What Does “Karen” Really Mean? A Depth Psychology and Feminist Perspective on the Cultural Archetype
The term Karen has exploded across social media, news outlets, and everyday conversation. Often used to describe a middle-aged white woman behaving with entitlement or weaponizing her privilege—especially in interactions with service workers or people of color—the meme-worthy label is now part of our cultural lexicon. But what lies beneath the surface of this archetype?
As a depth psychotherapist and feminist, I’m interested in the unconscious forces shaping our culture and the way certain identities become scapegoated or exaggerated. In this post, I’ll explore the psychological underpinnings of Karen, how it intersects with white supremacy, and why a more nuanced feminist lens is needed to truly understand what’s at stake.
What Is a “Karen”?
The Social Media Stereotype
The term Karen is often used to describe a woman—typically white—who is demanding, self-righteous, and quick to call the manager or the police when she feels uncomfortable or inconvenienced. The name became shorthand for public displays of entitlement, often captured on video and shared widely online.
While sometimes used humorously, the term also reflects serious cultural tensions around race, class, gender, and power.
The Shadow Side of “Karen”
A Depth Psychological View
From a Jungian lens, Karen can be understood as a cultural shadow projection—a disowned part of the collective psyche that gets cast onto an “Other.” In this case, the Karen archetype contains traits our society finds uncomfortable: rage, control, fragility, superiority, and helplessness masquerading as dominance.
But what if the Karen figure is also a symptom?
When women—particularly white, middle-class women—have been conditioned to find safety in compliance and perfectionism, the expression of frustration or unmet needs may become distorted. Without an inner sense of authority, some externalize power by controlling others. The Karen isn’t just entitled—she’s often unconsciously terrified.
She is both a product and a perpetuator of patriarchy.
White Womanhood and Weaponized Innocence
Racism and the History of Harm
The Karen archetype doesn’t exist in a vacuum. It has real, racialized consequences. White women have historically wielded their social positioning to cause harm to Black and Brown bodies—sometimes with deadly outcomes. From false accusations that led to lynchings in the Jim Crow era to viral videos of white women calling the police on Black men in parks, the danger of white womanhood lies in its perceived fragility.
As scholar and author Ruby Hamad writes, white women’s tears have been weaponized to uphold systems of oppression. This is where the Karen label becomes less about personality and more about power.
To do justice to the conversation, we have to name this: Karen behavior isn’t just annoying—it can be violently racist.
The Feminist Dilemma
Misogyny, Scapegoating, and Internalized Oppression
Feminists are rightly concerned about how the term Karen has also become a misogynistic insult. It’s often used to silence or mock women—especially those of a certain age—who speak up. Women who voice legitimate complaints about systemic issues (like healthcare, safety, or housing) may be dismissed as hysterical or unreasonable.
This is where the archetype becomes a trap.
Rather than creating space for women to express their full humanity—including anger, grief, and assertiveness—the Karen label reduces them to a caricature. It reinforces the idea that to be respected, a woman must be agreeable, selfless, and perpetually smiling. In this way, the label Karen can reinforce the very structures of patriarchal control it claims to critique.
Healing the Archetype
A Call for Self-Inquiry and Collective Accountability
If we’re going to do more than meme our way through this cultural moment, we need to engage in honest, uncomfortable reflection. For white women especially, this means confronting internalized superiority, recognizing how fragility can be a form of violence, and learning how to stay grounded in the face of discomfort.
Depth psychology teaches us that transformation begins by bringing the shadow into consciousness. That doesn’t mean shaming or canceling—it means reckoning. It means asking:
Where am I still invested in being “the good one”?
How do I respond when I feel unseen or powerless?
In what ways have I benefitted from systems of harm?
And most importantly: What kind of woman do I want to become?
Moving Toward Wholeness
From Projection to Integration
To dismantle the Karen archetype, we have to go deeper than memes and rage. We must listen—to ourselves and to those we’ve harmed. We must resist the urge to project our shadows outward and instead do the slow, sacred work of integration.
This is the heart of depth psychotherapy: reclaiming the parts of ourselves we’ve been taught to exile, and learning how to show up with more humility, honesty, and heart.
Are You Ready to Do the Inner Work?
If this post stirred something in you—guilt, discomfort, or curiosity—I invite you to explore it. Depth therapy offers a space to unpack these internalized dynamics, to look at what’s hidden, and to grow into a more conscious, courageous version of yourself.
If you’re ready to go deep, do the work, and reconnect with your integrity, reach out today to schedule a free consultation. I offer psychotherpy for women in Oakland and virtually throughout California. Your shadow is not your shame—it’s the beginning of your wholeness.