Am I Broken?: A mixed-method analysis of an ethnotheatrical performance about women’s experiences with infertility and friendship

ABSTRACT

Background

This study evaluated an ethnotheatrical performance about infertility to bring awareness to the health condition and its impact on friendships.

Methods

After each performance (N = 2), attendees participated in a talkback session to express thoughts and ask questions about the production; then, they completed a survey describing their overall experience. Analyses included descriptive statistics for Likert questions and a thematic analysis for open-ended responses.

Results

Eighty-six percent of attendees found the performance informative about the challenges infertility imposes on everyday life, and more than 60% gained new information and advice on how to talk about infertility. The thematic analysis revealed three themes: learn about the complexities of infertility experiences, develop empathy towards individuals with infertility, and respond appropriately to individuals coping with infertility.

Conclusion

The performance offered a safe environment for attendees to learn, understand, and process infertility’s complex nature. Creating awareness influenced participants’ perceptions and communicative behaviors.

KEYWORDS:

• Communication
• infertility
• ethnodrama
• ethnotheatre
• friendship

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This project was supported by the Indiana University Indianapolis’s Arts and Humanities Institute.