Habits make everyday life manageable, but can also become obstacles and cause problems. The tendency to repeat old patterns of behavior is a common problem for individuals and for society as a whole. Unreflexive habitual actions constitute an important aspect of social reproduction. In this article, two questions are addressed: Why is change so hard to achieve? Can Theatre of the Oppressed be used to promote change? A close reading of the French sociologist Bourdieu in relation to Boal's theatre methods is undertaken to answer these questions. Bourdieu's concept of habitus serves to explain the persistence of status quo; structural aspects are embedded in how we think and act, and are also inscribed in the body. These unconscious aspects of habitus are interesting in relation to theatre, where the conscious use of body language, inner dialogue and action are central. Looking at Boal's theatre methods in the light of Bourdieu's concept of habitus, Theatre of the Oppressed clearly has the potential to make social structures, power relations and individual habitus visible and, at the same time, provide tools to facilitate change. It is one of the few methods that offers an integrated approach to work on individual, group and social levels, and involves both the body and the mind. If the methods are practiced according to the principles outlined by Boal, they can be used not only to become aware of, but also to expand, habitus. As participants describe effects on their attitudes and actions, do they make changes in their daily lives? Are there any long-term effects of Theatre of the Oppressed? The work of Boal and others is promising, but to answer those questions more evidence is needed.
A review of drama research in Sweden is presented, based on a descriptive analysis of Swedish doctoral dissertations. Bourdieu’s field-concept is used as a framework, and the results are discussed in relation to the perceived need for a research discipline in drama. How can Swedish drama research be described? Which theoretical perspectives and research methods are being used? The overview shows the academic disciplines that are hosting research of drama in education, and influences from their theoretical perspectives are briefly discussed. There is no autonomous field, but a domain of drama research which includes dissertations within the disciplines of Education and Literature. Conditions in Sweden are not as good compared to some other Nordic countries, where subject specific education and expert tutors are available at the research level. Is an autonomous research discipline unnecessary, or even impossible to achieve, taking into account the general tendencies towards inter- and cross-disciplines and ‘knowledge areas’ within higher education?
Emotions are seen as a driving force in students’ learning, but students’ involvement can also be problematic. A subject matter that catches students’ attention can either lead to positive learning activities or lead to rejection if the subject matter is upsetting in a negative way. Here, this teaching dimension will be addressed in connection with Environmental Education.
Three examples – a whole-class teaching event, an individual student’s learning process and an example of process drama – will be briefly presented in order to discuss how different instructional designs interact with students’ emotions. A conclusion is that emotionally-loaded subjects require an elaborated teaching strategy in order to develop deeper knowledge. When the teaching includes an aesthetic approach, like process drama, emotions are not seen as a problem but as an integrated, natural part of the whole.
Theatre for Social Change (TfSC) is built on the audience’s active participation. TfSC is based on intentionality and a belief that the theatre form is powerful – the explicit purpose of TfSC is to promote change. Theatre for Social Change projects often takes place outside the formal educational system. Projects based on external financial support often have to meet demands for evaluation, but is it possible to evaluate Drama and Theatre for Social Change in a way that is meaningful for those who are involved and increases the body of knowledge?
In this paper three projects of Theatre for Social Change in Sweden/EU, Serbia and Palestine are described, with focus on the evaluations. The examples are used to discuss the evaluator’s role(s) and position, when and how to evaluate, and the value of evaluations, primarily for project members and audiences but also for donors as well as for colleagues in the field of drama. As a result of the demands from external funders, substantial evaluation reports are written about drama/theatre projects around the world. Therefore it becomes important to develop and share ‘good practice’ in how to carry out credible evaluations that contribute to the development of drama and Theatre for Social Change.
The Culture House Lätting is a local Swedish organization working with young persons who are unemployed or do part of their secondary education as apprentices in art work. One of the methods used by Lätting is Forum Theatre. Supported by the European Commission, Lätting created a project to increase active citizenship among young people from so called remote areas. Four workshops were held with participating youth organizations from four(five) countries and the process was carefully documented. A brief presentation of the project and its outcomes is followed by a discussion concerning evaluation.