Welcome to 'This is The North' podcast, your source of transformative conversations. An intentional challenge to the systems holding back the North of England. Hosted by Alison Dunn, an award-winning charity chief executive and former solicitor. This podcast is supported by Society Matters Community Interest Company and is dedicated to curating and sharing knowledge, powering the change we need for a more equal and inclusive society.

In this compelling episode, I speak with Michelle Minnikin, psychologist and author of 'Good Girl Deprogramming', about the systemic conditioning affecting women in modern society. Michelle brings both professional expertise as an organisational psychologist and personal insight through her late-diagnosis ADHD journey to illuminate the complex mechanisms of gender-based conditioning.

Through her fascinating research—drawing parallels between 1950s prisoner of war brainwashing techniques and contemporary patriarchal systems—Michelle reveals how deeply embedded conditioning shapes women's behaviours and choices. She shares how her ADHD diagnosis at age 42 sparked a journey of discovery, leading to groundbreaking work on understanding and dismantling 'Good Girl Conditioning'.

The conversation examines critical systemic issues, from workplace dynamics to online harassment, whilst exploring how conditioning manifests in everything from language choices to professional relationships. Michelle challenges current narratives around gender roles, advocating for conscious resistance to conditioning whilst acknowledging the real risks women face when pushing back against established norms.

Episode Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction

00:31 Meet Michelle Minnikin: psychologist and author

01:11 The inspiration behind Good Girl Deprogramming

02:32 Understanding Good Girl conditioning

05:13 The patriarchy and its impact

06:00 Manifestations of Good Girl Conditioning

08:55 Challenges and pushbacks

13:05 The role of men in addressing gender issues

17:42 Impact on young women and future generations

23:00 Reclaiming power and challenging systems

30:50 Final thoughts and future projects

This episode serves as both an awakening and a call to action in addressing systemic gender conditioning. Through Michelle's insights, we explore how seemingly separate issues—from workplace behaviour to social media interactions—connect to create and perpetuate cycles of gender-based oppression. Her vision for change, including practical steps for individual and collective action, offers hope for a more equitable future.

Content Warning: This episode contains discussions of online harassment, sexual violence and gender-based discrimination.

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Host: Alison Dunn

Guest: Michelle Minnikin

Producer: Peter Bell

Resources:

1. 'Good Girl Deprogramming' by Michelle Minnikin (2023)
2. The demise of DEI signals the demise of human decency

This podcast is produced by Purpose Made, empowering change through intentional leadership and shared knowledge.

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