Abstract
In this chapter, I explore feminist group work practice. In doing so I consider two powerful concepts that are typically incorporated into feminist group work practice: consciousness-raising and resistance. I examine the role that consciousness-raising and resistance can play in guiding the development of journaling activities and in guiding the facilitation of women’s journaling groups. Why are these concepts important to women’s journaling about depression? Why are they important in women’s understandings about their experiences of violence and depression? In order to answer these questions, I present the relevant theory and literature that looks at the concepts of consciousness-raising and resistance, the ways they can be employed as methods, as activities themselves, and how they can underpin discussions with women about their rights. Consciousness-raising and resistance methods and activities fit neatly into critical feminist intersectional theories of gender-based violence against women and depression in women, particularly when we think about ways to respond to and prevent violence and depression.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Beauboeuf-Lafontant T (2008) Listening past the lies that make us sick: a voice-centred analysis of strength and depression among black women. Qual Sociol 31:391–406
Belenky M, Clinchy B, Goldberger N, Tarule J (1997) Women’s ways of knowing. Basic Books, New York
Brenner R (1997) Writing as resistance: four women confronting the Holocaust. Pennsylvania State University Press, Pennsylvania
Butler S, Wintram C (1991) Feminist group work. Sage, London
Comerford S, Fambrough M (2002) Constructing learning sites for solidarity and social action: gender autobiography for consciousness-raising. Affilia 17(4):411–428
Convery A (2007) Resisting “resistance”: against a hegemonic trend in feminist theory. Paper presented at the Australasian Political Studies Association conference
Dicker R, Piepmeier A (2003) Introduction. In: Dicker R, Piepmeier A (eds) Catching a wave: reclaiming feminism for the twenty-first century. Northeastern University Press, Boston
Eschle C, Maiguashca B (2007) Rethinking globalised resistance: feminist activism and critical theorising in international relations. Br J Politics Int Relat 9:284–301
Fullagar S (2008) Leisure practices as counter-depressants: emotion-work and emotion-play within women’s recovery from depression. Leis Sci 30(1):35–52
Fuchs M (2004) The text is myself: women’s life writing and catastrophe. The University of Wisconsin Press, Madison
Garland J, Jones HE, Kolodny R (1965) A model for stages of development in social work groups. In: Bernstein S (ed) Explorations in group work: essays in theory and practice. Charles Rivers Books, Boston
Herman J (1992) Trauma and recovery: from domestic abuse to political terror. Pandora, London
Hyde B (2013) Mutual aid group work: social work leading the way to recovery-focused mental health practice. Soc Work Groups 36(1):43–58
Lafrance M (2009) Women and depression: recovery and resistance. Routledge, London
Lafrance M, Stoppard J (2006) Constructing a non-depressed self: women’s accounts of recovery from depression. Fem Psychol 16(3):307–324
MacKinnon C (1989) Toward a feminist theory of the state. Harvard University Press, London
McDermott F (2002) Group work in the mental health field: researching outcome. Aust Soc Work 56(4):352–363
Mullaly B (2002) Challenging oppression: a critical social work approach. Oxford University Press, Oxford
Schiller L (1995) Stages of development in women’s groups: a relational model. In: Kurland R, Salmon R (eds) Group work practice in a troubled society. The Haworth Press, New York
Schiller L (1997) Rethinking stages of development in women’s groups: implications for practice. Soc Work Groups 20(3):3–19
Sowards S, Renegar V (2004) The rhetorical functions of consciousness-raising in third wave feminism. Commun Stud 55(4):535–552
Sowards S, Renegar V (2006) Reconceptualising rhetorical activism in contemporary feminist contexts. Howard J Commun 17:57–74
Thomas R, Davies A (2005) What have the feminists done for us? feminist theory and organizational resistance. Organization 12(5):711–740
Tuckman, Bruce W (1975) Measuring Educational Outcomes. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich
White L (1997) Silenced stories: may Sarton’s journals as a form of discursive resistance. In: Coleman L (ed) Women’s life writing: finding voice/building community. Bowling Green State University Popular Press, Bowling Green
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2013 The Author(s)
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Western, D. (2013). Feminist Group Work, Consciousness-Raising and Resistance. In: Gender-based Violence and Depression in Women. SpringerBriefs in Social Work. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-7532-3_6
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-7532-3_6
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY
Print ISBN: 978-1-4614-7531-6
Online ISBN: 978-1-4614-7532-3
eBook Packages: Behavioral ScienceBehavioral Science and Psychology (R0)