This study presents new research and theory addressing the impact of social contexts upon the psychological processes of identity formation by women, and the contribution of social identity theory to the meaning of womanhood. The author presents a number of studies of women's different social identities in different contexts. He also looks at how far, and in what ways, women identify with each other. She considers the impact of gender consciousness and positive or negative social identities on group identification, intergroup relations and social change. A key to emerge from the book is the inadequacy of the conceptualizations of women as a homogeneous social category. The need to expand the repertoire of methods to study social identity is also addressed.