ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on how the conditions for transformational learning and shifts in unhelpful habitual patterns were created in the Women’s Leadership Series (WLS) by means of caring teaching and learning practices. Building on Carol Gilligan’s work, other feminist scholars explored the role of care in human development, bringing particular attention to what mothers do to foster growth and development in their infants and children. The WLS created a safe environment for participants by means of five care practices: disruptive physical cues, building an inclusive and accepting environment, caring norms, relaxed learning, and staying in touch. In the WLS, the foundation for encouraging high-quality interactions amongst participants was building an inclusive and accepting community that fostered a sense of belonging and connection. Life stories revealed the differences in experience among WLS participants. The majority of WLS participants credited the absence of the competitive norms in the WLS to the absence of men.
