Volume 10, Issue 1

Abstract

Collaborative playbuilding is an emerging arts-based research design that uses playwriting and playbuilding as tools of inquiry for artists and researchers to investigate sociological questions, dealing with such matters as racial and class conflict, youth offenders, school safety, stereotypes of urban teenage girls, women and obesity, and social justice. Researchers use the design to generate and disseminate data; however, the literature reveals a lack of studies that show how the playbuilding process – the actual structuring and crafting of the performance script – can be used as a primary means of data analysis. In this article, I discuss my study, in which I used collaborative playbuilding to investigate why some African Americans leave the Black Church and choose not to return. I argue that although I conducted my research using traditional qualitative methods (i.e. interviews, questionnaires, observations and a focus group), I relied on the playbuilding process to serve as an act of crystallization, which provided me with creative distance to analyse the narrative data in interesting ways, yielding findings not previously seen in the literature and thus supporting the efficacy of the arts-based design.

Loading

Article metrics loading...

/content/journals/10.1386/atr_00061_1
2022-07-01
2024-03-29
Loading full text...

Full text loading...

References

  1. Baier, A.. ( 1986;), ‘ Trust and antitrust. ’, Ethics, 96:2, pp. 23160.
    [Google Scholar]
  2. Campana, J. D.. ( 2005;), ‘ A participatory methodology for ethnographic arts-based research: Collaborative playwriting and performance as data collection, analysis, and presentation. ’, Ph.D. thesis, Missoula, MT:: University of Montana.
    [Google Scholar]
  3. Campbell, G., and Conrad, D.. ( 2006;), ‘ Arresting change: Popular theatre with young offenders. ’, in L. A. McCammon, and D. McLauchlan. (eds), Universal Mosaic of Drama and Theatre: The IDEA 2004 Dialogues, Brisbane:: IDEA;, pp. 37591.
    [Google Scholar]
  4. Canada, F.. ( 2004;), ‘ Education that liberates and transforms: A Christian education theory for the Black Church in the post-civil rights generation and beyond. ’, Ph.D. thesis, Richmond, VA:: Union Theological Seminary and Presbyterian School of Christian Education.
    [Google Scholar]
  5. Carter, M.,, Belliveau, G.,, Irwin, R. L., and Beare, D.. ( 2011;), ‘ A/r/tography as pedagogy: A promise without guarantee. ’, Canadian Review of Art Education, 38:7, pp. 1732.
    [Google Scholar]
  6. Conrad, D.. ( 2004;), ‘ Exploring risky youth experiences: Popular theatre as a participatory, performative research method. ’, International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 3:1, pp. 1225.
    [Google Scholar]
  7. Crawford, J. L.,, Hurst, C., and Lugering, M.. ( 2010), Acting in Person and in Style, 5th ed., Long Grove, IL:: Waveland Press;.
    [Google Scholar]
  8. Debold, E.. ( 1990), ‘The flesh becomes word’, presentation to the Association for Women in Psychology, Western Massachusetts and Vermont Region, Brattleboro, VT:.
  9. Edell, D.. ( 2010;), ‘ “Say it how it is”: Urban teenage girls challenge and perpetuate cultural narratives through writing and performing. ’, Ph.D. thesis, New York:: New York University.
    [Google Scholar]
  10. Fisher, T.. ( 2012;), ‘ Everybody has a story: Exploring the experience of obesity for women through theatre for change. ’, Ph.D. thesis, New York:: New York University.
    [Google Scholar]
  11. Fullilove, M. T., and Fullilove, R. E.. ( 1999;), ‘ Stigma as an obstacle to AIDS action: The case of the African American community. ’, American Behavioral Scientist, 42, pp. 111727.
    [Google Scholar]
  12. Geertz, C.. ( 1973), The Interpretations of Culture: Selected Essays, New York:: Basic Books;.
    [Google Scholar]
  13. Giannone, E.. ( 2014;), ‘ But now you see me: Devising theatre with youth artist-researchers in search of revelations and docutheatricality. ’, Ph.D. thesis, Tempe, AZ:: Arizona State University.
    [Google Scholar]
  14. Gillespie, R.. ( 2009;), ‘ Is the leadership in the Black Church complicit in the perpetuation of dominance and oppression?. ’, PhD thesis, Greensboro, NC:: University of North Carolina at Greensboro.
    [Google Scholar]
  15. Gilligan, C.,, Spencer, R.,, Weinberg, M. K.,, Bertsch, T.,, Camic, P.,, Rhodes, J., and Yardley, L.. ( 2003;), ‘ On the listening guide: A voice centered relational method. ’, in P. Camic,, J. Rhodes, and L. Yardley. (eds), Qualitative Research in Psychology: Expanding Perspectives in Methodology and Design, Washington, DC:: American Psychology Association;, pp. 15772.
    [Google Scholar]
  16. Glaser, B., and Strauss, A.. ( 1967), The Discovery of Grounded Theory: Strategies for Qualitative Research, Chicago:: Aldine;.
    [Google Scholar]
  17. Goldstein, T., and Wickett, J.. ( 2009;), ‘ Zero tolerance: A stage adaptation of an investigative report on school safety. ’, Qualitative Inquiry, 15:10, pp. 155268.
    [Google Scholar]
  18. Guba, E.G.. ( 1981;), ‘ Criteria for assessing the trustworthiness of naturalistic inquiries. ’, Educational Communication and Technology, 29:2, pp. 7591.
