It is only when we pinpoint our ideas and expectations about male and female behaviour that our true views become apparent.

This exercise will help you and your partner to examine your deep-seated attitudes to gender and to explore your potential outside the limitations of gender-stereotyping.

You will need some paper and two pens.

One: Each take a piece of paper and a pen. Now complete the following statements, listing three facets of behaviour for each: Men normally... Women normally... Men don’t normally... Women don’t normally... I like men who ... I like women who ... I dislike men who ... I dislike women who ... Ideally, men should ... Ideally, women should ...

Two: Now go through these statements carefully with your partner and discuss what you have each put and why. How similar are your responses? Do you broadly agree or disagree in your attitudes? What did you learn about yourself? Do either of you feel that the exercise has revealed any surprising prejudices?

Three: Analyse any ways in which your views might have caused discord within your relationship. How can you modify your expectations so that you can live more harmoniously together? Encourage each other to develop in ways that open up more options within the relationship, disregarding gender stereotypes.