Role Of Drama Research Articles

The Role of Drama on Cultural Sensitivity, Motivation and Literacy in a Second Language Context

Although drama has been used successfully in English as a second language and has been shown to have positive effects on achievement and on self-confidence and motivation in various studies, it has received little attention in French immersion context where subjects are taught in French, the second language of students. The objective of this study was to teach about Acadian culture to one French immersion class using drama (Drama group) and the other French immersion class using a more teacher-centered method (Library group). Both classes were at the intermediate level. Our central question examined the impact of drama activities in elementary early FI on language learning motivation, on cultural sensitivity, and on second language writing? The data included a motivation test, a written composition, teachers’ journals and classroom observations. Results showed a positive effect of drama on several variables. First, the Drama group evaluated the learning unit significantly higher than the Library group. Furthermore, the Drama group showed a significantly higher integrative motivation and also a significantly higher desire to learn French than the Library Group. Both groups had a high cultural sensitivity before the intervention and thus there was no difference between the two groups either at post-test time. The writing of the composition revealed that the Drama group received a significantly higher overall score, and a significantly better score on cultural content. Both groups achieved high on content, accuracy, and details.

Learning from participants’ responses in educational drama in the teaching of Education for Sustainable Development

The context for this paper is an on-going research project that sets out to examine the use of educational drama in the teaching of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) in the upper stages of primary school. The drama lessons link with some of the key aims in ESD, with a particular locus in the Scottish education system. As 2005–15 has been designated by UNESCO as ‘The Decade of Education for Sustainable Development’, it is particularly important to examine and emphasise the key role of drama in the learning process. The main focus of the paper is the examination of what pupils’ evaluations of the drama work reveal about how drama might be particularly appropriate for use in ESD-related work. The relationships between the participants in the drama, teacher and pupils, both in and out of role are explored. The conclusions suggest that active, participative learning and the unique way of working within the dramatic context might allow children to develop skills and attitudes necessary for active citizenship and might facilitate learning in ESD.

Characterization versus Narration: Drama's Role in Multimedia Instructional Software

As part of an ongoing research program, the authors investigated the use of single-voiced narration and multi-voiced characterizations/monologues in a formative evaluation study of an instructional lesson on information processing. That lesson employed a design based on the use of content-related metaphors and a metaphorical graphical user interface. The results suggest that single-voiced narration is at least as effective as multi-voiced characterizations/monologues, and may in some ways be superior. Analysis of the findings is linked to Laurel's dramatic model with proposed enhancements to the lesson's design to increase its conformance to that model.

Effectiveness of drama in promoting voluntary HIV counselling and testing in rural villages in southern Malawi

We previously reported an HIV prevalence of 24% among rural adolescent girls living in the Shire Valley southern Malawi. Voluntary HIV counselling and testing (VCT) could help prevent HIV among adolescents by encouraging informed decision-making and behavioural change. The Malawian National AIDS Control Programme has prioritized VCT as an HIV prevention strategy but it is unclear whether adolescents in rural areas are informed about VCT and how acceptable HIV testing would be to adolescents and parents. We undertook a study to assess the role of drama as a tool to promote knowledge of and positive attitudes towards VCT. The study was undertaken in 2003 in seven villages in Chikwawa District within a 12 km radius of Montfort Hospital. VCT services were available at Montfort although only 7% of clients in the previous year were adolescents. Two counsellors were interviewed about issues faced by adolescents going for VCT and these formed the basis for the drama script. The drama which was translated into Chichewa comprised songs giving information on HIV/VCT a 30-minute drama and an epilogue and was performed by two drama groups (hospital and youth). In each village on the day of the drama 25 adolescents (15–19 years) and 25 adults who had an adolescent child were asked to complete a questionnaire before and after the performance. In two villages the questionnaire was re-administered four weeks later to assess knowledge retention. The study was approved by Ethics Committees in Liverpool and Malawi. (excerpt)

Man-of-Action Heroes: How the American Ideology of Manhood Structures Men's Consumption

