ERIC Number: EJ1041890
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2014-Sep
Pages: 10
Abstractor: ERIC
Reference Count: 62
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0094-0771
Theater of the Oppressed in an After-School Program: Middle School Students' Perspectives on Bullying and Prevention
Bhukhanwala, Foram
Middle School Journal, v46 n1 p3-12 Sep 2014
This article examines students' participation in Boalian Theater activities to role-play, rehearse, and develop strategies to use when bullied or witnessing bullying. One intention of the theater was for students to respond and to engage in perspective-taking and empathy as one of the ways of responding to bullying experiences and making sense of the differences they experienced. As students begin to experience the "other" as human, like themselves, then empathy for the actor may motivate the audience members to intervene in the events displayed on the stage. Educators who value humane learning environments are more likely to model care and empathy for their students. By incorporating Boalian Theater as an ongoing component of the classroom experience, educators engage students in a theatrical conversation that promotes empathy and perspective-taking, helping them make sense of differences and address issues of bullying.
Descriptors: Middle School Students, Theater Arts, Role Playing, Bullying, Student Behavior, Teaching Methods, Perspective Taking, Empathy, Responses, Consciousness Raising, After School Programs, Prevention, Clubs, Observation, Interviews, Student Attitudes, Program Effectiveness
Association for Middle Level Education. 4151 Executive Parkway Suite 300, Westerville, OH 43081. Tel: 800-528-6672; Tel: 800-528-6672; Fax: 614-895-4750; e-mail: info@amle.org; Web site: http://www.amle.org/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Middle Schools; Secondary Education; Junior High Schools
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers: United States (Southeast)

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