Staging Identity Through Fictionalized Drama

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Wednesday 1:45 pm - Gold 3
  In Roundtable Session: Explorations of identity and belonging in/through arts based educational research

Abstract

In this paper, we use fictionalized ethnodrama as a methodological and pedagogical tool to explore the emotional labor and shifting identities of women health professionals across three domains – professional, domestic and digital. Grounded in Goffman’s (1959) dramaturgical theory and guided by Clandinin and Connelly’s (2004) narrative inquiry we created a composite character, Aila. Arts-based research as a play depicts emotional burdens, gendered expectations and performative demands of social media presented through Aila’s experiences. The fictionalized ethnodrama allowed us to deeply explore the nuances often missed in interviews while protecting participants’ anonymity. Ultimately, this paper contributes to initiating dialogue around emotional labor and identity performance in health professions education, presenting fictionalized ethnodrama as a meaningful tool to begin that conversation

Authors

• Sundus Iftikhar, University of Alabama

• Kelly W. Guyotte, University of Alabama