The compensatory consumption thesis states that men who experience anxieties in living up to American ideals of manhood in their everyday lives as workers and husbands use consumption as a means to escape these pressures. Masculine consumption, in this view, is a form of rebellion against society's expectations. This thesis of compensatory rebellious consumption has become conventional wisdom in the men's studies literature as a well as in popular culture. We question the basic premises of the thesis by asking: What masculine ideals do men strive for? And how do they use consumption to forge identifications with these ideals? First, we use textual analysis and a synthesis of historical studies to develop a discourse model of what we call American Manhood - the ideology of manhood in the United States. We demonstrate that rebellion is not an escape from ideology, but, rather, an essential component. Respectability and rebellion are dialectically entwined cultural models that together form the foundations of manhood in America. The pinnacle of American manhood is the man-of-action hero who deftly combines the strengths of respectability and rebellion. Then, using field interviews, we show that men creatively appropriate all three aspects of this manhood ideology in their consumption. Rather than daily respectability and weekend rebellions, men create themselves as men-of-action characters in ways that pervade their lives as consumers and workers. The contributions of our analysis are three-fold. We develop an alternative framework that directly challenges the compensatory consumption thesis. Second, we advance prior studies addressing consumers' idiographic tailoring of cultural meanings by demonstrating how these personalizing processes are socially structured. Third, we further understanding of the role of drama in consumption by showing how dramatic consumption is organized by ideology and self-orchestrated by consumers.

Historical Drama in Ancient Rome: Republican Flourishing and Imperial Decline?

Until lately the study of Roman tragedy has commonly been relegated to the sidelines in drama studies as well as in classics. In addition to an almost automatic slighting attitude towards the Romans for lack of originality, or for failing to conform to Greek patterns, our understanding has been hampered significantly by a capricious transmission: we only possess tragedies written by Seneca or his unknown followers. A number of recent developments, however, have allotted a more central place in literary history to Roman tragedy; among these are archaeological and dramaturgic studies in Roman stagecraft, a re-evaluation of the role of drama in the development of Roman historical imagination, and a new emphasis on the ritual contexts in which the mythical or historical past was re-enacted. The last decade or so has also seen the publication of new critical editions of the Senecan corpus in the OCT as well as Budé; this has coincided with the publication of a series of new commentaries on virtually all Seneca's tragedies, an effort which has been stimulated by a renewed historical interest in the age of Nero. By invitation of SO , Library Director and Professor Patrick Kragelund (Copenhagen and Bergen) carries this process further by focusing on the history of the Roman historical drama, the Praetexta . He reinterprets the fragmentary evidence and makes a case for genre continuity for three centuries (ca. 200 BCE-100 CE). The sole surviving praetexta , Octavia , thus grows in importance as a possible key to an entire genre. Kragelund's challenge is met by a panel of European and North American specialists. He replies to their comments and the debate ends with an up-todate bibliography. Further comments from other scholars are invited.

Moral Voices and Moral Choices: Canadian drama and moral pedagogy

What is the role of drama in moral education? This article aims to illustrate how watching and responding to plays is a useful pedagogical exercise by which to enhance moral consciousness, so that students can appreciate the value of context in moral reflection. I argue that plays contain compelling studies of moral subjects caught in complex dilemmas, through which the often ambiguous and paradoxical dimensions of moral conduct are exposed. I also suggest that class discussions that involve students in critical assessments of ethical issues addressed in a play are valuable for guiding students to develop a kind of moral reasoning that is based on identifying and evaluating the contextual variables underlying moral choices, before judging moral responses. This is the kind of moral deliberation that is useful for assessing moral agency in daily life. Furthermore, I demonstrate that contemporary Canadian drama offers useful fictional contexts to illuminate the intricate processes of moral response, and I cite concrete examples to illustrate the kinds of moral scenarios recent Canadian plays offer for critical deliberation.

Drama for Empowerment: the role of Drama in Education with special reference to work in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe

This article deals with the strengths and pitfalls of Drama in Education. I describe two projects that have focused on the empowerment of young people in a civil society and the promotion of intercultural understanding between the countries of Western and Central and Eastern Europe: “Seeding a Network” and “Branching Out”. It is argued that drama is the most inclusive and social of all art forms. Drama in education provides young people with a safe context in which they can tackle major issues, and allows teachers and students alike to radically re‐examine their social and personal relationships. The dangers associated with drama are also discussed.

