Sarah Bowman - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by Sarah Bowman
Revista de Estudos Universitários - REU
Analog role-playing games provide an avenue for players to explore a diversity of experiences and... more Analog role-playing games provide an avenue for players to explore a diversity of experiences and self-concepts by playing out new roles in a co-created fictional reality. This article provides a theoretical framework for this process, discussing the nature of consensus reality as a force that can suppress forms of identity expression that individuals find authentic. We discuss how live action role-playing (larp) and tabletop games can provide transformational containers, where individuals can explore new ways of being, relating, and enacting beliefs through the experience of increased agency. As an example, we discuss our larp, Euphoria, which was designed as a role-playing game environment reflecting queer performance spaces within which participants can express gender and sexual identities that feel more authentic.
This mixed method case study examines the effectiveness of an educational role-playing (edu-larp)... more This mixed method case study examines the effectiveness of an educational role-playing (edu-larp) intervention into the science curriculum of a charter school in Los Angeles that serves an economically disadvantaged population. Utilizing psychometric surveys and semi-structured interviews, the investigators gathered data from middle school students evaluating their development along five dimensions of learning before and after the semester-long program: intrinsic motivation, perceived competence, school engagement, team work, and leadership. The study also gathered qualitative data from the 23 students in this convenient sample group regarding their overall experiences with the edu-larp method. When paired with traditional pedagogy, out of these five dimensions of student development, the investigators found that the edu-larp intervention helped increase overall intrinsic motivation and interest/enjoyment of science in the quantitative data. The qualitative and quantitative findings...
The Velvet Light Trap, 2003
This panel discussion took place in "real time" in an on-line chat room devised especially for th... more This panel discussion took place in "real time" in an on-line chat room devised especially for this event. Participants were then asked to offer their closing thoughts on the topics discussed as well as on the means of communication. The on-line chat room approach was used by the editors in order to capture some of the conversational aspects often lost in academic interviews. [WELCOME] Welcome to the VLT Chat! The History of Film Sound Research Kyle: Hello, all. Thanks for participating in this somewhat experimental roundtable mode. I'm Kyle Barnett, the guy with the questions for you. First question: Why has the study of film music developed as it has, in fits and starts? Why the increased interest now? David: Some quick thoughts to start the conversation. Film music studies was slow to develop because writing about film music was mostly in the hands of practical musicians (Erdmann and Becce, Sabanaev, London, Eisler, Manvell and Huntley, Bazelon, etc.-through On the Track [Karlin and Wright]). Increased scholarly interest started (slowly) after sound design integrated the sound track in the 1970s. Sarah: Can you describe that integration, David? David: I was thinking of Walter Murch's "invention" of sound design. Historically, that is. Michel Chion complains about classical sound tracks as being nothing but speech and that everlasting music.
The Journal of American History, 2002
Extended Abstracts of the 2023 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems
Role-play has long been used as an active learning technique in educational and training contexts... more Role-play has long been used as an active learning technique in educational and training contexts. In particular, Edu-larp (a structured, live action roleplay experience that teaches through social enactment and refection [1]) has been used in therapeutic contexts, training courses, and even an entire course curriculum [4]. We propose to host a workshop at CHI 2023 which will connect CHI attendees of various disciplines interested in this topic, with the outcome to understand how edu-larp might be an efective way of augmenting existing teaching and research within HCI. During the workshop, attendees will participate in numerous edu-larp exercises designed to introduce and orient them to the concept, and facilitate discussion about the diferent ways edu-larp can be leveraged in the broad domain of HCI.
Revista de Estudos Universitário , 2022
Analog role-playing games provide an avenue for players to explore a diversity of experiences and... more Analog role-playing games provide an avenue for players to explore a diversity of experiences and self-concepts by playing out new roles in a collectively created discursive reality. The role-playing group's establishment of this bounded fictional reality is significant, as it often contradicts social structures and norms found outside of the magic circle of play, as well as the social identities performed within them. This article provides a theoretical framework for this process, discussing the nature of consensus reality as a force that can suppress forms of identity expression that individuals find authentic and how play can inspire agency for individuals within it. We discuss how analog role-playing games such as live action role-playing (larp) and tabletop games can provide transformational containers for individuals to explore new ways of being, relating, and enacting beliefs within the small bubble of their community, while taking place within the wider collective consciousness.
This framework describes such containers through the metaphor of alchemy, in which change processes are ignited that must be sufficiently held by the group in order to complete the process of transformation while maintaining feelings of safety. Borrowing language from personal development groups, we describe such processes in terms of expansion and contraction, both of which are necessary for transformation to occur. We also discuss the social risks involved with non-normative forms of self-expression, as well as risks specific to role-playing environments in terms of ways in which safety can be compromised or challenged. Thus, this article will emphasize maximizing the benefits while minimizing pitfalls of such an environment. Throughout the article, we compare these affordances to similar groups processes such as drag and queer performance spaces, as well as queer kinship communities, within which participants can often express identities that feel more authentic with regard to gender and sexuality. Finally, we discuss how the larp we are designing, Euphoria, can combine the agency to explore and express non-normative genders afforded by queers spaces with the magic circle provided by a role-playing game as a potentially transformational container.
