ABSTRACT:

Moreno viewed sociodrama as the ultimate tool for social research, an idea dramatists resonate with due to its broad applicability across diverse social groups. Despite historical hesitations, academia is increasingly embracing dramatic tools as a qualitative research method. The Drama as Academic Research (DAR) Research Group, an international group of researchers from various scientific fields and drama practitioners themselves, invites academic researchers and dramatists to explore criteria and methods for generating knowledge through drama. The workshop aims to chart a path for leveraging drama’s potential in producing academically valuable insights.

At the workshop, after a short introduction of findings and experiences of the Research Group so far, we place our topic on a sociodramatic stage, representing key „actors” – such as reality (whatever that means); dramatic methods; other, traditionally established data collection methods; people form the Academia not familiar with dramatic methods; the “subject” of the research; and anyone and anything the participants bring in – and see how the scene unfolds itself in the process of co-creation. We hope to gain insights into epistemological questions surrounding knowledge derived from drama, addressing issues and dilemmas tied to the dramatic modality, ethical considerations, and the researcher’s role.

Learning objectives: Participants develop an understanding of needs and requirements of academic research related to dramatic methods, and an insight into challenges and opportunities of dramatic methods as a research tool in terms of data validity, research ethics, transferability, and so on

ABOUT THE PRESENTERS: