Consciousness-Raising Groups in the 1970's

Based on a 1974 nationwide survey, this paper describes the characteristics of 1, 669 women in consciousness-raising (CR) groups. Most women in the survey are white, middle- and upper-middle class women who joined their first CR group during the 1970's. They learned about CR groups primarily from women friends and joined a group with friends or through a women's organization. Sixty-five percent of the women considered themselves to be members of the women's movement prior to their joining a CR group. Most women identified themselves as liberal (58%) or radical (21%). Women's primary reason for joining a CR group was to learn from, share with, and gain support from other women; they joined to examine personal issues within the context of their common social roles. Sharing experiences and feelings as women was the most salient group process. Women in this survey were highly satisfied with their CR group experience and encouraged other women to join a CR group.