Certain pre-existing social norms can contribute to the persistence of bad behaviour and customs in society, like domestic violence against women, the practice of a dowry or the ostracism of minorities.
Professor Jyotsna Jalan from the Centre for Studies in Social Sciences in Calcutta, India, has investigated whether and how participatory theatre in rural India influences the behaviour and attitudes towards domestic violence and gender norms.
In the second episode of the Max Planck Economics Podcast we talk about her studies, she recounts some fascinating experiences made while working in the field and tells us about her career path.
Video clips - Participatory theatre in rural India performed by Jana Sanskriti (JS) Centre for Theatre of the Oppressed, a non-governmental organization established in 1985 and the first exponent of Theatre of the Oppressed (TO) in India.
A domestic violence scene from a JS play
Arranged marriage – spectator participating in a JS play
Song and dance scene from a JS play
Reading material on the podcast episode:
Article about the World Bank-CSS Study by Jyotsana Jalan and Carla Hoff, Hundustantimes.de, 12.01.2017
Max Planck Economics Podcast
Hosts: Jonas Send, Raisa Sherif, and Dr. Lisa Windsteiger, Research Fellows at the Max Planck Institute for Tax Law and Public Finance
Editing: Nicole Stefan
Music: “Corporate Technology” by Scott Holmes: scottholmesmusic.com