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Welcome to the class blog! The John Jay - Vera Fellows Program is a collaborative effort between John Jay College and the spin-off agencies of the Vera Institute of Justice, combining an internship and participation in a seminar taught by faculty from John Jay's Interdisciplinary Studies Program. (To see a video about the John Jay - Vera Fellows Program, click here.) Part of the seminar experience is weekly participation in the class blog, which keeps the conversation going from week to week and will be a place for you to share your thoughts and concerns about the materials discussed in seminar as well as the internship experience. The opinions expressed on this blog do not necessarily reflect the views of the Vera Institute of Justice or its spin-off organizations. While the blog is open to the public and anyone, theoretically, can comment, only class members and invited guests will be able to post. You can also look for us on our student and alumni page on Facebook. Each student has been assigned one week to write the "post." Please post within 24 hours after class. Every week, each student must comment on the post (feel free to comment more than once). Please comment by Monday afternoon to allow time for further questions and responses and so that we can read all the entries before class.
Social repair through the arts
I would like to first begin by thanking everyone that made this class so successful! One of the things that drew my attention to this topic was how people tend to act on their impulses without empathizing the needs or views of others. It is interesting to observe how body language and our communication skills with people can either create tension or unity. My favorite portion of the class was how re-sculpting ones body helped alleviate a situation. This lead to my point how body language is so important with the client based population we serve. When I evaluate the placement for clients one of the things we observe is body language. Body language helps us determine whether they want to change their lives or if it because they have been mandated by parole or probation. As social justice workers we should also be aware of our body language because it displays our interest to assist them on their path to rehabilitation. Most of these individuals have been raised in homes where they were shown little to no affection. We need to be aware of our body language because we need to differentiate ourselves from the negative people in their lives. Most of these people have been unreceptive to receiving help because of the previous lifestyles they were accustomed to living. I also enjoyed stepping inside the character of others because it allows us to feel the frustration or stigma of others. Many times we tend to prejudge others without the interest of understanding their circumstances. Seeing how effective it was to step in the perspective of another person led me to this question: Might there be some type of social repair through the arts? .
In my opinion, the artistic approach seeks to eliminate the perception that society has about former prisoners and bring everyone's perspective into the larger picture. Might this be a realistic stepping stone for social change? Where do you think it is most needed, and what are the obstacles that will be encountered? In theater there are no bystanders, and there were so many solutions that each of us contributed. Going back to Ridhi's week: Do you think people would be willing to have more of an open mind, and more of a sense of moral responsibility to one another, through using this approach?
At Center for Employment they have been doing similar exercises as we did in class. It was interesting to hear that at first they were not willing to participate in these exercises but after they were drawn to these exercises and learned to positively see the perspectives of others. Do you believe that the government should have programs that include arts as part of a rehabilitative program?
12 comments:
Thank you Elizabeth! Most weeks I feel drained when I leave the seminar (our discussions are always so heavy), but this week I felt ready to go.
Since I didn't share a personal story last week (sorry!) I'll share one today about body language. Our discussion about physical touch was interesting. Personally, I feel that our society doesn't touch enough. (It seems like physical touch either needs to be labeled violent or sexual. It's a shame.)
When I work with young students with 'behavioral issues' I gauge how much trust I have built by whether or not I can pat their arm.
I worked with a second grade student (although he was old enough to be in the fourth grade) who the school wanted to send for a battery of disability testing. His behavior was off the wall- he wouldn't let people near him. It turns out he was putting on a big act for a lot of reasons, but before I could find that out I needed to get through.
One day he went running out of his class and almost straight out of the building. I yelled to him, and he stopped. He had ONLY stopped because he trusted me, I knew this because I got close enough to grab him (if I had to ) and he didn't run. He cried in public for the first time in a long time that day (it was something he conditioned himself not to do, it was dangerous for him to cry) and he let me guide him back towards class with my hand on his arm.
The significance of that one moment is hard to capture since nothing of importance was said .
(He never said anything; I just kept repeating how scared I would be if he ran away) That day changed how we interacted for the rest of the year. On the last day I worked in that school, he even gave me a hug. Winning a nobel prize couldn't compare to that.
Kerry-Ann: if the incident with the kid in the pool was documented, you can be reimbursed for those costs.
Thanks Liz for such a fun class! I don’t think theater and these types of exercises will necessarily bring about a great change within social justice but I do think it is a very important tool that will help equalize the gap between our clients and the rest of the society. As I mentioned in class, conferences and roundtable discussions are often about bringing in your outside knowledge to the table. By implementing exercises like the ones we did in class, competition between parties is greatly reduced. I also think incorporating these exercises will reduce the distance between client and coach.
While I can’t really touch my clients, I do notice how important body language is. If someone is speaking to me in a monotone voice, telling me how much they want to change their life yet their posture is slack, they are not meeting my eyes, constantly checking their phone – it is apparent that they are just giving me a “stock answer”. My body language is just as important: am I meeting their eyes? I am listening to them when they talk or simply typing away?
Results from these types of exercises may take a while to surface but the end result, a more understanding society, will surely be worth it.
