A feminist paradigm for drama therapy in South Africa
Date
2020
Authors
Mlangeni, Patience
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Abstract
This research looks at the possibility of a feminist paradigm that can frame the practice of drama therapy in South Africa. The paper explores the challenges that black South African women are still battling with twenty-five years post-Apartheid. While investigating the notions of gender and the significance of the different waves of feminism, and how feminist pedagogy has come to help us understand gender as a social construct. Through five interviews with practising Drama Therapists in South Africa, the paper distils the themes that these practitioners face in their daily encounters. The research stresses the importance of feminism as a way of working towards deconstructing the taboos that inform gendered roles. It further explores the historical legacy of Apartheid in present-day South Africa. It also looks at the issues of body politics and how capitalism continues to exploit black bodies especially those of women for profit. Also, it explores silence and its uses
Description
A thesis submitted for the degree of Masters in Drama Therapy to the Faculty of Humanities, Wits School of Arts, University of the Witwatersrand, 2020