Content+vs.+Process

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Calendar Girls scriptwriter Colin Firth said that the movie was about grief, loss, gain and unexpected celebrity. The movie also portrays much about the critical tension between conflict and creativity. The W.I. is about education, empowerment, fun and friendship, but lacked meaning without a purpose or a strong supportive social network. The story was an interesting weave of content and process containing how, what and why as organically as real life stories can be portrayed.
 * //Don't mess with the buns,// and //Don't touch the composition// culminating in //You are beautiful// speaks to the foundation of content in this film and complexity of the process to achieve their goal! ||
 * //Don't mess with the buns,// and //Don't touch the composition// culminating in //You are beautiful// speaks to the foundation of content in this film and complexity of the process to achieve their goal! ||

Ultimately, the process served the calendar girls well, and the content took a back seat. There were many discussions through out about the ultimate goal. Individual goals shifted, were challenged, changed and altered until the group goal was achieved. The actions taken exhibited small group dynamics that played into the larger group dynamics, but again, ultimately resulted in the achievement of the larger group goal. As described by Johnson & Johnson: Content is: What is being discussed in order to achieve the group’s goals. Process is: The sequence of group members’ actions that take place over time and are aimed at achieving the groups’ goals. (pg. 56)

There were interesting shifts from content to process throughout the movie. The WI was portrayed throughout as an important social network. The structure and purpose of the WI initiated the project, catalyzed by a need in the community brought to awareness by a death in the community. This speaks both to the process in group systems: community, friends, families, neighbors, but also the content of what was needed – financial and human resources – and how it would be leveraged – through development of the calendar – a nude calendar. It was also clear the commitment to life, friends, family, place and home created a common language and common mission for them to resolve conflict and create new answers to old problems.

The process of coming to creative resolution was evident throughout the film. A humorous example is the conversation about what meaning the calendar might have if the WI didn’t approve it. The calendar without the WI was proposed to be pornography or possible just photography of naked middle aged women. Interestingly, the definition of what success would mean came up, noting that if it was successful it would be called art. If it was not, it would be called photography. While the focus appeared to be on the content of the calendar the resolution appeared out of processing the conflict. Ultimately, the WI found a way to support the project by re-framing it form nudity to charity. This also speaks to high levels of trust.

The process of developing the charity project, opened up opportunities and dilemmas. The content created additional friction about common values, and challenged the system and status quo. Families were trusting, individuals were trusting, some people were not trustworthy, others were. People reacted out of peer pressure, stress, transition, caring and insecurity. The movie highlighted the processes used to reach new status in each situation, from moving through conflict, to discovery, to learning, to moving again through conflict. Life!

“The last phase is always the most glorious, and then they go to seed” is an excellent descriptor of the organic integration of the content and the process. There would be no phases without the flowers, the women, the community, our life. The content of the unique flower, the unique women, the unique community as followed through a life process enriches our understanding of trust, conflict, creativity, hope – and life.