Contemporary Theory Research Articles

Navigating the intersection of dramaturgy and artistic research in contemporary theatre education

This paper discusses dramaturgy and artistic research’s evolving role in theatre education, focusing on the Master’s program in Theatre at Oslo National Academy of the Arts as a case study. Drawing inspiration from Richard Jochum’s ideas in “After Artistic Research,” the paper highlights the shift towards incorporating artistic research into the curriculum of art universities. However, it acknowledges the challenges in establishing a clear framework for artistic research within these institutions. The author argues that teaching and practising dramaturgy and artistic research in theatre academies have significant implications, marking a departure from traditional theatre education paradigms. The paper aims to contribute valuable insights and practical strategies to educators and practitioners involved in theatre education and artistic research, emphasising the importance of understanding and navigating the complexities of this evolving field.

Religious coping and delinquent behaviors: Moderated mediation roles of religion affiliation and prosocial moral reasoning.

Religion has been shown to have a positive impact for developing adolescents; however, the processes underlying this relation are not well known. In his almighty prosocial theory, Anazonwu (Conceptualizing and testing almighty prosociality theory for a more peaceful world, SCOA Heritage Nigeria, 2017) proposed that the activation of learnt prosocial moral reasoning through religion enabled performance of prosocial peace behavior that will benefit society. Thus, religion coping enhances the development of prosocial reasoning which in turn propagate prosocial acts while reducing delinquent behaviors. Similarly, developmental system theory (Lerner, Developmental science, developmental systems, and contemporary theories of human development, John Wiley & Sons, 2006) assumed that in every individual three mechanisms: plasticity (potential to change), context (environment), and developmental regulation (learnable principles) interact to describe the direction of the transactions between individuals and their various embedded sociocultural context of development which will also determine other developmental outcomes. Based on these two theoretical assumptions, the present study examined whether prosocial moral reasoning (developmental regulation) was the mechanism in the negative correlation between religious coping (plasticity) and delinquent behaviors (outcome), and if religious affiliation(context) (Christianity and Islam) moderated these paths. We hypothesized that the link from prosocial moral reasoning to lower delinquent behaviors would be stronger for Muslim compared with Christian youth. These questions were tested among Nigerian adolescence, an important sample because of high interreligious and interethnic tension among youth in the country. 298 adolescents (Mean age = 15.03 years, SD = 1.76; male = 176, female = 122; 46.3% Muslim, 53.7% Christian) were sampled using questionnaires in senior secondary schools in Nigeria. Moderated mediation result shows that greater religious coping was linked with higher prosocial moral reasoning, which in turn predicted fewer delinquent behaviors. Religious coping interacted with religion affiliation to influence delinquent behavior; there was a stronger link between these two constructs for Muslim compared to Christian youth. Thus, interventions aiming to reduce youth delinquent behaviors should consider promoting prosocial moral reasoning, particularly among the various religions (i.e., Christian/Muslim) communities.

Power Dynamics in Discussions of Contemporary Jungian Theory and Practice

AbstractGroups of Jungian analysts, which included the present authors, met to discuss four key theoretical concepts, each of which was felt to have problematic aspects if used unquestioningly in contemporary practice. The concepts were: The Primitive, Inner and Outer Worlds, Contrasexuality and Participation Mystique. The discussions were informed by clinical material and specific papers chosen for their critical evaluation of the topic. Four recorded transcripts were made, with permission, for further consideration of the relationship between contemporary Jungian theory and practice using the research method of thematic analysis. Three main themes were identified: Work of Analysis, Frames of Reference and Power Dynamics. The authors discuss the themes in relation to the overarching theme of power, understood as operating at conscious and unconscious levels. The artwork “Cold Dark Matter: An Exploded View” by Cornelia Parker is used as a metaphor in discussing the dynamic of challenging foundational concepts. The authors suggest that power dynamics are intrinsic in both the difficulty and the benefits of critically evaluating key concepts, binding together the theoretical (what informs us) with the clinical (what we do in the consulting room) as well as blowing apart pre‐conceived notions of what underpins the analyst’s work.

