Download Exploring Personal and Collective Stories Through Enactment

COLLEGE OF HUMANITIES & SOCIAL SCIENCE
COURSE APPROVAL FORM
COURSE NAME
Exploring Personal and Collective Stories Through Enactment
Rationale
Stories are central to our lives as humans. Telling stories, listening to them, and enacting them are
ancient and powerful ways of making personal and collective meaning, ritually moving through
rites of passage, learning, healing, problem-solving, imagining or envisioning possibilities, and
affirming our connection with other humans and all life. Based on this understanding, this course
offers participants opportunities to use action methods to explore personal and collective stories,
including selected Celtic myths and Scottish tales, and in the process, also experience a sense of
community, learn and develop new interpersonal and dramatic skills, gain new insights, and reflect
upon and analyse the effectiveness of the various action methods presented.
Rooted in the philosophy of Jacob L. Moreno, a psychiatrist and father of sociometry,
psychodrama, sociodrama, and sociatry, these action methods differ from our regular experience
of theatre in that their emphasis is on enacting stories from the lives of the actors, who can
become protagonists in their own dramas. These dramas flow out of what Moreno called the
Canon of Creativity, which involves a dynamic interaction between spontaneity and creativity in
the exploration of meaning and transformation through enactment of personal and collective
stories.
Sociometry is a method that helps people identify their connections, repulsions, and/or neutral
responses to others. Moreno used the word sociatry to refer to the healing of society.
Mythodrama refers to the action exploration of myths and tales, while Bibliodrama, initiated by
Peter Pitzele, is the action exploration of sacred texts. Sociodrama was Moreno’s term for action
methods used to explore social issues. Though not exactly the same, it is akin to Augosto Boal’s
Theatre of the Oppressed, which explores in action oppressive social conditions. Playback Theatre,
originated by Jonathan Fox, invites stories from an audience, but the chosen ‘protagonist’ tells a
story to a ‘conductor’, and then a troop of actors ‘plays back’ the story to the protagonists as a gift.
Family Reconstruction grew out of the work of Virginia Satir and was taught by Bill and Ann Nerin
in their action exploration of one’s family tree. Somewhat similar, but slightly different, is Bert
Hellinger’s Family Constellation work, which also uses action and movement to explore family
relationships.
Business Case
approved
COURSE OUTLINE
School
Literatures, Languages and
Cultures
Course Type
Standard
Credit level
Normal Year
taken
45
3
Library Resources
approved
College
CHSS
Availability
All
Students
45
Credits
COLLEGE OF HUMANITIES & SOCIAL SCIENCE
COURSE APPROVAL FORM
Home Subject
Area
Theatre and Drama
Other Subject Area
Education,
Celtic
Studies,
Counsellin
g&
Psychothe
rapy,
Divinity
(Religious
Studies),
and Social
and
Political
Science
UG
Mode of
Course Level
Class and Assignment
Study
Summary Description
The purpose of this course is to introduce students to the theory, practice, and basic skills
development embedded in a variety of action methods used to explore personal and collective
stories surfaced and chosen by participants. Rooted in sociometric theory and practice, the
primary methods presented both didactically and experientially will be mythodrama, sociodrama,
and psychodrama, though there will be some exposure to Sociatry, Bibliodrama, Theatre of the
Oppressed, Playback Theatre, Family Reconstruction, and Family Constellations.
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
Pre-requisites
Co-requisites
Prohibited
combinations
Other
requirements
Information for Visiting Students
Course delivery Information
Delivery
Learn enabled
Quota
3 – 21
period
August
2015
Days & Times Monday – Friday from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. (3 hours @ day for 3 weeks)
of whole class
sessions
Detailed description
Course Description
In each session throughout the course, participants will engage in the exploration of various types
and levels of story, which will flow out of using ‘action sociometry’ to enable sharing of nonthreatening interests, preferences, and common experiences that facilitate trust-building and a
sense of community; action warm-ups to identify and surface the myths, tales, social issues, and
COLLEGE OF HUMANITIES & SOCIAL SCIENCE
COURSE APPROVAL FORM
personal stories that emerge within the group in relation to participants’ shared cultural myths,
collective social concerns, and relevant personal stories; further ‘action sociometry’ to assist group
members chose in situ (in the moment) which of the myths, tales, social issues, and personal
stories they want to explore in action; and dramatic methods to allow group members access to
roles needed to tell and explore the chosen story. After each drama (enactment), participants will
be invited to share what in the drama resonated with them and why. At a later point, this will be
followed by an analytical reflection and critique on the process and methods used.
Week One – Introduction to Action Methods and the Exploration of Celtic Myths and Scottish
Tales
Though building trust and a sense of community will be a theme throughout the course, the first
week will hold that as a particular focus – with participants reflecting on and analysing the
effectiveness of the methods used. Other topics will include the nature of sociometry and the
sociometric cycle; the dramatic cycle of warm-up, action, sharing, and processing enactments;
didactic and experiential training in role theory, role reversals, doubling, and mirroring; and use of
these methods in the action exploration of selected Celtic myths and Scottish tales chosen by the
group. There will be a short introductions to Sociatry and to Bibliodrama.
