Eva Österlind

Acting out of habits – can Theatre of the Oppressed promote change? Boal's theatre methods in relation to Bourdieu's concept of habitus

Habits make everyday life manageable, but can also become obstacles and cause problems. The tendency to repeat old patterns of behaviour 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 Boals theatre methods is undertaken to answer these questions. Bourdieus 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 Boals theatre methods in the light of Bourdieus 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 practised 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.

Drama and Theatre in a Nordic Curriculum Perspective--A Challenged Arts Subject Used as a Learning Medium in Compulsory Education.

ABSTRACT The aim of this article is to present a Nordic curriculum perspective on drama and theatre in education ranging from preschool to upper secondary education and cultural schools. Underlined in the Nordic welfare model is an equity, inclusive and democracy perspective, which guarantees free access to compulsory education and to upper secondary education. How is drama/theatre presented and positioned in the national curriculum frameworks of the Nordic countries? This comparative analysis concerns drama and/or theatre in the curricula in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden.

Drama into the curriculum : Sisyphus’ work

Abstract The conditions for drama in compulsory education vary from country to country. The situation in Queensland, Australia, is interesting as Drama was introduced as an arts subject in the compulsory school curriculum (P-10) in 2002. This paper uses a case study approach, to describe and analyses the context and conditions for this specific curriculum development project. Findings suggest that curriculum development is unlikely to be a predictable and linear process, and to some extent, curriculum documents are reflecting changes that have already occurred. The author proposes a list of considerations which may be of benefit to drama educators in a range of curriculum contexts.

A lost opportunity : A review of Art for Art’s Sake? The Impact of Arts Education

In 2013, the report Art for Art’s Sake? The Impact of Arts Education, by Ellen Winner, Thalia Goldstein and Stephan Vincent-Lancrin, was published by the OECD Centre for Educational Research and Innovation (referred to below as ‘the study’ or ‘the report’ and ‘the authors’). The aim of OECD (the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) is to improve policies for economic development and social well-being of people around the world. In the foreword to the report (2013), skills are seen as the ‘global currency’ of the twenty-first century, and ‘education has to foster the skills that fuel innovation in the economy and society’ (for example, creativity, imagination, communication and teamwork). Arts education is ‘particularly likely’ to foster such skills, and therefore it becomes crucial to understand how arts education can contribute to fostering these. The background and purpose of the report are described as follows:

Conjuring A ‘Spirit’ for Sustainability: a review of the socio-materialist effects of provocative pedagogies

Evidence suggests that wider sociological structures, which embody particular values and ways of relating, can make a sustainable living and working problematic. This chapter introduces ideology critique, an innovative methodological perspective crossing the fields of theology, cultural studies and politics to examine and disturb the subtle and hidden ‘spirit’ which is evoked when we engage with everyday objects and interactions. Such a ‘spirit’, or ideology, embodies particular models of how humans relate to other humans, animals and the planet more broadly. This chapter aims, first, to document and demonstrate the subtleties of how the hidden ‘spirit’ can render attempts at sustainable working futile in the context of education, and then, second, to demonstrate how it can be used to intentionally evoke alternative ‘spirits’ which afford new relationality amongst humans, animals and the planet. In a broader sense, therefore, this chapter explores how concepts and political commitments from the humanities, such as ideology critique and ‘spirit’, can help (1) analyse how wider social structures shape our values and beliefs in relation to sustainable learning, living and working, (2) explain how these behaviours are held in place over time and (3) provoke insight into how we might seek to disrupt and change such persistent social structures.

Development dramas: reimagining rural political action in Eastern India

”Development Dramas: Reimagining Rural Political Action in Eastern India.” : A book review.