I loved the exercise, Elizabeth, and want to incorporate it into my other classes, somehow. To answer your last question first: yes, of course, there ought to be government-funded arts program as an aspect of rehabilitative therapy. I do think the arts tends to get short-shrift and there is an undervaluation of the arts especially as compared to more “scientific” approaches (where “efficacy” can be measured), though as our class experience attests, that’s just nonsense. There’s clearly a place—an important place—for the arts since it helps us get more deeply in touch with our own humanity and that of others. As you wrote, Elizabeth, an important value of our class experience is what it taught us—showed us—about what it’s like to be the “other”—to step inside an-other’s shoes and see the world or experience it as they might. And that is very powerful.
I teach a course titled “American Cultural Pluralism and Law.” I tend to focus on the “American Cultural Pluralism” part and de-emphasize the law part (!) I’d love to work this Boal exercise into a class-experience around race & ethnicity. What it is like to be an-“Other,” especially those who have a long history of being the marginalized other. How can I create an experience like Elizabeth did, but have the “drama” be focused on race/ethnic dynamics? For all: do you have any suggestions?
Renee’s story was very moving. I applaud you, Renee, for your wonderful work with those kids. It’s really powerful. It reminds me that we never know what our actions do or can do—it’s rare we can trace a direct line between our works and changing the world, but that doesn’t mean we should not keep trying to do that work, and we must keep doing the work on multiple levels at the same time.
I have to share this anecdote since I think it’s related. Last week, I attended an event at our synagogue (since I’m really not keen on religious services or events, I went kicking and screaming because my husband really wanted me to be there). Anyway, I went, and met up with a woman I haven’t seen in over 20 years. I met her in the mid-1980s when I started an after-school care program in my son’s elementary school and recruited her to volunteer as the accountant for Tuckahoe After School Care (TASC). My son was 5 years old when I created TASC and he’s now 29! Anyway, that night, this woman (who is still TASC’s accountant) told me that with TASC I created an incredible legacy. She said it has touched the lives of so many kids over these decades and that it’s a true testament to my efforts, etc etc etc (and it has grown tremendously and is an invaluable part of the Tuckahoe public school program). It was incredible to hear that, and also ironic, in a way. All these years, I’ve worked so hard on my academic/activist work and while proud of my efforts to create TASC, I did not “count” it as highly as my other work. I find it interesting the way I’ve privileged the value of some kinds of work over others when my ultimate goal is to try to effect social change, and affect lives in exactly the way this woman suggested I did! Does this make sense????
As everyone has said so far, it is difficult to know exactly how our words and actions impact those with whom we come in contact. Part of the beauty of "acting" exercises, like the ones that Elizabeth introduced, is that they force us to be more conscious of activities that usually are generated at a sub-symbolic level (i.e. we haven't yet made meaning of them; they are simply reflexive). By fostering greater self-awareness, we can unplug all kinds of unnecessary enactments that may induce defensiveness in other people, by telegraphing attitudes or feelings within ourselves that we haven't really processed thoroughly (or at all.)
Self awareness has particular relevance for work with persons caught up in the juvenile or adult CRJ systems. My observation is that much violence is triggered by an individual's vague sense of having been disrespected or threatened by the other person, whether a peer, a teacher, a parole officer, or a caseworker.
This is not to affix blame for the situation: violent reactions are often paranoid overreactions; as Renee pointed out, to someone who has not had adequate caretaking, even loving touch and eye contact may be overwhelming. However, the more that we are aware of what we arouse in others by stepping in their space, the greater chance we have to turn the temperature down on potential conflict. To look back to Ridhi's week, this local mending is a kind of social repair.
This course has taught me a lot. Most notably, it has taught me that the way one reacts to something can make all the difference. While preparing for and taking part in our last class exercise, I really started understanding the difference between impulsively reacting and strategically responding. It is important to respond in a way that is positive and progressive. Exercises like those that we did really help us approach social justice issues in the way that Herb Sturz advised us too: by understanding/considering the viewpoints and values of all stakeholders.
Such a great class, I had so much fun. Elizabeth, thank you for bringing up this issue into our seminar..
It seems that we don’t observe the body language and understand its meaning enough. In fact, in our group we’ve noticed something extremely interesting. When professor Waterston played the mother role, her approach totally changed Darakshan’s attitude. She did this only with a few gestures and a warm voice. I was amazed, I almost broke in tears. I don’t know if this can be a stepping stone in social change, but it was definitely a leading factor in changing Darakshan’s attitude.
I remember the show last semester, “The Castle”. I think this is the way art can change people’s perception about “people formerly incarcerated.” The problem is to get people to watch or be active participants in these shows. At the time, I remember inviting a few friends to attend the show and after they read the review they told me they were not interested in attending the show. Apparently, people watching these shows are people like us, who wish to change the current attitude towards people that were formerly incarcerated. Shows, like “the Castle”, can help people express their frustration.
