ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the concepts of public and private spheres that set up boundaries between the worlds, and of a feminine psyche that sets up women's need to feel affiliated. Separations and connections between worlds are crucial for an understanding of what women have to say about having both family and education in their lives, and how they report the reactions of other people to this. The chapter examines the ideas of separation and connection that will be used to look at the ways in which women have family and education in their lives. The use of the concepts of public and private worlds and of difference theory is not without problems. Carol Gilligan's ideas have been particularly influential among many feminists and have gained wide scholarly attention. She argues that women have a greater orientation towards empathetic and compassionate relationships and towards interdependence.
