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Teaching Genuine Dialogue: The Potential for Using Improv
Author(s) -
O'Neal Kathleen,
Hastings Sally O.
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
peace and change
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1468-0130
pISSN - 0149-0508
DOI - 10.1111/pech.12374
Subject(s) - immediacy , dialogic , psychology , consistency (knowledge bases) , relevance (law) , thematic analysis , interpersonal communication , empathy , quality (philosophy) , pedagogy , social psychology , sociology , epistemology , political science , qualitative research , social science , computer science , philosophy , artificial intelligence , law
Scholars proclaim the potential for genuine dialogue to reduce conflict and promote more harmonious interpersonal interactions. Despite dialogue's usefulness, little guidance has been given regarding helping students to improve their likelihood of reaping the benefits of genuine dialogue. Focus groups were conducted with students of theatrical improvization (improv) courses to learn what kinds of dialogic skills they acquire from their improv experience. Thematic analysis was used to learn what improv students were learning that demonstrated consistency with characteristics of dialogue. Analysis revealed that their training in improv fostered: Imagination and Innovation, Vulnerability, and Immediacy of Presence. The analysis considers the dialogic quality least effectively articulated among participants—empathy—and explores the relevance of the findings for promoting dialogue through classroom inquiry.