She is also playing; she is also wearing the mask that I am wearing :' investigating the gendered dynamics of implementing a forum theatre project for young women in Manenberg'

• Main Author: Okech, Awino
• Other Authors: Bennett, Jane
• Format: Dissertation
• Language: English
• Published: University of Cape Town 2014
• Subjects: Gender Studies
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/3589

Includes bibliographical references (leaves 114-119) === This thesis examines the utilization of forum theatre techniques to explore the processes of gendering women within a workshop consisting of twenty-three young women in Manenberg, South Africa. It examines the opportunities that these techniques provide the group in uncovering, understanding and questioning the practices, norms and patterns that inform the construction of femininity. This thesis draws on theories of community theatre praxis in South Africa, gender and development discourse as well as research on contemporary 'rites of passage' practices in Manenberg. As a qualitative study embedded in feminist epistemology and feminist activism, this research utilises a range of methods, including participant observation, appreciative inquiry and second hand ethnography. There methods are used to critically analyse the opportunities and gaps that emerge when using forum theatre with this particular group. My positionality as a researcher and activist is engaged in this thesis as a critical site for reflection and analysis. This research establishes that forum theatre through specific activities provide the space for the exploration, analysis and comprehension of the gendered experiences of the young women in Manenberg. However there are methodological shortcomings, which are pointed out as areas for future research.