Action Research in Taiwan: Development and Inclusion of Feminist Principles in Counselor Training

This study presents the results of training designed to enhance students' awareness of gender consciousness and gender attitudes in counseling. The participants were 49 master's degree students (19 male; 30 female; average age, 34 years). We adopted the methodology of action research and took a feminist standpoint. Five focus-group interviews were conducted with students to discuss and share what they learned from the new 'Gender and Counseling' unit. The results suggest that some graduate students were able to accept gender pluralism, some expressed astonishment at being in contact with lecturers, and others displayed the profound influence of traditional Chinese culture and insisted that gender pluralism breeds social unrest. (C) 2016 Published by Future Academy www.FutureAcademy.org.uk