Analyzing the Role of Theatre in Integrating Immigrants into the Host Society through Communicative Action

Asgarian, Saeid

Analyzing the Role of Theatre in Integrating Immigrants into the Host Society through Communicative Action

dc.contributor.advisor	Brubaker, Christine Joanne
dc.contributor.author	Asgarian, Saeid
dc.contributor.committeemember	Barton, Bruce
dc.contributor.committeemember	Behjat, Laleh
dc.date	2024-11
dc.date.accessioned	2024-08-01T14:52:37Z
dc.date.available	2024-08-01T14:52:37Z
dc.date.issued	2024-07-22
dc.description.abstract	Western societies are growing and changing rapidly with an increase in immigrants over the last two decades. Every year, many people with different cultures and backgrounds immigrate into modern societies, such as Canadian society. One of the responsibilities of these modern societies is to help immigrants integrate into their new society in a multiplicity of ways. In this research, I analyze how theatre as a social tool can help integrate immigrants into a Canadian context, specifically Calgary, Alberta. This research aims to show how theatre can positively affect the integration of immigrants into their new society leveraging both social and performance studies sciences. Anchored in the theories of social scientist Jürgen Habermas, I define the terms ‘society’ and ‘modern society’ and identify success criteria for integration in said ‘modern society.’ I then conduct an overview of various definitions of theatre and performance experiences utilizing the theories of seminal stage directors Bertolt Brecht, Peter Brook, Jerzy Grotowski, and Augusto Boal. In doing so, I attempt to create a framework and understanding of the characteristics of this art form which will support my analysis. I propose a relationship between the commonalities in these theatre styles and Jürgen Habermas' theory of communicative action. In addition, I apply this framework further by leveraging the theories of Nelson Goodman and Irving Goffman to illuminate how a theatre group can be a small sample of society in which to practice the theory of communicative action. Finally, using a Practice as Research (PaR) methodology, I share qualitative data obtained from two case study performances I created and directed in my graduate work, Green Key (2023), and Absence (2023), where I demonstrate how I used the theory of communicative action in rehearsals. This research asserts that theatre can significantly impact the audience's lifeworld, awareness, and perspective. In this way, it can benefit the integration of unintegrated groups such as immigrants.
dc.identifier.citation	Asgarian, S. (2024). Analyzing the role of theatre in integrating immigrants into the host society through communicative action (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca.
dc.identifier.uri	https://hdl.handle.net/1880/119326
dc.language.iso	en
dc.publisher.faculty	Graduate Studies
dc.publisher.institution	University of Calgary
dc.rights	University of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission.
dc.subject	Theatre
dc.subject	Integration
dc.subject	Immigrants
dc.subject	Communication
dc.subject	Society
dc.subject.classification	Theater
dc.title	Analyzing the Role of Theatre in Integrating Immigrants into the Host Society through Communicative Action
dc.type	master thesis
thesis.degree.discipline	Drama
thesis.degree.grantor	University of Calgary
thesis.degree.name	Master of Fine Arts (MFA)
ucalgary.thesis.accesssetbystudent	I do not require a thesis withhold – my thesis will have open access and can be viewed and downloaded publicly as soon as possible.