»Doing gender«: Ergebnisse einer qualitativen Untersuchung*

Abstract

Doing gender: Results of a qualitative research project What interactions and performances of doing gender become visible in the therapeutic room, when we direct the spotlights on it?How are we as psychotherapists engaged in the stabilization or changing of ideas on »femininity« and »masculinity«? What kind of influence do dominant gender discourses have on our therapeutic practice? On the basis of three videotaped couples' therapy sessions we allowed ourselves the luxury of looking closely at the material using an approach of qualitative social research. We analysed transcribed text passages (using the method of conversation analysis) and also used the video material of the sessions; a team of interpreters helped us with this work to enhancethe intersubjective quality of the results. With this article we first show our research design and how we proceeded methodically;we wish to encourage more research work in the psychotherapeutic field - maybe even on gender topics. Second, we present some results plus conclusions we draw for therapeutic practice.