This paper examines community theatre as a vehicle for empowerment within social work practice, drawing on Boehm and Boehm's 2003 case study of a women's community theatre group in Israel. The paper begins by situating community theatre within its broader theatrical tradition, noting its roots in communal life stories rather than professional stage production. It then critiques the case study's methodology, findings, and limitations — including concerns about generalizability across cultures and gender groups, the unsuitability of theatre for all individuals, budgetary constraints, and the difficulty of measuring individual empowerment within a group setting.
Similar to institutional and professional theatre, community theatre uses a combination of mime, ritual dance, song, and drama as a means of communicating messages, knowledge, and ideology to an audience (Mulenga, 1993). Nonetheless, community theatre does not rely on traditional theatrical components or professional stage production. Rather, this kind of theatre takes inspiration from the community's own life stories (Erven, 2001; Mda, 1993; Miller, 1979). In this way, common communal issues are brought to the forefront, drawing those who participate — whether as actors or audience members — into the "socio-political arena" (Boehm & Boehm, 2003).
In Boehm and Boehm's 2003 article, "Community Theatre as a Means of Empowerment in Social Work: A Case Study of Women's Community Theatre," the authors posit the general acceptance of empowerment as a social work construct (Gutierrez, 1994; Jackson & Morris, 1999; Rappaport, 1987; Rose, 2000; Solomon, 1976). Although many definitions have been proposed for what empowerment entails, a widely accepted construct centers on the raising of consciousness and the development of critical thinking skills (Lee, 2001). Moreover, one of the central goals of empowerment is to assist oppressed groups who have suffered systematic disenfranchisement and loss of power — helping them develop a greater understanding of powerlessness and address its role in maintaining both personal and societal problems (Itzhaky & Gerber, 1999).
Boehm and Boehm maintain that community theatre supports the principles of empowerment on multiple levels, including the personal, group, and community dimensions (2003).
As evidence of the proposed theory, the researchers conducted a case study of six women guided by a director and a social worker through the process of establishing and participating in a community theatre group in Israel. According to the findings, participants were empowered through the evolution and development of the theatre project. Researchers noted significant increases in mastery, critical awareness, inner voice expression, collective empowerment, propensity to act, and self-esteem — all of which were identified as significant manifestations of empowerment as operationally defined in the study.
Through the use of qualitative methodology, the researchers found that the women's activities were empowered as a result of their participation in the project, with the potential for developing leadership skills that could transfer beyond the theatre environment. This approach is consistent with the broader tradition of Theatre of the Oppressed, developed by Augusto Boal, which frames theatrical participation as a tool for social and political consciousness-raising among marginalized communities.
"Methodological weaknesses and generalizability concerns"
"Cited sources in APA format"
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