Acts of Reciprocity: Analyzing Social Exchange in a University Theater for Social Change Project
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W&M ScholarWorks Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects Theses, Dissertations, & Master Projects 2010 Acts of reciprocity: Analyzing social exchange in a university theater for social change project Nicole Birgit Cloeren William & Mary - School of Education Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.wm.edu/etd Part of the Educational Methods Commons, Educational Sociology Commons, and the Higher Education Commons Recommended Citation Cloeren, Nicole Birgit, "Acts of reciprocity: Analyzing social exchange in a university theater for social change project" (2010). Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects. Paper 1550154040. https://dx.doi.org/doi:10.25774/w4-s4nc-j548 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Theses, Dissertations, & Master Projects at W&M ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects by an authorized administrator of W&M ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact [email protected]. ACTS OF RECIPROCITY: ANALYZING SOCIAL EXCHANGE IN A UNIVERSITY THEATER FOR SOCIAL CHANGE PROJECT A Dissertation Presented to The Faculty of the School ofEducation The College of William and Mary in Virginia In Partial Fulfillment Of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy by Nicole Birgit Cloeren May 2010 ACTS OF RECIPROCITY: ANALYZING SOCIAL EXCHANGE IN A UNIVERSITY THEATER FOR SOCIAL CHANGE PROJECT by Nicole Birgit Cloeren Approved May 201 0 by Chairperson of Doctoral Committee du__~~k,.~ Monica D. Griffin, Ph.D. Pamela Eddy, Ph.D. II ACTS OF RECIPROCITY Contents Page Acknowledgements Vl List of Tables Vlll List of Figures lX Abstract X Chapter One 2 Defining Theater for Social Change 8 Statement of the Problem 11 Statement of the Purpose 14 Delimitations and Limitations 15 Conclusion 19 Chapter Two: Literature Review 20 Service Learning: A Primary Response 22 Reciprocity: The Evasive Variable 32 Theater for Social Change: A Creative Approach to Service-Learning 36 Conclusion: Setting the Stage 45 Chapter Three: Conceptual Framework and Methods 47 Reciprocity 51 Crosscutting TFSC and Reciprocity 64 Ill ACTS OF RECIPROCITY Conclusion: Conceptual Framework 71 Methods 73 Paradigm, Perspective, Strategy 75 A Brief Overview 77 Institutions 78 Participants 83 Course Materials, Concepts, Activities and Timelines 91 Data Collection 95 Data Analysis 103 Trustworthiness and Authenticity 104 Conclusion 107 Chapter Four: The Participant Observer 111 Participant Observer and "Spectactor" 112 An Analogy to Cope with the Challenges of Participant Observation 125 Conclusion 129 Chapter Five: Building Blocks of Reciprocity 132 Trust, Covenant, and Power Sharing 132 Act 1: Building Trusting Relationships 134 Act 2: Establishing and Supporting a Covenant 154 Act 3: Power Sharing 170 Act 4: Goods Exchanged 179 Conclusion 190 IV ACTS OF RECIPROCITY Chapter Six: Threats to Reciprocity 192 Act One: Betrayal ofTrust 193 Act Two: Dismissal of Covenant 205 Act Three: Power Struggles 211 Conclusion 217 Chapter Seven: Curtain Call 219 Statement of Problem and Review of Methodology 221 Summary of Results 222 Interpretation of Findings 224 A Model for Complex Attentive Reciprocity 227 Recommendations 251 Conclusion 259 Epilogue: Performing Community 261 Skit One: The Dance Clique 263 Skit Two: Two-faced 268 Image Theater: A Community Not Being a Community 273 Participant Reflection 276 Appendix A: Data Collection Tools 279 Appendix B: University Student Consent Form 295 Appendix C: Youth Consent Form 298 Appendix D: Faculty/Teacher/Administrator Consent Form 302 Appendix E: Worksheet For Incorporating Reciprocity Into Your Project 305 References 308 Vita 323 v ACTS OF RECIPROCITY Acknowledgements I am most grateful for the sincere, caring, and critical support of my advisor and role model, Dorothy Finnegan. I am awed by her dedication to her students and work and have grown tremendously thanks to her attention. I would also like to thank my committee members, Monica Griffin and Pamela Eddy for their genuine engagement with my topic and their careful readings and helpful comments that have improved this project and helped me set goals for future projects. I would not have embarked on this rewarding journey without Ann Elizabeth Armstrong's introduction to the world of Grassroots Theater. And, without the support of Chuck Mike, I would not have been able to conduct this study. His belief in the importance of my work and his recognition and encouragement of my passion continues to fuel my intellectual and creative spirit far beyond this project. I am deeply grateful for his mentorship, and count it as one of the highest privileges of my graduate studies. I thank The Reves Center for International Studies, and particularly Guru Ghosh, for helping me conduct my research by allowing flexible work hours and for cheering me on in my efforts. The participants who agreed to be in my study should know that they have made an