Vocational teachers’ perceptions on workplace learning in facilitating students’ professional engagement in the context of industry-university collaboration in China

PurposeThis study aims to explore vocational teachers' perceptions regarding workplace learning that align with students' training models and collaborative teaching involving specialised professionals within the context of industry-university collaboration.Design/methodology/approachUsing a qualitative approach, the study conducted nine semi-structured interviews from three subject areas to better understand how vocational teachers’ work-based learning enhances their pedagogical practice in guiding students’ professional training. Thematic analysis was adopted to identify patterns that emerged from concepts and theories related to coding categories.FindingsThe authors identified three key components: vocational teachers’ workplace learning in connection with students’ training models, collaborative teaching with specialised professionals and teachers’ regular interactions with enterprises. The findings demonstrate that vocational teachers’ engagement in workplace learning pertaining to specific subjects provides a valuable avenue for enhancing curriculum design with collaboration with industry experts. This is key for supporting vocational students’ transitions into the workplace and ensuring their knowledge and skills are tailored to the industry-standard practice.Research limitations/implicationsThe data are limited to the review of interviews from three vocational subject areas as the representative sector in the study. However, this research implies effective knowledge transfer between workplace settings and vocational institutions, and vocational teachers need to integrate work-based vocational knowledge and skills in a relevant and applicable way across diverse classroom settings.Practical implicationsFostering collaborative partnerships with local industries and professionals can be a primary way to facilitate authentic learning experiences that are linked to a specific vocational field and bridge the gap between diverse classroom learning and real-world work scenarios.Originality/valueThis study combines contemporary workplace learning theories with the conceptual understanding of vocational teachers’ involvement with industry-specific practice. Connecting teachers’ knowledge to the industry extends the input and collaboration from professionals and field experts to the diverse vocational classrooms.

I too [formula omitted]: A new class of hyperelastic isotropic incompressible models based solely on the second invariant

In contemporary elasticity theory, the strain–energy function predominantly relies on the first invariant, I1 of the deformation tensor; a practice that has been influenced by models derived from rubber elasticity. However, this approach may not fully capture the complexities of materials exhibiting pronounced shear deformations, such as very soft biological tissues. Here, we explore the implications and potential benefits of constitutive models where the strain–energy function is exclusively a function of the second invariant, I2. By shifting the focus towards I2, we aim to address the limitations of current models in accurately describing shear-dominated behaviors and to provide a more comprehensive understanding of material responses, particularly for materials that do not conform to the assumptions underlying I1-centric theories. Through theoretical musings, data analysis, and automated model discovery, we investigate the feasibility of this approach and its consequences for predicting material behavior under various loading conditions. We show that the so-called “second-invariant materials” conforming to I2-only have interesting properties that are found in biological tissues and are fundamentally different from the traditional “first-invariant materials”.

Healthcare social network research and the ECHO model™: Exploring a community of practice to support cultural brokers and transfer cultural knowledge

BackgroundProject ECHO® networks at Children’s Health Queensland Hospital and Health Service (CHQHHS) are communities of practice designed to mitigate services and systems fragmentation by building collaborative partnerships addressing priority child and youth health needs. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people experience the negative impacts of fragmentation in addition to historical challenges of absent or culturally inappropriate health services. Access to culturally safe and responsive services can be improved by engaging Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workers and similar roles in an online community of practice, supporting the integration of cultural and clinical knowledge and self-determination of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander consumers in decisions affecting their health.Analysing professional support networks and knowledge sharing patterns helps identify enablers and barriers to partnerships. Using social network research, the multilevel network inclusive of ECHO network members and their colleagues was studied to identify interdisciplinary and cross-sector advice exchange patterns, explore the position of cultural brokers and identify common relational tendencies.MethodsSocial network theories and methods informed the collection of network data and analysis of advice-seeking relationships among ECHO network members and their nominees. Registered members from two ECHO networks were invited to complete the Qualtrics survey. Networks analysed comprised 398 professionals from mainstream health, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Controlled Health Organisation, education, disability and child safety service settings.ResultsBrokers were well represented, both those who hold knowledge brokerage positions as well as cultural brokers who incorporate clinical and cultural knowledge enabling holistic care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients (38 individuals, 17% of network). Professionals who occupy brokerage positions outside the ECHO network tend to be more connected with co-members within the network.ConclusionsThis study is the first application of contemporary social network theories and methods to investigate an ECHO network. The findings highlight the connectivity afforded by brokers, enabling the coordination and collaboration necessary for effective care integration. Inclusion of cultural brokers in an ECHO network provides sustained peer group support while also cultivating relationships that facilitate the integration of cultural and clinical knowledge.

