Diversity in groups: gender

Question 1

Gender diversity in groups- homogenous vs. heterogenous:

Answer 1

• Homogenous: gender groups can provide safety for participants to break away from stereotypes.
• Heterogenous: gender groups can provide opportunities for exploring and sampling interpersonal relationships that are no stereotypical and not intimately sexualised.

In single-gender groups, participants are not confronted with the ‘other’.

Question 2

In acknowledging that gender is a social structure, groups can:

Answer 2

• Reflect
• Reinforce
• Resist/redress

Question 3

Benefits of gender-focused/feminist groups:

Answer 3

• Explore sex roles, stereotypes and sexism. Provide new role models for self-definition, transcend emotional dependence on male approval.
• Explore socio-cultural components of personal problems.
• Involve participants in social action.

Question 4

Approaches to multicultural group work applied to gender diversity:

Answer 4

Empowerment…

• Critical self reflection on own gender stereotypes.
• Separate psychological issues from socially constructed biases.
• Facilitate consciousness raising.
• Activities that discuss issues of privilege’s and oppression.

Question 5

Group work with men and boys:

Answer 5

• Myths
• Communication
• Modelling
• Rites of passage
• Transformation

Question 6

Purpose of gender focused groups:

Answer 6

‘It is most important to remain open to all experience of gender and not to deny a person’s own experience of their gender because it does not fit with our theories or beliefs. In many ways, this is no less than the groupwork challenge: to find commonalities whilst not denying differences’.