Specific process used in this report

The following is a series of statements about the activities used in developing this report. The activities are definable through a variety of labels. It is understood best by this writer as a gestalt process which starts with the whole problem, analyses the parts of that problem and their relationships within and to the whole, then returns to re-define the whole problem once more. Please note that this entire report was written, then re-written, and re-written again, by this process. The final product does not show the number of re-writes nor how the report changed along the way. It is time consuming, but yields a better quality product.

a.) Exploration of the whole (Problem assessment)

• discussions and interviews with knowledgeable persons.

• preliminary search of the literature, research and statistics currently available

• determine what others perceive as "the problem" and their solutions to those problems.

• record all information and opinions and file

• determine the various separate parts which are involved in the whole problem and which of these can usefully be focused on within the time available.

b.) Focus on the parts (Problem definition)

• this step involves a question-asking process rather than a question-answering one. It is the step most often omitted by groups and investigators impatient to get on with the tasks involved.

• determine what questions can/cannot be asked; what questions need/ need not be asked; and what questions will/will not be asked. The first set focuses on the realities of today and yesterday; the second on priorities based on need; and the third on priorities based on preference.

• determine what information will likely assist in answering these questions and what form the information should take.

The most useful questions begin with "Who, what, when, where, and how?" "Why?" is not a useful question to ask since it requires an opinion about the motives of others. The major issue involved here is to find out how we, as women, got to our present condition; to determine what happened to us on the way; and to describe what those present conditions are in specific terms. Once we have this information, we can determine what we want changed, what future conditions we want to attain, and how we think that change can be brought about.

"Why?" asks for information about individual value systems. Our current understanding of values and attitudes suggests that they can be changed more rapidly by changing the "How, what, when, where, and who" of things, rather than attempting to change the "Why". A change in the Why of things generally requires a confrontation with someone else's values and attitudes, which invariably leads to defensive positions, greater resistance, and inflexibility on both sides.