The poetics of the symptom

In contemporary psychoanalytic theory and practice, the patient’s and the analyst’s body are growing in importance. Over time psychoanalysis has become enriched by neurosciences, sociology, neonatal studies, philosophy, literature, and art. It is especially focused on what has not been represented and integrated within the mind, and on how to recover, represent, transform, and integrate these types of experiences, with the corporeal experience now acquiring more prominence. I will assemble those so-called “poetic” aspects in the formation and manifestation of the symptom, which come from embodied and non-symbolized experiences. I will start from the observation that poetry offers an embodied meaning, learned through the body before being understood in the mind. Similarly, the suffering world of our patients can resonate within the therapist like a poem or a piece of music. Through careful attention to the resonances in the body and in reverie, therapists can deduce the personifications inhabiting that internal world. It is as if the poetic experience is situated “on the border” between the sensorial dimension and the verbal dimension. After a brief review of the psychoanalytic literature on corporeal experience in psychoanalysis, a clinical vignette will clarify these statements.

The Global ESG Stewardship Ecosystem

AbstractInstitutional investors are increasingly pushing their investee companies to address environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues—a phenomenon commonly called ESG stewardship. Scholars have put forward various reasons for investors’ enthusiasm for ESG stewardship. They include the financial materiality of ESG issues, a desire to appeal to ESG-conscious customers, and the scope for fund operators to charge higher fees for funds that pursue ESG strategies. There is, however, another critical factor at play. ESG stewardship is also underpinned by a transnational development—what this article calls the ‘global ESG stewardship ecosystem’. This global ecosystem is comprised of various ESG-focused actors, including United Nations agencies, institutional investors, investor networks, service providers to institutional investors, and NGOs and activist organizations. These actors operate in a highly networked manner at the transnational level to develop and disseminate norms of ESG stewardship throughout global markets, and encourage and coordinate investors’ ESG stewardship activities on the ground. This article highlights the scale, complexity and influence of the global ESG stewardship ecosystem, revealing it to be a significant facilitator of institutional investors’ ESG stewardship. This insight calls into question important contemporary assumptions and theories about institutional investors, including claims that they are ‘rationally reticent’, under-invest in corporate governance activities, and are incapable of overcoming collective action challenges. The global ESG stewardship ecosystem is also a remarkable example of the transnational influences shaping contemporary corporate governance. The ecosystem underpins the development and dissemination of norms of ESG stewardship and also assists institutional investors to undertake ESG stewardship ‘on the ground’ in the various markets in which they operate. The transnational influence of the ecosystem has important implications for national law makers and regulators who are focused on ESG investing and investor participation in public company corporate governance.

The Components of Multilevel Engagement Theory

This article presents the components (i.e., assumptions, concepts, and propositions) of the Multilevel Engagement Theory. Raza provided specific examples to describe the components of the theory and discussed these components in relation to the existing literature. The components of Multilevel Engagement Theory are also discussed in relation to three contemporary theories (i.e., family systems theory, feminist theory, and social exchange theory) to demonstrate similarities and differences between the Multilevel Engagement Theory and the other theories used in mainstream research. The author provided examples from his graduate level course assignments to further explain the componets of Multilevel Engagement Theory and demonstrate the use and application of this theory. The Multilevel Engagement Theory considers culture and diversity as the central aspects to the understanding of family relationships and functioning and provides researchers with a comprehensive conceptual framework to conduct research on contemporary families, understand multilevel phenomena, and explain complex real-life situations.

The Universal As (Non‐)Particular: Agamben, Metz, And The Theology Of Victimhood

AbstractThis study offers a new perspective on the work of Italian theorist Giorgio Agamben, arguing that his recent engagements with the Christian tradition can be productively interpreted as a kind of political theology. As a way of making this claim, I place Agamben in dialogue with German Catholic theologian Johann Baptist Metz, as perhaps the clearest analogue in recent political theology, examining their shared genealogical roots in Marxist philosophy and the Frankfurt School, as well their mutual interests in early‐Christian and medieval apocalyptic. Furthermore, I argue that their respective projects can mutually inform one another, and together be regarded as a corrective to certain aspects of contemporary Augustinian theory. Focusing on the question of the victim, I contend that Agamben's and Metz’s approach to “universality” can serve to illuminate and to challenge some of the more “particularistic” and exclusionary elements of the Augustinian form.

