We make the path by walking : performative pedagogy in a recovery high school

Recovery high schools started emerging in the United States as a continuing source of care for young people in recovery from substance use at the height of the war on drugs in the 1980s. Research shows that recovery from addiction is not only a restoration of healthy social networks but also a reconnection to the physical body. This MFA thesis tracks a process of embodied performance (drama-based activities) to explore critical moments on the recovery journey. Through qualitative research methods of thematic analysis and a thematic coding process, the author examines how an embodied performative pedagogy can support conditions for belonging among youth in a recovery high school, as well as how multimodal semiotic symbol systems and meaning-making provide possibilities for youth to affect how they name the world. The document concludes with a discussion of the research findings, the limitations of the research, as well as recommendations for applied drama/theatre programs in recovery high schools