Revista de Estudos Universitários - REU
Analog role-playing games provide an avenue for players to explore a diversity of experiences and... more Analog role-playing games provide an avenue for players to explore a diversity of experiences and self-concepts by playing out new roles in a co-created fictional reality. This article provides a theoretical framework for this process, discussing the nature of consensus reality as a force that can suppress forms of identity expression that individuals find authentic. We discuss how live action role-playing (larp) and tabletop games can provide transformational containers, where individuals can explore new ways of being, relating, and enacting beliefs through the experience of increased agency. As an example, we discuss our larp, Euphoria, which was designed as a role-playing game environment reflecting queer performance spaces within which participants can express gender and sexual identities that feel more authentic.
This mixed method case study examines the effectiveness of an educational role-playing (edu-larp)... more This mixed method case study examines the effectiveness of an educational role-playing (edu-larp) intervention into the science curriculum of a charter school in Los Angeles that serves an economically disadvantaged population. Utilizing psychometric surveys and semi-structured interviews, the investigators gathered data from middle school students evaluating their development along five dimensions of learning before and after the semester-long program: intrinsic motivation, perceived competence, school engagement, team work, and leadership. The study also gathered qualitative data from the 23 students in this convenient sample group regarding their overall experiences with the edu-larp method. When paired with traditional pedagogy, out of these five dimensions of student development, the investigators found that the edu-larp intervention helped increase overall intrinsic motivation and interest/enjoyment of science in the quantitative data. The qualitative and quantitative findings...
The Velvet Light Trap, 2003
This panel discussion took place in "real time" in an on-line chat room devised especially for th... more This panel discussion took place in "real time" in an on-line chat room devised especially for this event. Participants were then asked to offer their closing thoughts on the topics discussed as well as on the means of communication. The on-line chat room approach was used by the editors in order to capture some of the conversational aspects often lost in academic interviews. [WELCOME] Welcome to the VLT Chat! The History of Film Sound Research Kyle: Hello, all. Thanks for participating in this somewhat experimental roundtable mode. I'm Kyle Barnett, the guy with the questions for you. First question: Why has the study of film music developed as it has, in fits and starts? Why the increased interest now? David: Some quick thoughts to start the conversation. Film music studies was slow to develop because writing about film music was mostly in the hands of practical musicians (Erdmann and Becce, Sabanaev, London, Eisler, Manvell and Huntley, Bazelon, etc.-through On the Track [Karlin and Wright]). Increased scholarly interest started (slowly) after sound design integrated the sound track in the 1970s. Sarah: Can you describe that integration, David? David: I was thinking of Walter Murch's "invention" of sound design. Historically, that is. Michel Chion complains about classical sound tracks as being nothing but speech and that everlasting music.
The Journal of American History, 2002
Extended Abstracts of the 2023 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems
Role-play has long been used as an active learning technique in educational and training contexts... more Role-play has long been used as an active learning technique in educational and training contexts. In particular, Edu-larp (a structured, live action roleplay experience that teaches through social enactment and refection [1]) has been used in therapeutic contexts, training courses, and even an entire course curriculum [4]. We propose to host a workshop at CHI 2023 which will connect CHI attendees of various disciplines interested in this topic, with the outcome to understand how edu-larp might be an efective way of augmenting existing teaching and research within HCI. During the workshop, attendees will participate in numerous edu-larp exercises designed to introduce and orient them to the concept, and facilitate discussion about the diferent ways edu-larp can be leveraged in the broad domain of HCI.
Revista de Estudos Universitário , 2022
Analog role-playing games provide an avenue for players to explore a diversity of experiences and... more Analog role-playing games provide an avenue for players to explore a diversity of experiences and self-concepts by playing out new roles in a collectively created discursive reality. The role-playing group's establishment of this bounded fictional reality is significant, as it often contradicts social structures and norms found outside of the magic circle of play, as well as the social identities performed within them. This article provides a theoretical framework for this process, discussing the nature of consensus reality as a force that can suppress forms of identity expression that individuals find authentic and how play can inspire agency for individuals within it. We discuss how analog role-playing games such as live action role-playing (larp) and tabletop games can provide transformational containers for individuals to explore new ways of being, relating, and enacting beliefs within the small bubble of their community, while taking place within the wider collective consciousness.
This framework describes such containers through the metaphor of alchemy, in which change processes are ignited that must be sufficiently held by the group in order to complete the process of transformation while maintaining feelings of safety. Borrowing language from personal development groups, we describe such processes in terms of expansion and contraction, both of which are necessary for transformation to occur. We also discuss the social risks involved with non-normative forms of self-expression, as well as risks specific to role-playing environments in terms of ways in which safety can be compromised or challenged. Thus, this article will emphasize maximizing the benefits while minimizing pitfalls of such an environment. Throughout the article, we compare these affordances to similar groups processes such as drag and queer performance spaces, as well as queer kinship communities, within which participants can often express identities that feel more authentic with regard to gender and sexuality. Finally, we discuss how the larp we are designing, Euphoria, can combine the agency to explore and express non-normative genders afforded by queers spaces with the magic circle provided by a role-playing game as a potentially transformational container.