Etica reprezentației teatrale și limitele libertății creatoare

Theatre represents an ingenuous form of dialogue of the self with another, a space of contradiction between freedom and alienating forms of power. By opening paths of ethics, the performing arts impose or are imposed on themselves limits that the stage performance itself continues to interrogate. Are there ways or means to sign an “agreement” between the stage creators and the audience, between the creation and the spectators, in such a way that, without infringing the right to freedom of the artists, the feelings, convictions, or beliefs of the receivers are not adversely affected? The answer comes from the very relationship that the theatre has with itself, from the way the creators understand how to manage sensitive subjects, approaching and not ignoring them, but passing them through the filter of a responsibility regarding the mission of art and the significant role which the encounter has. In contemporary theatre, there are taboo or controversial topics (for example, the representation of violence and trauma) that attract more attention than ever and continue to be perceived as sensitive depending on the cultural, social or political context in which they are presented. Thus, the limit becomes a central notion that we cannot avoid in the discussions related to the role that the theatre plays in relation to the spectators and their sufferings or sensitivities.

Directing the Contemporary Theatre: The Case of Oki’s Night of Ijalo

In contemporary times, the sophistication of media gadgets coupled with the development of the media-savvy audience has necessitated the theatre to devise alternative ways to sustain audience attention and interest. This has required theatre directors to revisit their approach to interpreting contemporary performance by engaging several elements of aesthetic communication to enhance the overall outlook of the performance and boost show business. Contemporary theatre directors, as the example of Olumide Oki (2023) illustrates, have identified this need by establishing a deliberate use of media elements and thus birthing techniques essential for the creation and interpretation of the contemporary performance. This paper engages Hans-Thies Lehmann’s post-dramatic theatre as a theoretical framework. It is a descriptive study that secures its data through participant observation of the 2023 production of Night of Ijalo by the Zion Royal Theatre. Based on the perception that the media has become an intrinsic part of the daily routines of the contemporary audience, Oki prioritizes the need to create a media-intensive theatre experience for the media-savvy audience. Hence, he adopts a mixed-media technique to boost his directorial interpretation and provide a seamless connection with the audience's demand through the deliberate use of aesthetic communication, intermediality, sound prerecording, mediation and mediatisation, and spectacle. With the mixed-media technique which includes the use of several media elements, Oki presents the media as a quintessential part of the contemporary performance and recommends it to theatre directors as a valuable technique for enhancing directorial interpretation and creating a media-oriented theatre experience.

The Original Technicality of the Human Being

In this article I present the thesis of the original technicality of man proposed by the French philosopher Bernard Stiegler, who passed away in 2020. Stiegler's thought is undergoing continuous re-elaboration due to the singularity of the proposed theses deriving from studies of contemporary anthropology and philosophy. The research method used is subjective-argumentative and interpretive. Reading Stiegler's texts lends itself well to a functional interpretation of the thesis according to which digital technologies are natural prostheses for 21st century students. With the subjective-argumentative methodological approach I can reach a specific goal: demonstrating how the use of digital devices is to be considered an educational asset starting from Stiegler’s philosophy. He makes us understand how the original technicality is decisive for cognitive development. Moreover, the subjective-argumentative approach, as little objective as it may be, offers the flexibility to support a contemporary educational theory such as George Siemens’ Connectivism.

The Dialectic Education of Philosopher King in the Republic

In Plato's Republic, dialectic is a crucial component of the education of the philosopher king. This essay discusses and analyses the nature of dialectical education and its importance in the development of the philosopher king. The essay is divided into three parts, focusing on defining dialectical education, explaining why it is the final stage of a philosopher's training, and discussing its necessity in preparing the philosopher king to be an effective ruler. Through dialectic, the philosopher king learns to think critically, question assumptions, and arrive at true knowledge. This essay argues that dialectical education is essential to the development of the philosopher king's wisdom and insight, which are necessary qualities for just and effective rulership. This research sheds light on the importance of dialectical education in the development of wise and just rulers and highlights the enduring relevance of Plato's ideas for contemporary society and political theory.

Gender Through Media: Images of Contemporary Masculinity in Two Pakistani Movies

Gender and its media representations inform us about a specific culture. This research paper is an in-depth qualitative study of the representations of contemporary masculinity and queerness in the Pakistani media and popular culture. The paper analyzes two Pakistani movies: Sarmad Khoosat’s Zindagi Tamasha (Circus of Life) (2019) and Saim Sadiq’s Joyland (2022). The aim of the study is to explore the concept of masculinity in the Pakistani society and its media representations in popular culture and cinema. Masculinity is interlinked with physical appearance, social norms and religious values in the Pakistani society, whereas queer behaviour is generally condemned because of cultural stereotypes and religious injunctions. The study analyzes the impact of social customs and stereotypes on the perception of masculinity in the male characters with special focus on the queer inclinations manifested in their behaviour. The analysis of the two movies is conducted through contemporary masculinity theories to identify current manifestations of masculinity in the Pakistani society through the media representations. The findings of the research indicate that contemporary masculinities in the Pakistani society and media depict a wide range of variation from hegemonic masculinity to hybrid masculinity, inclusive masculinity and queer masculinity.

