Abstract
An introductory group analytic training programme commenced in 2007 in Cape Town. This programme has seen the introduction of group processes in experiential small and large groups that mirror emergent voices, identities and consciousness within contemporary South African discourse. Themes that have emerged include the search for voice by previously oppressed groups; questions about the legitimacy of Eurocentric theory and the call for the development of indigenous theory; culturally/racially-based projections onto fellow participants and faculty; and the importance of dialogue for shaping the transformative potential within the group. Communications in the group include challenges to authority; attempts by the emergent voices to silence others’ experiences and identities; personal narratives of trauma embodied in the legacy of apartheid; and oppressor/oppressed splits. This article will explore these group processes, address the tasks of the conductor and consider the implications for group analytic training in South Africa.
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