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• consciousness-raising
  consciousness-raising

  noun

  a group-therapy technique in which the aim is to enhance the participants' awareness of their particular needs and goals as individuals or as a group.
• consciousness raising
  consciousness raising

consciousness-raising

American  

[kon-shuhs-nis-ray-zing] / ˈkɒn ʃəs nɪsˌreɪ zɪŋ /

noun

1. Psychology. a group-therapy technique in which the aim is to enhance the participants' awareness of their particular needs and goals as individuals or as a group.

2. any method for increasing interpersonal awareness or sensitivity by teaching people to experience a situation or point of view radically different from their own.

   The women's group has tried to change macho attitudes through consciousness-raising.

3. an act or instance of increasing the awareness of one's own or another's needs, behavior, attitudes, or problems.

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consciousness raising British  

noun

1. 1. the process of developing awareness in a person or group of a situation regarded as wrong or unjust, with the aim of producing active participation in changing it

   2. ( as modifier )

      a consciousness-raising group

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Etymology

Origin of consciousness-raising

An Americanism dating back to 1970–75

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

consciousness-raising consciousness raising

It felt the way I imagine those famous ’70s consciousness-raising sessions must have felt: like simultaneous creation and discovery.

From Slate ● Mar. 31, 2026

But for most of the play Ms. Flood’s Lizzie is a character based on Ms. Wohl’s mother, who 50 years earlier started a consciousness-raising group for women in Ohio.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 21, 2025

While the group evoked the emotional echoes of a consciousness-raising session, it was an ambitious, professional project as well.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 2, 2023

It’s like a twisted blend of “The Voice,” “The Crown,” “The Handmaid’s Tale” — and a women’s consciousness-raising group.

From Seattle Times ● Jul. 13, 2023

“Gloria” doubles as a consciousness-raising session, especially in the last 15 minutes, in which audience members are invited to share aloud their responses to the show.

From Washington Post ● Mar. 16, 2023

Before Floyd’s killing, she was a leading figure in the field of antiracism training or, as she sometimes describes it, antiracism consciousness raising.

From New York Times ● Jul. 15, 2020

“There needs to be education and consciousness raising within the armed forces on how to treat and how to engage with ethnic minorities. Not just with Indigenous but also Afro-Colombians,” she said.

From Washington Times ● Jun. 30, 2020

"But I can only do what feels right during these difficult times of transition and collective consciousness raising," she continued.

From BBC ● Feb. 26, 2019

At a time of national reckoning about endemic misogyny, “Heartland” does some serious feminist consciousness raising.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 28, 2018

Described as the “the greatest consciousness raising event in history”, the conference ends with a 10-year action plan to advance women’s rights, including targets to improve access to healthcare and increase family planning services.

From The Guardian ● Jul. 27, 2017

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