    [Google Scholar]
  19. Kaufman, M.. ( 2001), The Laramie Project, New York:: Vintage Books;.
    [Google Scholar]
  20. Kuzel, A., and Like, R.. ( 1991;), ‘ Standards of trustworthiness for qualitative studies in primary care. ’, in P. Norton,, M. Stewart,, F. Tudiver,, M. Bass, and E. Dunn. (eds), Primary Care Research: Traditional and Innovative Approaches, Thousand Oaks, CA:: Sage;, pp. 13857.
    [Google Scholar]
  21. Lincoln, C., and Mamiya, L.. ( 1990), The Black Church in the African American Experience, Durham, NC:: Duke University Press;.
    [Google Scholar]
  22. Lincoln, Y. S., and Guba, E. G.. ( 1985), Naturalistic Inquiry, Thousand Oaks, CA:: Sage;.
    [Google Scholar]
  23. Marin, C.. ( 2005;), ‘ Breaking down barriers, building dreams: Using theatre for social change to explore the concept of identity with Latina adolescents. ’, Ph.D. thesis, Tempe, AZ:: Arizona State University.
    [Google Scholar]
  24. Marshall, C., and Rossman, G. B.. ( 1989), Designing Qualitative Research, Thousand Oaks, CA:: Sage;.
    [Google Scholar]
  25. Mattis, J.,, Eubanks, K.,, Zapata, A.,, Grayman, N.,, Belkin, M.,, Mitchell, N., and Cooper, S.. ( 2004;), ‘ Factors influencing religious non-attendance among African American men: A multi method analysis. ’, Review of Religious Research, 45:4, pp. 386403.
    [Google Scholar]
  26. McGinley, D.. ( 2004), Acts of Faith, Acts of Love, New York:: Continuum;.
    [Google Scholar]
  27. Miller, R. L.. ( 2007;), ‘ Legacy denied: African American gay men, AIDS, and the Black Church. ’, Social Work, 52:1, pp. 5161.
    [Google Scholar]
  28. Norris, J.. ( 2009), Playbuilding as Qualitative Research: A Participatory Arts-Based Approach, Walnut Creek, CA:: Left Coast Press, Inc;.
    [Google Scholar]
  29. Odendahl-James, J.. ( 2017;), ‘ A history of U.S. documentary theatre in three stages. ’, American Theatre, 22 August, https://www.americantheatre.org/2017/08/22/a-history-of-u-s-documentary-theatre-in-three-stages. Accessed 7 March 2022.
    [Google Scholar]
  30. Patton, M. Q.. ( 1990), Qualitative Evaluation and Research Methods, , 2nd ed.., Thousand Oaks, CA:: Sage;.
    [Google Scholar]
  31. Richardson, L.. ( 1994;), ‘ Writing: A method of inquiry. ’, in N. K. Denzin, and Y. S. Lincoln. (eds), Handbook of Qualitative Research, Thousand Oaks, CA:: Sage;, pp. 51629.
    [Google Scholar]
  32. Saldaña, J.. ( 2005), Ethnodrama: An Anthology of Reality Theatre, Lanham, MD:: AltaMira Press;.
    [Google Scholar]
  33. Sallis, R.. ( 2008;), ‘ From data to drama: The construction of an ethnographic performance. ’, NJ: Drama Australia Journal, 31:2, pp. 720.
    [Google Scholar]
  34. Shabtay, A.,, Carter, M. R., and Mreiwed, H.. ( 2019;), ‘ A dramatic collage: Becoming pedagogical through collaborative playbuilding. ’, Qualitative Research Journal, 19:4, pp. 40314.
    [Google Scholar]
  35. Shagoury, R.. ( 2011;), ‘ Crystallization: Teacher researchers making room for creative leaps in data analysis. ’, Learning Landscapes, 4:2, pp. 297306.
    [Google Scholar]
  36. Smith, A. D.. ( 1992), Fires in the Mirror, New York:: Anchor Books;.
    [Google Scholar]
  37. Sykes, H., and Goldstein, T.. ( 2004;), ‘ From performed to performing ethnography: Translating life history research into anti-homophobia curriculum for a teacher education program. ’, Teaching Education, 15:1, pp. 4161.
    [Google Scholar]
  38. Tanner, S. J.. ( 2014;), ‘ A youth participatory action research (YPAR), theatrical inquiry into whiteness. ’, Ph.D. thesis, Missoula, MT:: University of Montana.
    [Google Scholar]
  39. Taylor, P.. ( 1996;), ‘ Doing reflective practitioner research in arts education. ’, in P. Taylor. (ed.), Researching Drama and Arts Education: Paradigms and Possibilities, London:: Routledge Falmer;, pp. 2558.
    [Google Scholar]
  40. Turner, S.. ( 2013;), ‘ Reframing notions of identity, learning and culture through the use of performing and visual arts within a detention center. ’, Ph.D. thesis, Buffalo, NY:: University at Buffalo, SUNY.
    [Google Scholar]
  41. Way, N.. ( 2005;), ‘ Striving for engagement: Reflections from a qualitative researcher. ’, Journal of Adolescent Research, 20:5, pp. 53137.
    [Google Scholar]
  42. Webb, J.. ( 2015;), ‘ Last Sunday: Using collaborative playbuilding to understand why some African Americans leave the Black Church. ’, Continuum, 2:1, pp. 125.
    [Google Scholar]
  43. Webb, J.. ( 2016;), ‘ Last Sunday: Using collaborative playbuilding to understand why some African Americans leave the Black Church and choose not to return. ’, Ph.D. thesis, New York:: New York University.
    [Google Scholar]
  44. Webb, James. ( 2022;), ‘ Collaborative playbuilding and the act of crystallization. ’, Applied Theatre Research, 10:1, pp. 3953, https://doi.org/10.1386/atr_00061_1
    [Google Scholar]
http://instance.metastore.ingenta.com/content/journals/10.1386/atr_00061_1
Loading
Keyword(s): arts-based design; arts-based research; Black Church; collaborative playbuilding; crystallization; drama-based research

Most Cited Most Cited RSS feed