Come Back to the Text, Shirley. A Response to ‘Bears don't need phonics: an examination of the role of drama in laying the foundations for critical thinking in reading’ (RIDE, 4.1)

L'auteur revient sur l'article de David Montgomerie paru dans Research in drama education, n°1, vol.4, 1999. Si la demonstration de l'auteur quant a l'utilite du theâtre pour le developpement de la comprehension en lecture lui parait incontestable, l'argumentation quant a l'acces au developpement de la pensee critique a l'aide des oeuvres dramatiques citees lui semble moins evident alors qu'il s'agissait la de l'objectif de l'article comme l'indiquait le titre.

Bears Don't Need Phonics: an examination of the role of drama in laying the foundations for critical thinking in the reading process

ABSTRACT This article is based on a 6‐week intervention drama programme in selected inner‐city schools, as part of an in‐service project. The teaching involved working with selected classes for 2‐3 half‐day sessions. The aim was to raise the awareness of drama as a medium for the teaching of reading. The classes were in the lower primary track with children ranging from 4 to 8 years old. The data are based on observations made during the drama sessions by the researchers and the class teachers who were in observer and participant‐observer roles. This article is driven by the hypothesis that process drama contributes to the development of critical literacy skills. The researchers offer two ‘thick descriptions’ of literacy events, involving children with English as an emerging additional language, to illustrate that process drama may contribute to our understanding of developing critical literacy through a pedagogic approach which validates extensive drama intervention in the reading process. The evidence is opportunistic and grounded in the researchers’ short‐term intervention as active participants in the drama programme. The researchers make the claim that these literacy events are not unique, and that they set the need for a longitudinal study of drama and the reading process in the early years of education. The researchers aimed to address the question ‘Does process drama contribute to the development of critical literacy?‘

Plato's Charmides and the Socratic ideal of rationality

SCHMID, W. Thomas. Plato's Charmides and Socratic Ideal of Rationality. Albany: State University of New York Press, 1998. xi + 225 pp. Cloth, $59.50; paper, $19.95--In this book Schmid holds that traditional and ideal of moderation is enough of an established fact that Charmides can be held up against it to make distinctions and similarities which will then provide for necessary reference for interpreting drama Plato uses in dialogue. The Preface and section I define cultural setting in which ancient Greek ideal of sophrosune was situated (p. 2). Here Schmid defines complex political and setting of ancient Greece out of which dialogue is to be interpreted and thereby sets stage for drama and speech of dialogue as a whole. Once this is done, to relate definitions to traditional (p. 20) of sophrosune in section 2 Schmid simply adumbrates his formulation of definitions of dialogue. He, accounting for his methodological approach (p. vii) of defining ideals, holds that examining what Charmides and then Critias say in regard to them, Socrates examines ideal as it was and came to be understood in ancient Greek, especially ancient Athenian history (p. 21). Thereby Schmid contends that the definitions are intended to represent multi-dimensional meaning of that moral ideal, and also to represent way in which it was superseded, in Athenian life, by a very different of thought (p. 21). This mode of thought, Schmid contends, was advocated by Socrates and involves of serf to reason (p. 43). In section 3 Schmid analyzes highpoint (p. 40) of or definition that serves to organize dialectical structure of dialogue as a whole (p. 40), that is, definition of sophrosune as the of what one knows and what one does not know (167a7). Schmid argues here that there are two different conceptions of the of knowledge at work at 165b3-167a8. One is that of Critias which constitutes a form of cognitive and moral vice (p. 42) other is that of Socrates which involves of self to reason (p. 43), characterized by Socratic ideal of rationality. Furthermore, Schmid holds that Socrates' conception of sophrosune pre-supposes self- and other-relations mediated by values of reason, not emotions of self-assertion or appetite (p. 56). Schmid reminds one here that these differences are brought out only indirectly and that one needs to consider role of drama and speech in dialogue, as formulated in Preface and section 1. In section 4 Schmid examines both positive and negative aspects of Socratic ideal of rationality by which Socrates' elenchus (his method of education he employed [p. 13]) sought to purge Athenians of their fever of wisdom, and bring them to a state of cognitive moderation of what they knew and what they did not know (p. 64). Schmid also examines here relation between dialectic and concept of soul (p. 62). With both these concerns Schmid argues that the subject matter of Socrates' questions reflects central value in his interlocutor's self-understanding, while that self-understanding itself determines, at least to some extent, meaning of conceptions examined in inquiry (p. 65). Moreover, regarding this, Schmid holds that one of chief contentions of his book is to show that the Charmides teaches that this preference, this choice, depends on interlocutor himself, and that volitional dimension of self-knowledge cannot be eliminated, but is inherent in process of elenchus inquiry (p. …

