An Audio-Taped Consciousness-Raising Group for Women: Evaluation of the Process Dimension

This study describes the development and assessment of an audio-taped women's consciousness-raising program. Two components of the program were communications skills training and the explorations of women's issues. These two components were designed to accomplish four goals: the development of effective communication; an awareness of the issues facing women; the discovery of new options for behavior; and the establishment of a supportive environment. Twenty-seven volunteer women were assigned to three groups, each of which received a different combination of the two components. Using ratings and structured descriptive narratives by trained experienced observers, progress toward the aforementioned goals was measured in each group. The group that only received the communications training component made steady significant progress over time toward all four goals. The group that received both the communication training and women's issues components made significant progress toward two goals: the development of effective communications and the discovery of new options for behavior. The group that received only the women's issues component made no apparent progress toward any of the goals. The results point toward the effectiveness of this audio-taped program and the importance of including communication skills training in consciousness-raising programs.