Action Learning about Gender Issues

Abstract

Action learning is a process of accelerating people's learning about real-life problems in context. It involves bringing relevant people together to address either individual or organizational issues in a manner that produces learning throughout the process. Relevant group members may work in the same organization or have knowledge useful to addressing the problem. Action learning does not rely on experts. Rather, it strives to bring diverse perspectives into the group and generate fresh questions that challenge participants to consider deeply held assumptions. It uncovers assumptions that may be impinging effective action and reflection. Action learning is a recurring, experiential process of embracing an issue, raising new questions, reflecting on problems and solutions and making necessary changes. Action learning is concerned with creating options that never existed, rather than copying how others have solved problems in the past or in different contexts. Unlike some process improvement tools, action learning is open-ended, dynamic and fluid. While the purpose of engaging in action learning may be clear, the result is often unexpected. It helps participants understand their internal processes of decision and action and become aware of how these patterns impact the environment around them. Action learning is best applied to issues that are shrouded in uncertainty and potential solutions are multiple and often contradictory The Process of Action Learning about Gender One example of an action learning project is in a group of eight Midwestern women who have formed an action learning set to explore how they learn about gender in their work and lives. The group was initially formed at my request as a research project. Five of the group members work for various public agencies dedicated to the prevention and treatment of domestic violence. Two members, including myself, work in higher education, and one works in a non-profit environmental organization. Two group members are African-American and six group members are Caucasian. Through this action research project, we have worked to collectively reflect and act on issues affecting gender in both our work and personal lives. The group's story provides an example of how women or other marginalized groups can use action learning to create support and foster individual and collective development. All participants volunteered to partake in the action learning process and the group membership is intact after one year. The participants working with domestic violence operate in a field marginalized by policy-makers, public agencies and society in general. Domestic violence is an emotionally-charged field, yet, prior to the formation of this group, the women had few outlets to discuss their frustrations and experiences based on sexism and racism. The women not working in domestic violence also experience discrimination in their contexts based on race, ethnicity and gender. The initial problem brought before the group was about how we learn about gender and use the knowledge in our lives. The first meeting was slightly guarded as each of us assessed the level of risk we wanted to take and gauged the level of trust within the group. The follow-up meetings evidenced increasing levels of risk taking and trust among all of us. The meetings have helped to build trust by spending entire days in a relaxed, remote setting. Exploring our lives as women in a masculine world has included dialogue, drawing and the sharing of inspirational items such as musical pieces, poetry, personal journal entries, artwork and writing. We have worked at understanding what it means to be women in a patriarchal world, mused on our learning processes, and have evolved into a support group challenging each other in various ways. We have unanimously agreed that the group is fulfilling a previously unmet need of providing a safe space for us to learn about ourselves as women. …