ابراز هیجان و مقررات در یک کارگاه تئاتر مبتنی بر مدرسه برای نوجوانان مهاجر با مشکلات رفتاری و یادگیری

Abstract The construct of emotion regulation (ER) has received considerable emphasis in developmental psychology, with growing interest in the possible association of dysfunctional ER with various forms of child and adolescent psychopathology. However, the empirical study of emotions often entails their abstraction from the immediate context – particularly, from interpersonal and social variables having a pivotal role in the origin and modulation of emotive processes. In this study we used a school-based drama intervention with special class, immigrant adolescents with behavioral difficulties as a real-life context for the study of forms of emotional expression (EE) and strategies of ER using qualitative methods of analysis. Our findings suggest some impairment in EE and ER in this study sample. In addition, we observed difficulties accessing a range of emotions appropriate to a variety of circumstances, anger being the predominantly expressed negative emotion. Hypotheses drawing on issues of immigration and marginalization were raised to explain this finding. In general, the drama process seemed to help emotional expression and awareness and to foster a transformation of emotive processes in the sense of a “collective ER.” The importance of teacher awareness of students’ dominant emotional state and its potential impact on learning was emphasized.

Conclusion This qualitative research shed some light on the emotional world of vulnerable minority adolescents who are in a special education placement because of behavioral and learning difficulties. The results support the idea that drama has the potential, if certain conditions are met, to create a safe space in which behaviorally disturbed teens of cultural minorities can express complex emotions, and can contribute, through the interplay of individual and collectivity, to social and emotional learning. The drama workshop appeared to be a useful tool to help teachers address the emotional problems of these youth. A longer intervention, spanning the entire school year, as desired by teachers and students, could allow more time to implement strategies for gradually building a safe space also for the most disturbed classes. More research is needed to understand how the expression of anger relates to the underlying behavioral difficulties and psychopathology versus the context of double exclusion and marginalization and to determine which means of intervention are most appropriate to channel the expression of anger innocuously and help with its regulation.