A sociological study of identity, ritual and a little drama
LE3 .A278 2011
2011
Horgan, Mervyn
Acadia University
Bachelor of Arts
Honours
Sociology
This thesis investigates the ritual process of identity formation for theatre students at Acadia University in Wolfville, Nova Scotia. Combining the author’s background in both sociology and theatre disciplines, this thesis makes use of Erving Goffman’s investigation of self in group settings, Howard S. Becker’s specificity of art worlds, and Victor W. Turner’s tripartite breakdown of the ritual process to analyze significant rites of passage for first year theatre students. The content is primarily made up personal reflection, but also features primary research conducted for this study. Over a two-week period the author sat in on the Acadia Theatre Company’s rehearsals for their Fall production, three plays by Canadian playwright Hannah Moscovitch. This thesis supports Turner’s claim that any ritual can be broken down into three sections: separation, liminal, and reincorporation or reaggregation.
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https://scholar.acadiau.ca/islandora/object/theses:839