Week Two – Building on Skills from Week One in the Exploration of Social Issues through
Sociodrama and Theatre of the Oppressed
In addition to continued trust-and-community-building, along with further skills development
begun in week one, the focus of week two will be identifying and enacting explorations of social
issues surfaced by the group because of their relevance to participants. Participants will learn the
components of sociodrama and enact them in their social exploration of collective social issues;
perceived root causes of and potential solutions to those issues; and possible ways of re-framing,
problem-solving, and/or healing the identified issues. Included in the week will be an introduction
to Theatre of the Oppressed as another relevant action method for addressing social issues.
Week Three – Building on Skills from Weeks One and Two in the Action Exploration of Personal
Stories through Psychodrama
During this final week, participants will build on the skills they’ve been gaining by identifying their
own personal stories; deciding whether they are willing to explore their stories as a protagonist;
engage in the sociometric choice process of the group; and if chosen as protagonist, choose willing
group members to play the roles or characters needed to enact their story. Because this is a shortterm educational course, the types of stories invited for sharing will include themes and topics,
such as meaningful experiences, dream enactments, role training or preparation, and helpful
conversations with a significant mentor, teacher, or friend. There also will be brief introductions to
Playback Theatre, Family Reconstruction, and Family Constellations.
Breakdown of learning & teaching activities
Total Hours:
Lectures:
Seminar/Tutorials:
Fieldwork:
200
15
10
0
COLLEGE OF HUMANITIES & SOCIAL SCIENCE
COURSE APPROVAL FORM
Practical:
Summative Assessment hours:
Programme level Learning & Teaching hours:
Directed learning & independent learning hours:
20
0
155
Additional
information
Weighting of
Coursework 100%
summative
assessments
Exam information
Exam diet
Paper name
Hours:
minutes
Stationery
requirements
Resit
information
List of Learning Outcomes
LO 1
Demonstrate knowledge of and ability to articulate basic understanding
LO 2
LO 3
LO 4
LO 5
LO 6
of action methods, their use in storytelling, and terms such as role
reversal, doubling, and mirroring.
Participate effectively in enactment cycle of warm-up, action, sharing,
and processing a drama.
Respond thoughtfully and respectfully to one’s own and others’
responses to enactments that stimulate strong emotion.
Identify and evaluate the effectiveness of those processes and methods
used to build group trust and develop a sense of community.
Examine and analyse the similarities and differences of identified action
methods, along with their appropriate use and context.
Identify and evaluate the effectiveness of those action methods used to
explore myths and tales, social issues, and personal stories.
LO 7
LO 8
LO 9
LO 10
Detailed Assessment Information
Formative Feedback Event (Nature and Timing)
Elements Of Summative Assessment (With Weightings)
Relationship Between Assessment and Learning Outcomes
Relationship to Programme Assessment Spine/Plan
COLLEGE OF HUMANITIES & SOCIAL SCIENCE
COURSE APPROVAL FORM
Main Graduate Attributes
Research and Inquiry:
Be able to identify define and analyse problems and identify or create processes to
solve them.
Be able to exercise critical judgment in creating new understanding.
Be ready to ask key questions and exercise rational enquiry.
Be able to critically assess existing understanding and the limitations of their own
knowledge and recognise the need to regularly challenge all knowledge.
Recognise the importance of reflecting on their learning experiences and be aware of
their own learning style.
Personal and Intellectual Autonomy:
Be open to new ideas, methods and ways of thinking and feeling.
Be creative and imaginative thinkers and feelers.
Be able to identify processes and strategies for learning.
Be independent learners who take responsibility for their own learning, and are
committed to continuous reflection, self-evaluation and self-improvement.
Be able to use collaboration and dialogue to effectively test, modify, and strengthen
their own views.
Be able to respond effectively to unfamiliar problems in unfamiliar contexts.
Communication:
Make effective use of oral, written and visual means to critique, negotiate, create and
communicate understanding.
Use communication as a tool for collaborating and relating to others.
Further their leaning through effective use of the ful range of communication
approaches.
See and value open feedback to inform genuine self-awareness.
Use effective communication to articulate their skills as identified through selfreflection.
Personal Effectiveness:
Appreciate and use talents constructively.
Be able to create and harness opportunities.
COLLEGE OF HUMANITIES & SOCIAL SCIENCE
COURSE APPROVAL FORM
Be responsive to their changing surroundings, being both flexible and proactive.
Have the confidence to make decisions based on their understandings and their
personal and intellectual autonomy.
Be able to flexibly transfer their knowledge, learning, skills and abilities from one
context to another.
Understand social, cultural, global and environmental responsibilities and issues.
Be able to work effectively with others, capitalizing on their different thinking,
experience and skills.
Work with, manage, and lead others in ways that value their diversity and equality and
that encourage their contribution to the organization and the wider community.
Organisation
Course organizer
Course secretary
Dr. MaryCatherine
Burgess
Exam Board Convenor
Taught in Gaelic?
Additional Information
Marking Scheme
Additional costs
Keywords
Course proposal information
Course proposer
Dr. MaryCatherine Burgess
Url for supporting
documentation
School Specific Requirements
This section can be expanded and adjusted as required for schools to include material that is
specific to their own local requirements or for programmes that may have, e.g. a professional
requirement