Challenging Codependency: Feminist Critiques

Cynthia Whissell is a psychology professor at Laurentian University.

Proponents of the concept of codependency would do well to run for cover
in the face of the scathing indictments of the concept offered in
Challenging Codependency. All of the articles included in the collection
strongly reject the practice whereby the female partner of a male who
exhibits undesirable behaviors (e.g., addiction, alcoholism, violence,
or incest) is labeled as codependent.

The contributions range from well-documented scientific critiques (the
one by editor Marguerite Babcock is especially strong) to articles that
adopt a more journalistic, popular style. A research report and a case
study are also included. A number of the articles were written by men.

All in all, this is a thorough and thoughtful piece of work, well worth
reading in spite of the fact that the main melody of the plot is
trumpeted in the foreword, and reiterated faithfully by each author,
with only minor variations in tempo and key. The book could serve as an
academic text at several levels (second-year to graduate), because of
the varied nature of its contributions.