Workshop plan

Gender relations in activist groups

Methodical ideas for dealing with the gaps between claims and realities
q Gabi Elverich & Karin Reindlmeier For many years we have both participated in different political groups. Within this framework, we have been confronted with more or less subtle forms of discrimination and gender-specific role-behaviour again and again. We have also noticed that there are often deep divisions between the claims and realities of all participants in such groups, precisely over this topic. On the basis of these experiences, we have tried to identify methods for how these issues could be confronted in political groups. So, briefly, a few words about our understanding of gender relations. We understand gender relations as socially developed power relationships. Consequently, we do not see differences between women and men as natural, but as an expression of this power relationship. Furthermore, in political groups, one must keep in mind that discrimination is often played out in very subtle and masked ways, which makes it much more difficult to uncover it. While we restrict ourselves in the following plan to gender relations, we also acknowledge that the balance of power in political groups is impacted by other differences: for example the duration of, or level of co-operation within the group. The aim of our approach, and a prerequisite for change, is to reveal these power relations. Furthermore, on a very concrete level, it is about how to create structures in the group, so that it becomes possible for everyone to have equal access. So, we would like to introduce some methodical ideas in the following section. We have divided these into two areas. In the first, ideas for everyday life within political groups are introduced. The second is part is about methods which are suitable for workshops, if, for example, a group wants to take a weekend in order to work on this topic. pare claims and realities and to disclose different perceptions. q Work-division The gender-specific work-division within society is often mirrored within political groups. Often men take responsibility for the technological aspects and speak more frequently in public, while women take care of the physical and mental welfare of the group-members, doing the invisible organisational work in the background. In creating an inventory of responsibilities within the group, it can be helpful for participants to document over a longer period of time who does what exactly, and whether there are tasks that are adopted predominantly by men or women. q Communication For mapping communication behaviours, it works most favourably if one person adopts the role of an observer during discussions and decision-making processes, and makes notes on speechbehaviour. For example the observer could record, exactly, who speaks often and above all also who speaks the longest. It is also useful to keep an eye on the body language of each participant. q Conflict-situations In situations where participants are collectively experiencing stress, for example in decision making, it can be helpful if one person adopts the role of an observer and can then give feedback to the group afterwards. The comparison of internal and external perceptions of the conflict and its solution is not only helpful in solving the conflict, but can also generate realisations about gender roles which may be holding the group back. 2 Structures for working with equal access q Round/flashbulb This is a simple but very effective method by which everyone has an equal opportunity to speak and be heard. The most important rule is that each participant talks one after another and that their comments are not interrupted or discussed. It is also important that everyone only speaks briefly so that everyone has time to speak. It has proved particularly useful to have a round at the beginning of meetings, giving everyone the opportunity to briefly explain how they are this makes arriving at the group easy and usually positively influences the mood of the meeting. It also

Improving gender relations in mixed groups can lead to great actions.

Part I Everyday life

1 Inventory One first important step for tackling these issues is for participants to create an inventory of the work-division and communication behaviour in the group. This has the purpose of identifying and mapping existing group-structures in order to com-

helps to finish the meeting with an evaluation session using a round, in which everyone has the opportunity to express briefly how the meeting went for them; what feelings they will go home with; and what they might like to be different in future. q Facilitation It is also helpful if there is a facilitator for meetings. For example, this person should ensure that every participant has an opportunity to express their opinion and have their say, they should also manage interventions and bring discussions to a conclusion. This role should be taken by a different participant from meeting to meeting so that entrenched position of power cannot originate from being the facilitator. q Responsibilities It is also very important that responsibilities are disclosed and distributed collectively. A way of achieving this is to list all the tasks that need doing on a big piece paper and then distribute a copy to everyone. This way all participants can be involved and hopefully it does not fall to a few people to do everything. If there are tasks that are always adopted by the same few people, because they possess the necessary abilities to carry out those tasks, the group should consider whether it can widen its circle of experts. This could happen, for example, through small self-organised workshops in which other members of the group can acquire these competencies. q Time for self-reflection It is good practice for the group to regularly spend time reflecting on what has worked well as a group and what hasnt, and what aspects demand change and how that could be achieved (in a second stage) It can be very useful to take more time for self-reflection and to do this in a different setting, for example to go away together for a weekend workshop