"To Free Them from Binding": Women in the Late Medieval English Parish

To Free Them from Binding: Women in the Late Medieval English Parish Historians generally study the late medieval English parish in order to understand the Reformation. Consequently, they view the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries only as a period on the verge of major change from the perspective of later religious reform. Another hazard of letting the specter of the Reformation shadow their studies is that class and gender concerns are often subsumed under the more goal of describing religious reform. In order to begin altering the static image of late medieval parishes and the undifferentiated composition of their members, scholars need to borrow concerns and methodologies from fields other than history.' Although literary scholars of medieval drama are influenced by the later presence of William Shakespeare, they have been successful in studying medieval drama on its own terms. In seeking to uncover the early traditions of English theater, they have discovered, in parochial records and other ecclesiastical documents, many heretofore unknown examples of local dramatic performances. Their growing list of local theatrical presentations, however, does not go far enough in asserting the dynamism of the late medieval parish; the role of drama in the parish is important in its own right, not just as a precursor to later developments. It entertained, educated, and raised money, and the sources that usually record these performances are financial ones, which permit

Persona and performance: the meaning of role in drama, therapy, and everyday life

Preface. A journeyer to the spiritual mount. 1. The Origins of Role. Hamlet's soliloquy and the paradox of drama Role ambivalence The origins of role in drama/theatre The origin of role in the social sciences The origin of role in art and literature From role metaphor to role concept. 2. The Development of Role. The human being as role recipient The human being as role-taker The human being as role-player The role system. 3. The Drama Therapy Role Method. The invocation of the role The naming of the role The playing out/working through of the role Exploring alternative qualities in sub-role Reflecting upon role-play: discovering role qualities, functions and styles inherent in the role Relating the fictional role to everyday life Integrating roles to create a functional role system Social modeling. 4. The Case of Michael. The treatment: Beginnings The three bears The Lawyer Black rage The boy who learned to burn Fathers and sons The judge and the raincoat The mask of the actor The critic The blind girl An integration. 5. The Case of Michael Part II. The kiss The wooden clogs and the rubber boots The marriage proposal The glass heart Bugs More glass Me vida abajo (My life down there) The confused searcher The beat of black wings My father's body Mickey and Jake: you dream at your own risk Victor/victim The ring Postscript. 6. The Case of Hansel and Gretel: An Example of a Drama Therapy Group. Implications of the role method for diagnosis Evaluation. 7. Role in Everyday Life. Role type and archetype Somatic roles Cognitive roles Affective roles Social/cultural roles Spiritual roles Aesthetic roles. 8. A Taxonomy of Roles: Building a Theatrical Archetype System. The form of the taxonomy: The taxonomy of roles. 9. The Taxonomy: Cognitive and Affective Domains. Domain: cognitive Domain: affective. 10. The Taxonomy: Social Domain Domain: social. 11. The Taxonomy: Spiritual and Aesthetic Domains. Domain: spiritual Domain: aesthetic The use and significance of the taxonomy. 12. Conclusion. References. Appendix.

History through drama with top juniors

Our writers so far have emphasised the concepts, skills and values which can be fostered through topic work. Vivienne Little discusses the role of drama in encouraging historical understanding. She gives some lucid and expertly-documented examples of how children can be helped “to realise that people read about history books were real and had experiences and feelings …” Interestingly, her ideas on the importance of children's “play” and the centrality of narrative (“the essence of history”) extends points raised by Liz Thomson in the Spring issue of 3–13 .

The Role of Drama in More's Literary Career

The Role of Drama in More's Literary Career

On Thinking about Aristotle's "Thought"

Previous articleNext article No AccessCritical ResponseOn Thinking about Aristotle's "Thought"James E. FordJames E. Ford Search for more articles by this author PDFPDF PLUS Add to favoritesDownload CitationTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints Share onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail SectionsMoreDetailsFiguresReferencesCited by Critical Inquiry Volume 4, Number 3Spring, 1978 Article DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1086/447955 Views: 4Total views on this site Copyright 1978 The University of ChicagoPDF download Crossref reports no articles citing this article.