Psychodrama and Poetry in the Service of Gender Empathy

Abstract

Gender identity is a central theme in most adult psychodrama groups. It appears in verbal check-in stories, relationship-themed game offers, and free interactions. Nowadays, it is essential to consider the social context regarding gender, which often highlights the defining and limiting role of a country’s culture at a particular age. Some forms of poetry are similarly prevalent in the psychodramatic warm-up methodology: for example, shaping important keywords into poems, utilizing the conciseness of haiku to form a theme, or expressing a common experience within a smaller group of members. In this case study, the authors highlight the intersection of these two phenomena through a play that our previous group had performed. The location is Hungary, with its Central and Eastern European traditions and restrictive gender policies. The misunderstanding between the genders that emerged as the group’s theme, the resulting tension, and the helplessness experienced in the face of the broader social environment led us to the play, in which the genders had to switch roles. Both groups were tasked with writing a poem about the everyday challenges and lifelong experiences of their gender and putting it on the stage. The enormous empathetic impact on both group members and leaders is also noted.