Overcoming social oppression

Even if it appears that the top political leaders are the primary players in social and political conflicts, all members of society are affected, feeling the vulnerability and oppression that insidiously operates below the surface of daily life. The longer the periods of oppression, the more emotionally weakened individuals and families become. Social psychologists, social worker change experts, and others have utilized large and small group techniques that access earlier personal memories – family memories and interpersonal conflicts – to explore the nature of oppression. Whether in conference settings, educational environments, or specialized professional training programs, professionals (e.g., Jones, 1996; Schatz, Furman, & Jenkins, 2003) have offered creative group-oriented approaches, e.g. theatric and dialogue group processes, to examine the personal nature of oppression and the healing that can come from these group experiences. This paper explores creative theatre and dialogue in multinational learning settings.