Without the third dimension: technopresence, pedagogies of the virtual, and rethinking performance praxis

ABSTRACT In the spring of 2020, students in my Contemporary Performance Theory graduate seminar were halfway through developing their final projects, when the university shut down. In this essay, I explore the challenges the artist-scholars in my seminar experienced as they navigated the shift of our process to the digital and also discuss the productive aspects that emerged throughout the process for some of the projects. I argue that in adapting to the digital environment the projects did not become less and they did not become more; they became something else entirely, inviting practitioners and theorists to rethink praxis.

Judith Shklar on the problem of political motivation

ABSTRACT The political thought of Judith Shklar is often invoked by contemporary theorists of realism in support of their arguments. This article contends, however, that realist discussion of Shklar has overlooked a concern central to her thought – the worry that individuals are often unwilling to reevaluate their views on the questions of political life. Shklar’s theoretical concern with this ‘problem of political motivation’ will be demonstrated by examining the evolution of her views on the relationship between utopia and hope, showing how this evolution maps on to her view of the affective conditions necessary to motivation. The article proceeds to show that Shklar seeks to address this problem directly, aiming to shape the psychology of her readers through her prose, and that in this she takes inspiration from her reading of Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Evaluation of Shklar’s reflections on the purposes of political theory reveals her concern with the problem of political motivation to be a vital aspect of her conception of the discipline. This problem, I suggest, is one which should be taken into consideration by contemporary theorists of realism if they are to produce theories which fully adhere to the realistic moral psychology they endorse.

IMPROVing Spontaneity: Gestalt Therapy Perspective on Improvisational Theater as a Therapeutical Intervention

ABSTRACT This article outlines the theoretical background for improv-therapeutical processes and interventions found in the contemporary theory of the Gestalt therapeutic approach. Although there is a growing number of studies reporting on the potential of improvisational theater in psychological well-being and psychotherapy, few of them explore theoretical parallels with existing psychotherapeutic approaches. This article proposes that the roots and paradigms of improv theater and Gestalt therapy are epistemologically close and explore how concepts specific for relational Gestalt therapy—understanding of self as a process in the phenomenological intersubjective field, an aesthetic approach to mental health, and the notion of creative adjustment—could contribute to the understanding and empowering of the therapeutic processes found in improv theater. The theory proposes that nurturing creative and spontaneous processes in improv possibly contributes to the healthy functioning of the self and, therefore, enhances healthy contact with the environment.

Breaking the Mold: Normative Hybridity as the Key to Contemporary “Non-Western” Political Theorizing

What normative compass can appropriately ground a theory for contemporary “non-Western” societies? This question has become urgent amid the pressure to decolonize political science and academia. The hybridity of numerous contemporary non-Western societies means that political theorists cannot refuse to engage with either Western-originated or premodern Indigenous concepts and ways of thinking that bear on the local public culture. However, these normative strands alone are unsuitable for grounding a contemporary theory. This methodological dilemma can be overcome if theorists adopt normative hybridity as a methodological stance. Normative hybridity suggests that hybridity is not only a feature of the theorist’s context of reference but should also be their modus operandi. Normative hybridity already underpins relevant works in contemporary Confucian political theory. Drawing from these works, I illustrate three methods to apply normative hybridity to theory building. This novel methodological approach uniquely addresses current political theory discussions and influences non-Western policymaking.

Well-Being, Harmony, and Deference: Toward a Confucian Case for Empowered Mini-Publics

Nearly all debates within contemporary Confucian political theory regarding the full or partial adoption of democracy have understood democracy as electoral representative democracy. Almost no attention has then been paid to how Confucian democracy or Confucian meritocracy would relate to randomly selected deliberative bodies increasingly considered by democratic theorists amid an ongoing reconceptualization of democracy. In this article, I explore such a relationship by presenting a Confucian case for empowered mini-publics. My central claim is that the adoption of this institution can be interpreted in Confucian terms and embraced by Confucian democrats as well as Confucian meritocrats, on the basis of several key Confucian values which they have already employed in defending their respective political proposals. By making this claim, I also demonstrate that one of central institutional innovations originally proposed to alleviate ills facing Western liberal democracies has a broader application and appeal than it has been assumed.