Puppetry to educate social work practitioners
Telling the refugee story
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21721422 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Uma A Segal (0000-0002-6389-9899, University of Missouri-St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA, corresponding author), Felia Davenport (University of Missouri-St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA), Ramona Marshall (University of Missouri-St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA), Daniel “Digger” Romano (Puppet Guild of Greater St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA) |
| Year | 2024 |
| Volume | 24 |
| Issue | 4 |
| Pages | 461-487 |
| Publication date | 2024-07-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of Social Work (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1468-0173 • E-ISSN: 1741-296X |
| Publisher | SAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/14680173231225422 |
| OpenAlex | W4391275110 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 26 |
The complexities of refugee resettlement are difficult to comprehend, and alternative approaches to education may enhance empathy. Puppetry's art form often engages broad audiences, allowing puppets to tell important stories. This project developed a research-based educational puppet show to increase understanding of refugees in the United States (US). Using a mixed-method approach, this exploratory study (1) interviewed eleven refugees from five origin countries; (2) analyzed the interviews for salient themes; (3) developed a “master” play based on emergent themes; (4) delivered the play through puppetry; and (5) empirically assessed the efficacy of puppetry in disseminating information about refugees. Findings Five overarching themes regarding refugee resettlement emerged from the interviews, namely, (1) economic concerns; (2) language barriers; (3) socio-cultural differences; (4) misperceptions; and (5) altered family dynamics. Almost all 107 respondents who completed a pre- and post-show survey evidenced having gained new knowledge about resettlement in the areas of (i) refugee status; (ii) the arrival process; (iii) economic realities; (iii) adaptation issues; and (iv) refugee perceptions of opportunities in the US. Applications The salient findings of the interviews were consistent with extant literature on refugee resettlement and the 40-min research-based puppet show confirmed that puppetry can be an alternative, or supplementary, training tool. Puppetry brings life to didactic presentations for social workers and other service providers through effective portrayals of difficulties faced by both refugee and host in the adaptation process. It also suggests that puppetry can sensitize and educate practitioners on issues that can be controversial
Archaeology · Art · Literature · Narrative · Pedagogy · Political science · Puppetry · Refugee · Sociology · Story telling · Visual arts · Education and experiences of immigrants and refugees · Engineering · History · Migration, Health and Trauma · Migration, Refugees, and Integration · Psychology · Social Work
Developmental Research, Public Policy, and the Ecology of Childhood
Demarginalizing the Intersection of Race and Sex
Humanitarian Reactions to Conflict and the Resettlement of Refugees
The pursuit of quality in grounded theory
City of welcome
When ‘Self-Sufficiency’ Is Not Sufficient
Refugee Compassion and the Politics of Embodied Storytelling
Translating Trauma-Informed Principles into Social Work Practice
Social Workers’ Views of Ways to Engage Communities in Refugee Resettlement
The Person-in-Environment Approach
War exposure, daily stressors, and mental health in conflict and post-conflict settings
The Labor Market Integration of Refugee Migrants in High-Income Countries
Using a Standardized Patient Model for Interprofessional Team Training in Social Work
Safe Employment Integration of Recent Immigrants and Refugees
| Unique citing works | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 1 |
| Citation span | 2026 - 2026 (1) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 1 |