the cause and effect to a question famously posed by Sigmund Freud the father of psychoanalysis when he struggled to capture femininity, what do women want? It is at this point we will see femininity as something that is mystical and magical, something that is feared and enjoyed.

We will finally turn to the psychological sciences where this image of the witch still haunts today from hysteria and sexualisation.

Speaker - Dr Chris Howard

Dr Chris Howard is an academic who works on the fringes of psychology, exploring the darker side of humanity from love, life, sex and death.

Chris is widely published on the psychological sciences, identity and race, gender, class and sexuality. He has taught for many years historical, social, critical and qualitative psychology to undergraduates, postgraduates and professionals.

Chris has also delivered masterclasses on teaching conceptual and historical psychology for the British Psychological Society (BPS).

Location

Room OL1
University of Derby, Kedleston Road site
Kedleston Road
Derby, DE22 1GB