Date
4-26-2024
Department
School of Behavioral Sciences
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology (PhD)
Chair
Laura Rolen
Keywords
COVID-19 pandemic, lockdowns, adolescent, college transition, phenomenology, theater majors, creativity, trauma
Disciplines
Psychology
Recommended Citation
Jones, Ronda Celeste, "A Phenomenological Examination of the Experiences of College Theater Majors in Regard to the COVID-19 Pandemic and Lockdowns in the United States" (2024). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 5454.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/5454
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic and resulting lockdowns were phenomena experienced by the majority of the modern world, but not everyone experienced it in the same way. Each person brings their own past, their own interests, and their own needs to the lived experience. Pre-pandemic research on art therapy suggests that creative expression could be helpful to adolescents experiencing such trauma. Theater majors are a particular set of people for whom creative expression through theater is a huge part of their life. Theater majors are also participating in a creative activity that requires social contact, and that social contact was limited or eliminated during the COVID-19 lockdowns. In this qualitative phenomenological study, eight college theater majors were able to express their lived experience through both interviews and a sketch they created to communicate that experience. They described themes of isolation and fear, changes in their school and theater environments, and a desperate creative urge within their lived experience. This study adds to the growing body of understanding of the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdowns, which will help modern society to better face another world-wide trauma, should it arise.
