Thwarting Shame: Feminist engagement in narrative groupwork with men recruited to patriarchal dominance in relationship by Kylie Dowse
The partnership between feminism and narrative practice supports this groupwork with men who have used violence toward their partners and families. Externalising and rich characterisation brings to life a conceptual support group to distract Shame while men participate in weekly sessions. Keeping Shame occupied has made possible double story development with men toward their preferred ways of partnering and fathering. The ‘Insight’ group sits within a small Australian feminist domestic violence service, and is designed and delivered by Kylie Dowse, an Aboriginal woman. This video invites viewers to consider how narrative ways of working intertwine to prioritise the safety of women and children while respectfully engaging men. The work builds upon the essence of Michael White and David Epston’s remarkable partnership – the person is not the problem, the problem is the problem.
Kylie Dowse describes herself as an Aboriginal feminist, living and working on Birpai land in Port Macquarie, a town on the East Coast of Australia. Since 2000, her work has included designing and delivering programs and services with women and children experiencing family violence. From 2009, Kylie took on a new challenge, to author and implement a program for men recruited to patriarchal dominance in their relationships, and has woven narrative ways of working throughout. Kylie completed Masters of Narrative Therapy and Community Work in 2016, and describes the tapestry of feminism, narrative therapy and Aboriginal cultural practices as ‘seamless’.
