Boundaries+&+Sub-Groups

Calendar Girls begins outside the village church. Inside we find the Knapely WI (Women’s Institute) meeting taking place where women have gathered to hear yet another boring speaker (Barton & Cole, 2003). The film takes us through several of the WI chapter meetings, all boring and very ordered. It is immediately clear that the group known as the Knapley WI is comprised of sub-groups. Shajahan states that “Groups are not usually homogenous within but are characteristically divided into parts that are relatively homogenous and tend to differ from other parts” (2004, p. 201). This idea is established immediately in the film as the officers of the WI have seated themselves apart from the rest of the group. In this way we see the establishment of the leadership as a sub-group in themselves. A table stands between them as a representative boundary between those who are leaders and those who are not. This group of officers is defined by the boundaries of the formal organizational system (Shajahan, 2004, p. 201). Within the larger audience of women we are directed to an informal sub-group as we observe Chris and Annie (Shajahan, 2004, p. 202). They have obviously been dear friends for a long time and they clearly share a hint of rebellion in the initial scenes toward the structured organization that their WI leader has implemented and now enforces. A fascinating reality emerges as we begin to see the layers of sub-groups that are interwoven and dependent on each other and yet they are each distinct. It is interesting to watch as a local competition takes place among several of the local WI groups from nearby villages. Boundaries are established through an invisible wall of separation based on rivalry and loyalty to each ones chapter. There is not intermingling of the chapter groups. At one point, Chris challenges another Knapely chapter member on her loyalty to the Knapely group. The rivalry shown makes it clear that while Chris and Annie themselves have formed a sub-group of the Knapely chapter they cross boundaries and align themselves strongly with their work group as they are challenged by a neighboring chapter (Richter, West, Van Dick, & Dawson, 2006, p. 1).

As we move through the story of the film we find that the sub-group of Chris and Annie begins to take on more members. This is where we really begin to see the interplay of sub-groups and boundaries. media type="custom" key="9999213" align="center"

Johnson and Johnson describe the dynamic of “rebelling and differentiating” in a way that is extremely relevant to our film (D. Johnson & F. Johnson, 2009, p. 30). As a part of the maturity process they describe a point of rebellion that every group takes against the coordinator or leader. This natural stage of group development eventually leads to the establishment of new boundaries among the new group or sub-group as it might be. Johnson and Johnson go on to explain that coordinators must understand the process that is going on and find ways to “deal with these things in an open and accepting way” (D. Johnson & F. Johnson, 2009, p. 30).

The introduction of the idea of a calendar would become a rallying point for Chris and Annie’s sub-group. The WI chapter leader forced a confrontation at the next WI meeting in a very un-accepting way. This scene of confrontation is the first glimpse that we have of the boundaries that are being established between the sub-group and the WI chapter leadership. Eventually one by one twelve of the ladies stand in a showing of their alliance with the sub-group, each stating their calendar month. As Johnson and Johnson describe the sub-group is now "rebelling and differentiating" (2009, p. 30).

Gender also played an obvious role in the group dynamics of the film. As the calendar is being photographed we are introduced to the men of the village, notably the husbands as they all wait anxiously at the pub. The male photographer becomes a sort of bridge between the group of men and the calendar girls. Finally, after all of the tension that surrounded the photography of the controversial calendar the male photographer rejoined his group of male companions with the announcement "It's a Calendar!"