Actionable empathy: how does embodiment of narrative through roleplay increase Johannesburg primary school teachers’ capacity to perceive and intervene in bullying situations?
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Date
2020
Authors
Brandt, Rosa Anne
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Abstract
Bullying is a serious problem in many South African schools, and the first place of
intervention is usually the teachers. This research examined workshops with a group of
thirty Johannesburg primary school teachers from one school. The workshops explored
possibilities to understand and intervene in Bullying situations through the use of Applied
Drama techniques of narrative through roleplay. Bullying is detrimental to everyone
involved and South Africa has very little training for teachers in Bullying. Narrative offers the
means of examining and understanding others’ lives, and through roleplay these ideas of
others can be embodied and experienced more actively. In using roleplay to rehearse
intervention strategies these workshops aimed to increase empathy and activate teachers.
During the workshops some overarching themes began to emerge, namely power, gender
and self-efficacy. The methodology of Applied Drama was also unpacked in relation to the
effectiveness of the workshops. Roleplaying created empathy and prompted possibilities for action. The facilitator and teachers were in constant dialogue regarding their ability to
intervene effectively and this created a reflective and active environment for growth
Description
A Research paper submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Arts for Applied Drama: Theatre in Education, Communities, and Social Context in the Faculty of Humanities, University of the Witwatersrand, 2020