Looking for the Gold – A critical ethnographic study using drama therapy to explore voice, agency and power at the intersection of private and public life in aged care

Abstract

This thesis details a critical ethnographic, drama therapy practice-based study examining the interconnectedness of aged care residents’ lived experiences within their socio-cultural environment. This was an emergent study that evolved over four cycles: (1) critical interpretative synthesis of the literature, which helped guide and shape the research design; (2) participant observations within the chosen research community (residential care home); (3) drama therapy (DT) workshops with a small group of residents; (4) semi-structured interviews upon finishing the DT workshops. The study examined the structures and dynamics of power within the research community and explored aged care from a b..