Neurobiology, empathy and social cognition: the potential benefits of theatre in traumatised communities

The ubiquity of technology enables unprecedented contact between people, yet it neglects essential face-to-face communion; e-mail, text-messaging and even social media strip away the metadata of our interpersonal communications; the emotional cues and clues that are a necessary part of everyday social interaction. At the same time, the relentless densification of urban populations enforces proximity among strangers, with routine encounters increasingly bereft of emotional nourishment. The affective numbing that ensues shares many characteristics of post-traumatic stress disorder. The current study explores how exposure to theatre may help to maintain the emotional health of individuals alienated by the stresses of 21st century urban living; moreover, it examines how performance is able to facilitate emotional and social healing in post-conflict communities.

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

Department of Drama

Year dc:date.issued

2012

Author dc:creator

• Galley, Adrian

Advisors dc:contributor.advisor

• Barnes, Hazel
• Fleishman, Mark

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/11427/12004

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/12004