If used properly, art can be a powerful tool in fighting misconceptions. It can help people express in a pure form. In art there is no right or wrong. The only thing that can be dangerous is to misinterpret other people’s messages, and that was the case of the hummingbirds in our reading. This can create the exact opposite effect than the one we were looking for, which is, to bound people.
If I were a better professor, I'd look this up, but I think when South Africa was reorganizing/reimagining itself post-Apartheid, one of the first things the new government did was to create a ministry of Poetry and Symbolism or something like that. Many folks scratched their head but I think it was all about recognzing the things that Liz asked us to think about this week and that your comments flesh out. At the very least, I think the exercises we did are the kinds of things that can be part of the "better education" we all advocated for when talking about how to address violence in prisons. It is hard to imagine that it wouldn't be cathartic for prisoners and guards to role reverse/change body language and what an easy and low-cost solution!
I agree with Professor Stein that one never truly knows the impact of their action; nonetheless, an action must take place in order to assess an impact. I recently gave my final presentation on conflict mediation at my internship at the Vera Institute, and it was well received. Conflict mediation is about, well, resolving conflict.
And some part during this process their must be some contact between those who are in conflict in order to work together to come up with a resolution. Now conflict mediation can be initiated in so many ways: one person ask the other to join them in mediation, a third party approaches one or both parties who are in conflict to propose mediation etc.
However, prior to this initiation, there is so much anxiety taking place on each side: how will I be received? Will I be taken seriously? Will the mediation be successful? Will I articulate myself appropriately?
Until mediation is initiated, only then will each party know how the other received the invitation: welcoming, unwelcoming, relieved, ecstatic etc. And until mediation is in progress only then will each part know how the other feels: regretful, happier, having more clarity. And until a resolution is found, only then will each party know that there is a way to resolve their conflict.
My point is that we may not know the impact that the arts may have on social repair, but this is not excuse not to try it, because if nothing is tried, then there can be no results to assess.
I am so sorry for missing what must have been such a rich discussion!
I, as well, found the reading to be extremely eye opening. It made me think of the benefits of "theatre" in a way I never thought possible.
In regard to body language, it is such an important aspect of the work we are all doing! I remember at my first internship, we had gotten involved in an event called SAYSO (Sexual Assault Yearly Speak Out). A requirement of being a volunteer was that you attend a training. Though there was much information to be covered, the organization spent A LOT of time covering body language. They wanted people not only to be open, friendly and welcoming, but to LOOK it as well. This meant not crossing your arms, looking people in the eyes, repeating what people had said, standing straight, looking alert, etc.
Education about body language and its impact is definitely something that should be taught to children, students, those leaving jail/prison, and professionals! On my first day in court, the fact that my supervisor put his arm around his client was so profound only because he was the only one who did this. I watched arraignments for a little over an hour and NONE of the other attorneys displayed this type of body language. Later in my internship, while i observed a trial, it was all too evident that ADA was not paying any attention to his body language at all; he appeared hunched over, as if he knew he had the advantage (which he did).
I think that power of non-verbal communication should start being acknowledged earlier life (and these acting exercises are a great way to start!). Personally, I believe that this is something that could have benefitted me as a child. Most of my life I have had issues making eye contact with people. In elementary school, they thought I had learning disabilities because in class I did not "appear" to pay attention (even though my grades were high). To a certain a degree, this is an issue I still have and have made a conscious effort to try and improve. The social ramifications of not looking someone in the eye can be profound on so many levels, and this is something I did not take notice of until halfway through HS.
What struck me most about last week’s class was how empowering it was. We literally could manipulate and mold the scenarios in front of us. These skills are invaluable for everyone. They are especially important for the populations we work with as they may be some of the least traditionally empowered.
One of the benefits to this type of activity is that it is kind of a bonding exercise that equalizes and humanizes all that are involved. As we all observed, this type of exercise was a nice change of pace in our seminar. I think it would also be a welcome change of pace in therapeutic communities.
By the way Renee, I forgot to respond to your suggestion regarding compensation for my loss items. I have basically replaced everything all ready: I received a new phone through my insurance and my fiance bought me a new pair of sneakers. Thank you for thinking of me though.
Sorry for posting so late.
Liz everyone agrees, the class was wonderful. In respect to your question on can the arts be used for social repair. I believe definitely and must be used. Arts give everyone a safe space for indvidualistic expression. I also agree with what others on using body language and the molding exercises more often in courses. It was powerfyl to actually act what we may term as the "other." It humanizes both actors. I just wish state actors would play this body sculpturing activity with their so called "enemies." It would also give them a chance to see how they come across. I found it so interesting that when we all role played, we in many ways, really acted out steretyplical myths. I played the role of a man who is just released from jail, and I took on the role of a Black man from an urban community who did not have a GED and could not find work. Therefore, that makes me take a step back and think that was that activity a way for me to learn about my own stereotypes and biases. The part when we all changed the actor's body posture was powerful, but it makes me wonder though how we as people really lose from the individualistic model versus a social model where everyone sort of looks out at what we are all doing; imagine if we are a larger group who were not comfortable with each other, then this activity may not have been successful; don't you think such activities also need the people involved need to view themselves as a community in order for it to be successful.
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