The relational self: views from feminism on development and caring.

Feminist scholarship describing women's relational self and its development can influence awareness of women's psychological development as occurring within the context of their relationships to others. Women's psychological maturation progresses in connection with others rather than only in separation from others, as traditional theories have espoused. The author argues that feminist scholarship emphasizes newer theories that elucidate the relational self, describe its development, and clarify caring and relationships. Understanding the concept of the relational self can contribute to effective psychiatric nursing, and feminist scholarship can assist developing in psychiatric nursing's conceptualization of the relational self.