The University of Calgary - Reconsidering Cultural Values Through Drama Education

Sep 2, 2026

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This ethnographic study of Canadian adolescents from diverse cultural backgrounds engages them as co-researchers to examine how drama education affects awareness of, respect for, and accommodation to their own multiple heritages. It explores whether drama education supports understanding of cultures different from their own while enabling adaptation to the dominant Anglo-French Canadian culture. Structured interviews, classroom participant observation, and post-course interviews generate findings showing increased cultural awareness and novel conceptions consistent with relevant literature.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages563

Reading Time23 h 39 min

AccessFree to download

Need for Study

The Nigerian Situation-Socio-Political experience

Personal Experience from Drama and Education in Nigeria

My Canadian Experience

A look at Operation

Statement of the problem

Discussion of Culture and related terms

Culture

Ethnicity

Attitudes

Definition of terms used in the Study

Individual Consciousness

Group Awareness

Understanding of culture based values

Individual cultural Identity

Cultural Values

Cultural identity

Review of Literature

A Review of Drama Education Literature

Theoretical Claims in Drama Education

Claims backed by Studies

Correlation Between Drama Education and Cultural Identity

Design of Study

Introduction

Data collection and analysis

THE UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY Recoaciling Cuktural Vales Throegh Dram Educatiom By Emmanuel Chinyeak Okoli ATHESIS SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIESIN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THEDEGREE OF MASTERS OF ARTS DEPARTMENT OF CURRICULUM ANDNSTRUCTION CALGARY,ALBERTA DECEMBER,1996 OEmmaaael Chinyeaks Okoi 1996 The author has granted a non-exclusive licence allowing theNational Library of Canada toreproduce,loan,distribute or sellcopies of his/her thesis by any meansand in any form or format,makingthis thesis available to interestedpersons. The author retains ownership of thecopyright in his/her thesis.Neitherthe thesis nor substantial extractsfrom it may be printed or otherwisereproduced with the author'spermission. National Library of Canada Acquisitions andBibliographic Services 395 Welington Street Ottawa ON K¹A ON4 Canada Bibliotheque nationaledu Canada Acquisitions etservices bibliographiques 395,rue Welington Ottawa ON KIA ON4 Canada 0-612-20798-6 Your的Votre nilinne Our Me Notre niranc L'auteur a accordé une licence nonexclusive permettant a la Bibliotheque nationale du Canada dereproduire,preter,distribuer ouvendre des copies de sa these dequelque maniere et sous quelqueforme que ce soit pour mettre desexemplaires de cette thèse à ladisposition des personnes intéressees. L'auteur conserve la propriété dudroit d'auteur qui protège sa these.Nila thèse ni des extraits substantiels decelle-cine doivent etre imprimés ouautrement reproduits sans sonautorisation. Abstract This ethnographic study of Canadian adolescents from different cultural backgroundsemploys them as co-researchers with me.It investigates the extent to which dramaeducation can increase their awareness of,and respect for,their individual and multiplecultural heritages.It also investigates whether or not drama education can assist them inunderstanding and accommodating to cultures different from their own,while at the sametime,adapting themselves to the dominant Anglo-French Canadian culture.The studyestablished its baseline by structured interviews with each member of the group,collectedinformal accounts during their drama experiences,and relied on participant observationnotes in the classroom.Post interviews with each of those who completed the coursewere then undertaken to discover their accounts of the experience and of their adjustedviews of cultural understanding.The study found that although the drama began byexploring personal issues,it resulted in cultural investigations and in scripts whichdemonstrate an increased awareness of their own cultures and of those of each other.Thescripts produced and post drama accounts also demonstrate that in thinking aboutCanadian culture they had constructed idiosyncratic and novel conceptions of it whichaccord well with those in the literature. Acknowledgements I acknowledge the academic guidance and financial support of my supervisor,Dr.Roberta Bramwell.I also thank my supervisory committee for their assistance. I thank all co-researcher/participants who co-operated with me in investigating this aspectof drama education. My acknowledgement also goes to Prof.Gerry Thurston,Clem Martini,DavidDiamond,Prof.Kathleen Foreman,Dr.John McNeill,Dr.Bryant Griffith,Susan Farmer,Prof.Brian Smith,Werner Karsten,Barb Howe,Cathy Pelletier,The Vancouver YouthTheatre,Headlines Theatre,Donna Coker,University Research Grants Committee,andmany others whose names are not mentioned. I express my gratitude to Dr.and Mrs.E.O.Egbogah and my Family for theirstrong financial support and moral encouragement. Dedication This work is dedicated to the Memory of my late Parents,Chikadibie Okoli and PriscillaOkoli,who brought me into the world and taught me to love my fellow humans andalways to strive to accommodate to their differences and,at times,to their weaknesses. Table of Contents Title page…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

FAQs

What is the central focus of the study?

The study investigates the extent to which drama education increases adolescents’ awareness of and respect for their individual and multiple cultural heritages, and whether it helps them understand and accommodate other cultures.

How were baseline data collected for the study?

Baseline understanding was established through structured interviews, informal accounts gathered during drama experiences, and participant observation notes in the classroom.

What were the study’s main findings?

While drama initially explored personal issues, it led to cultural investigations and scripts showing increased awareness of their own cultures and one another’s. Post-drama accounts also indicated idiosyncratic and novel conceptions of Canadian culture that align with the literature.

Sep 2, 2026

Upload by Violet