important contribution to the field of higher education as well as aided in my achievement of a life ambition. For this I am deeply appreciative. My dear friend Amy Howard remains an inspiration and a pillar of support to me in all my endeavors. She not only provided personal encouragement, but offered vital VI ACTS OF RECIPROCITY field connections and intellectual critique. A special thank you goes to Monique and Anthony Liuzzi whose exceptional friendship and support encouraged me throughout my graduate studies. The depth of their generosity is truly humbling and inspires me to give of myself to others with an open heart. I extend my most heartfelt thanks to my family who has supported me in numerous ways throughout my formal education. I learned as much if not more during our quality family time together. My parents, Ingrid and Hermann, have made sacrifices to support me financially through my studies, but even more importantly they have loved me and stood by me throughout the doubts and difficulties of a long graduate journey. My sister, Susanne, always has a kind word for me and believes in my aspirations. I am fortunate to have the strength of two families behind me, as my parent in laws, Janet and Keith Geiger, gave graciously of their time and love to help me finish the last stages of my dissertation. In particular, thanks to Janet who flew to California on numerous occasions to play with her granddaughter so that I could work. Finally, I thank my husband, Brian and my daughter, Juliana, for their tremendous love and understanding. From our early days in graduate school, Brian was a loyal and supportive friend. Recently, Brian gave months worth of weekends to run errands and play with Juliana so that I could sit at my desk and work. Having completed his own dissertation a few years ago, his advice and encouragement were invaluable. Furthermore, he endured my distracted state of mind with loving kindness. Juliana, only 2 Y2 at this time, should know in the future that her sunny disposition and creative antics brought so much warmth and love to both her parents that our spirits were buoyed throughout even the most frustrating and trying moments of this work. VH ACTS OF RECIPROCITY Tables Table Page 1. Reciprocated Goods Between Student Participants 186 2. Reciprocated Goods Between the Professor and Principal 189 3. Elements of Trust Defined 195 4. Degrees and Characteristics of Threats to Reciprocity 204 5. Component Parts of the Covenant 206 6. Types of Power Sharing 212 7. Comparison Between Simple and Complex Reciprocity 226 viii ACTS OF RECIPROCITY Figures Figure Page 1. Conceptual Framework 49 2. Components and Stages of TFSC Project 70 3. Continuum of Threats to Reciprocity 194 4. The Complex, Attentive Reciprocity Model 231 5. Dynamics of Project Interactions 235 6. University Class Identity 237 7. Community Group Identity 238 8. Project Identity 240 IX ACTS OF RECIPROCITY Abstract In this study I sought to understand the complexities of the processes of reciprocity within a theater for social change service-learning project. My sample included three university students, one university faculty member, four high school students, one high school principal, and one high school teacher. As a participant observer, I conducted an ethnographic study from within an interpretive paradigm that focuses on reality as perceived by participants. I collected my data through interviews, observations, and course related documents. In this study, I accomplish four things: 1) I present a user-friendly model of the processes of reciprocity 2) I make concrete nebulous notions of exchange by defining reciprocated goods between partners. 3) I emphasize a physical component to our understanding of reciprocity 4) I suggest that tools and elements of TFSC practice can be applied to other non-theater service-learning and civic engagement projects. My model includes three core building blocks to reciprocity: trust, covenant, and power sharing; and consists of a continuous cycle of four steps that partners engage cooperatively around a central common goal. These four steps include: understanding the social milieu of the partners, fostering integrative bonds through group development, identifying niches of exchange, and isolating and addressing imbalances in the interactions. My results illuminate that reciprocity is not achieved through a simple agreement at the beginning of a project partnership, but rather is a complex, iterative and volatile process that needs attention throughout a partnership. X ACTS OF RECIPROCITY Acts of Reciprocity: Analyzing Social Exchange in a University Theater for Social Change Project ACTS OF RECIPROCITY Chapter One A group of students sits in a uniform circle. At the tap prompt of the professor, a young man stands up and begins: "Once upon a time a woman moved into her daughter's apartment." (The speaker puts one hand on his hip and gestures with the other hand.) "She was 62 years old, but" (he leans over slightly and looks towards the floor) "the stroke and the cancer gave her the appearance of being ..