Conducting Online Research in the Era of COVID

Abstract

Abstract Chapter 8 concludes the art-informed research section; it introduces a framework for online theatrical social work inquiry. Described are the roots of theater-based methods, and the benefits of virtual theater workshops, including forum theater and visualization exercises, are explored. Theater has a long history of being used by activists as a mechanism for raising awareness, unearthing discrimination and bias, including institutionalized stigma, and for promoting social change. The chapter opens with an impressive history of HIV/AIDS, chronicling the social factors and misunderstandings that have led to destructive stereotypes that continue to impede effective service delivery for the population with HIV/AIDS. A proposed implementation is described of virtual community-based theater methods to raise provider awareness of inherent biases, with the goal of improving overall HIV care. Insights are shared about the adaptability and accessibility of virtual modalities that readers will find applicable to their work across settings.