Working with Groups in the Workplace
Cultural expectations and stereotypes regarding what it means to be male or female can create communication barriers and misunderstandings that can be detrimental in a workplace that expects both genders to work together cooperatively. Bridging the Gender Gap contains a wealth of exercises for trainers to use with men and women who work as colleagues. The activities will also be useful in gender role awareness groups, diversity training, couples workshops, college classes, and youth seminars.
We absorb what society considers appropriate behavior through the natural process of socialization, accepting and internalizing cultural ideals without questioning them. These societal norms become part of our unconscious gender role belief system—attitudes, attributes, and behaviors we consider appropriate for women and men. Negative cultural stereotypes of women create problems such as discriminatory behavior in the workplace.
In Bridging the Gender Gap, Ms. Eberhardt provides tools to overcome these negative stereotypes. The two sections of the book: Gender Awareness and Women and Men as Colleagues provide exercises to help participants unlearn the traditional gender roles, to learn to communicate effectively, to understand equally valid but different points of view, and to discover new ways of relating to one another as partners, friends, and colleagues, as well as begin a new journey toward self-growth.
Also available: Reproducible Worksheet Masters on CD (only available with purchase of book)
