Alexandra Rutherford
Alexandra Rutherford is a professor at York University and a prominent figure in the field of psychology. She specializes in the history and theory of psychology and has written influential books on topics such as B. F. Skinner's behavior technology and pioneers of psychology. She is also involved in the Critical Psychology Network-Canada and affiliated with the Gender, Feminist, and Women's Studies program.
1 Education
Rutherford earned her Bachelor of Science with High Distinction in 1993 from Trinity College at the University of Toronto in 1993. She completed her Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology at York University in 1995 and her PhD in the History and Theory of Psychology and Clinical Psychology at York University in 2001
2 Career
Alexandra Rutherford has been a faculty member in the psychology department at York University since 2001, starting as an assistant professor and eventually progressing to the positions of associate professor in 2006 and full professor. In 2004, she founded The Psychology's Feminist Voices project, which resulted in the establishment of Psychology's Feminist Voices—an online archive celebrating the contributions of women to the field of psychology.
3 Research
In 2017, Dr. Rutherford's research examined the "influence of feminist-scholar activism on gender-based violence policy in the United States."
Current Research
Dr. Rutherford's current research focuses on the history of women, gender, and feminist activism in psychology, as well as the intersection of objectivity, advocacy, and activist social science in the 20th century. She also explores the relationship between science and public policy.
Research Projects
Intersecting Difference: Gender, race, and sexuality in 20th-century U.S. psychology This project seeks to construct an intersectional history of 20th-century U.S. psychology by examining how the formations of race, gender, and sexuality, along with their corresponding social movements, have woven together in the field's theories, practices, disciplinary evolution, and activism. Dr. Rutherford's project aims to highlight the significance of integrating histories of race psychology into our understanding of the psychology of gender, and vice versa. Additionally, it explores how psychologies of sexual orientation and gender diversity intersect with both race and gender. This project aims to broaden the historiography of psychology by considering how multiple social categories have functioned together to reinforce power dynamics and influence the field's operations, theories, findings, and social impact.
Role: Principal Investigator
Amount Funded: $134,000
Year Funded: 2023
Duration: 5 years
Funded by: Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council
4 Awards
2011: Award of Distinction from the Section on Women and Psychology of the Canadian Psychological Association
2012: Distinguished Publication Award from the Association for Women in Psychology
2016: Florence Denmark Distinguished Mentoring Award from the Association for Women in Psychology
2016: Named a Fellow of the Canadian Psychological Association
2017: Distinguished Service Award from the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues
2023: Carolyn Wood Sherif Award, the highest honor granted by the Society for the Psychology of Women (APA Div 35) for "sustained and substantial contributions to the psychology of women as a scholar, teacher, mentor, and leader."
5 Publications
In 2009, Dr. Rutherford published "Beyond the Box: B. F. Skinner's Technology of Behavior from Laboratory to Life, 1950s-1970s," a historical critical work on American psychologist and behaviorist, B. F. Skinner. This book was based on her doctoral dissertation titled "Between the science of behavior and the art of living: B. F. Skinner and psychology’s public in mid-20th century America." The London Times Higher Education listed "Beyond the Box" as the "Book of the Week" from July 16 to July 23, 2009. Additionally, a journal review in 2018 described this work as a "much-needed post-revisionist interpretation" of Skinner, placing his work within its "social context."
As co-author of "Pioneers of Psychology" with Raymond E. Fancher, Dr. Rutherford examined Sigmund Freud's in-depth interpretation in his book "The Interpretation of Dreams" of his own dream from July 23, 1895—Irma's injection.
In her 2011 review of Susan Brownmiller's 1975 "Against Our Will: Men, Women and Rape" published in the Psychology of Women Quarterly, Dr. Rutherford discussed how prior to Brownmiller's book, most Americans had assumed that "rape, incest, and domestic violence rarely happened and that when they did, they were perpetrated by a few sexual deviants." She also highlighted the term "rape culture," which was coined by American second-wave feminists in the 1970s.
These publications reflect Dr. Rutherford's deep engagement with the history of psychology, gender issues, and feminist activism, making significant contributions to these fields.
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