tools

tools

Part II Workshop methods

Here we will look at some ideas for a weekend workshop intended for use with an existing group-structure, aimed at exploring more intensively the subtle mechanisms of the maintenance of oppressive behaviour and gender roles. Alongside this, it can also be very exciting to cast a glance at feminist theory. A discussion of concepts such as doing gender can be very stimulating for the group-process in itself. Here are some practical methods to help groups work on gender relations: 1 Role-playing q Swapping roles This activity can be helpful in disclosing the roles which participants have consciously or unconsciously adopted. If men play women and women play men, different perceptions and confidences come to light in an exaggerated form. This method is useful in uncovering roles, for example, participants with more dominant or more reserved behaviour may find it useful to play their opposite role. It is good for participants to roleplay fairly trivial situations from their everyday political work together, for example planning an action or the layout of a flyer. As role-playing can liberate many emotions, a detailed evaluation is important. Ideally, the group chooses a game leader at the beginning who then makes space for all the players to express afterwards how it felt for them in their roles. It can be very informative if neutral observers then report on how they perceived the scene from out-

side. Only then should the group attempt to draw conclusions on behaviour patterns that shape gender relations. q Forum-theatres Conflict and inflexible situations in the group can be processed well using the method of the forumtheatre. Using this method it is possible to intervene in the scene being played out by participants and to change the actors behaviour and thus create an alternative solution to a conflict situation. (See notes below). 2 Biographical work Biographical methods clarify personal approaches to a topic and provide a good opportunity to make connections between individual experience and social structure. With reference to gender relations, biographical work can reveal the importance played by a concrete affiliation to a certain gender in a persons life. As a first step, the participants ask themselves the following question: when, where and how has my gender-affiliation shaped me until now? and draws one lifeline on which the central events, things and people, that come to mind about this for each participant is written down. Presenting lifelines to the whole group, in gender-specific groups or in smallgroups can be very exciting and goes beyond the individual experience of being a man or woman. Luckily gender-affiliation is not the only characteristic forming identity. Therefore it can be very interesting, in a second stage, for participants to sit down and try to identify as many individual aspects of their present identity as possible, under the Against Military Madness, published ten times per year. See http://www.worldwidewamm.org q Music Consolidated, End of Meaning. This musical project deserve a review (but theres no more space!). There is probably no other band that has worked so hard to discuss issues around gender and male violence through the medium of music. http://www.consolidatedmusic.org q Webistes There are millions! But heres a few that have particularly good links. Mixture Alternative Antisexist is

motto I am many things, and then to present the results to each other. A brainstorming session in which everyone gathers different affiliations that have an influence on their lives, ie religion, class, race, sexual orientation etc, can be also be a useful base. Through this exercise it becomes clear that gender relations are not the only power relationships that play a role in group dynamics. 3 Utopian-development In order to change fixed or inflexible roles and group-structures, it helps if participants have a concrete idea of how equality could look and work in the group. Each participant writes down what his or her ideal group situation looks like and what steps would be necessary in order to reach this ideal. Afterwards, two people work together, then four (two groups of two) and finally all participants work together in developing concrete suggestions, that can be used by the group in their everyday life. This work can also serve as the first step in working towards concrete structures as described in the first part of this article. Notes: A good introduction to using the Forum-theatre method can be found in Augusto Boals book Games for Actors and Non-Actors (Routeledge, 1992, ISBN 0 415061555, 247pp). Gabi Elverich is a social-scientist and is writing a thesis on right-wing extremism and schools in Germany. Karin Reindlmeier is working as a trainer for nonviolent conflict resolution in Germany.

Recommended
q Books Lois Ann Lorentzen and Jennifer Turpin (eds), The Women and War Reader (New York Univ Press, 1998. ISBN 0 814751458). Gerard J DeGroot and Corinna Peniston-Bird (eds), A Solidier and a Woman; sexual integration in the military (Longman & Pearson, 2000) q Magazines/Journals Achilles Heel, bi-annual radical mens magazine. See http://www.achillesheel.freeuk.com. This website also includes good links to other publications, organisations and listserves. Feminist Review, tri-annual academic journal on feminist theory and gender. See http://www. tandf.co.uk/journals/alphalist.html Off Our Backs, monthly tabloid with news, comment and reviews. See http://igc.org/oob. Race, Gender and Class, tri-annual academic journal with analysis and perspectives on the intersection of all three. See http://www.sun.edu/sunorgc Worldwide WAMM, publication of

a union of mixed groups of students against sexism in Europe http://www. geocities.com/CapitolHill/7422/ Site published in several languages. Men Overcoming Violence, this is the site of the San Fransisco branch of an international organisation and has a particularly good resources page. http://www. menovercomingviolence.org Lists of pro-feminist mens groups http://www.feminist.com/resources/ links/links_men.html ProActivist links http://www.proactivist.com/links/ Mens_Groups

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