Mixed-gender Teams Research Articles

Slaying the Dragon

Controversy exists whether survivors of childhood sexual abuse are better served in group treatment by therapists who share their gender. The experience of a male/female co-therapy team is described working with single gender groups of males and females. The themes discussed in therapy directly impacted by therapist gender included initial joining, trust, anger, sexuality, and competence. The process of the therapists working as a mixed gender team is also addressed. The authors conclude that mixed gender cotherapy has a definite role in the treatment of adults sexually victimized as children.

Group Climate and Individual Functioning in an All-Women Antarctic Expedition Team

This study focused on four female Antarctic expedition team members who successfully skied to the South Pole in 67 days but did not meet their original objective of traversing the continent. The three phases of data collection included (a) a preexpedition personality assessment, (b) daily self-ratings of mood, task effectiveness, stress, coping, and exertion, and (c) postexpedition interviews about stress and coping. Personality measures showed a group high in confidence and achievement and low in bodily concern and competitiveness. Daily measures demonstrated an extremely well-functioning group with highly effective patterns of work and communication. The most commonly reported stressors were interpersonal, particularly concern about the welfare of another team member. Coping with these involved planful problem solving and sharing positive emotions with others. Results confirmed hypotheses that a female expedition team would be similar to male or mixed-gender teams in many respects but would be more sensitive to emotional concerns.

Maximum Lifting Capacity in Single and Mixed Gender Three-Person Teams

Little information is available regarding isoinertial lifting ability in teams of two or more people. The relationship between the sum of individual lifts and the lifting capacity of a three person team was examined. Eleven men' and ten women were randomly combined into 18 teams for each of the following four combinations: three men (3M), three women (3W), two men with one woman (2M&1W), and one man with two women (1M&2W). While the absolute load lifted from floor to knuckle height decreased with a decrease in the number of males on the team, team lifting strength as a percentage of the sum of individual lifting strength was generally higher for single gender teams (91.0% for 3W and 85.0% for 3M) than for mixed gender teams (82.7% for 1M&2W and 74.4% for 2M&1W).

Mainstreaming Gender: Some Thoughts for the Nonspecialist

We discuss and analyze the problems encountered when gender materials and perspectives from a sex roles course were integrated (mainstreamed) into other sociology courses. We suggest techniques and resources to address the problems. Both the problems and the remedies are divided into two key areas of concern: subject matter and student population. The subject matter of gender lends itself readily to overpersonalization, but several techniques can lead students to structural approaches, including films that demonstrate the effects of social control. The student population presents several problems, including the tendency for males to withdraw from discussion of gender. Mixed-gender team teaching is one procedure for involving males. Finally, we argue for the value of mainstreaming if it is done to strengthen sociology courses rather than to give token attention to feminist

Changes in Perception and Behavior in Mixed Gender Teams

AbstractLeadership and conflict on male and female task teams of varying compositions are compared for groups constituted in the late 1960s/early 1970s and the mid‐1980s. The data indicates substantial increase in the leadership activities of women in mixed sex situations, striking decrease in conflict on predominantly female teams, and impressive improvement in the ability of young men to work with women on analytical tasks.