Abstract
This chapter builds on research by Lawrence and Cranton (2015) who created imagined dialogues with characters from novels, using their experiences to better understand transformative learning. Creating imagined dialogues by getting into the head of another helps create empathy and allows us to see the world from other perspectives. Strategies for teaching and learning through reading, viewing and writing fiction are discussed. Examples of imagined dialogues with real people and fictional characters are offered to demonstrate how engaging in this process can help us to better understand ourselves and others. Lawrence is working primarily with graduate students studying education, but illustrates that these techniques can be useful for professionals across multiple disciplines. She shows that they can also be helpful in resolving intrapersonal, interpersonal and even global conflict.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Banks, A., & Banks, S. P. (Eds.). (1998). Fiction and social research: By ice or fire. Walnut Creek: AltaMira Press.
Barone, T., & Eisner, E. W. (2012). Arts based research. Thousand Oaks: Sage.
Batra, R. (Director). (2017). Our souls at night [Motion picture]. USA: Netflix and Wildgaze Films.
Chazelle, D. (Director). (2014). Whiplash [Motion picture]. USA: Bold Films, Blumhouse Productions and Right of Way Films.
Dirkx, J. (2006). Engaging emotions in adult learning: A Jungian perspective on emotion and transformative learning. In E. W. Taylor (Ed.), Teaching for change: Fostering transformative learning in the classroom (New directions for adult and continuing education, no. 109, pp. 15–26). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Eugenides, J. (2002). Middlesex. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
Fisher, R., Ury, W., & Patton, B. (2011). Getting to yes: Negotiating agreement without giving in (2nd ed.). New York: Penguin Books.
Flagg, F. (1987). Fried green tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Freire, P. (1970). Pedagogy of the oppressed. New York: Seabury Press.
Gilbert, L. (Director). (1983). Educating Rita [Motion picture]. UK: Acorn Pictures.
Gouthro, P. A. (2014). Women of mystery: Investigating learning pathways of Canadian and American female crime fiction writers. Adult Education Quarterly, 64(4), 356–373.
Gouthro, P. A., & Holloway, S. (2013). Reclaiming the radical: Using fiction to explore adult learning connected to citizenship. Studies in the Education of Adults, 45(1), 41–56.
Haruf, K. (2015). Our souls at night. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.
Hoggan, C., & Cranton, P. (2015). Promoting transformative learning through reading fiction. Journal of Transformative Education, 13(1), 6–25.
Hooper, T. (Director). (2015). The Danish girl [Motion picture]. UK, USA, Germany, Denmark and Belgium: Working Title Films, Pretty Pictures, ReVision Pictures, Senator Global Productions, Copenhagen Film Fund, Artémis Productions, Shelter Prod, Taxshelter.be, Le Tax Shelter du Gouvernement Fédéral de Belgique and Kvinde Films.
Jarvis, C. (2006). Using fiction for transformation. New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education; Special Issue; Teaching for Change: Fostering Transformative Learning in the Classroom, 2006(109), 69–77. https://doi.org/10.1002/ace.209.
Jarvis, C. (2012). Fiction and film and transformative learning. In E. W. Taylor & P. Cranton (Eds.), The handbook of transformative learning (pp. 486–502). San Francisco: Jossey Bass.
Kaye, T. (Director). (2011). Detachment [Motion picture]. USA: Paper Street Films, Appian Way and Kingsgate Films.
Knowles, J. G., & Cole, A. L. (Eds.). (2008). Handbook of the arts in qualitative research: Perspectives, methodologies, examples, and issues. Thousand Oaks: Sage.
LaGravenese, R. (Director). (2007). Freedom writers [Motion picture]. Germany and USA: Paramount Pictures, Double Feature Films, MTV Films, Jersey Films and Kernos Filmproduktionsgesellschaft & Company.
Lawrence, R. L. (2015). Dancing with the data: Arts-based qualitative research. In V. C. Wang (Ed.), Handbook of research on scholarly publishing and research methods (pp. 141–154). Hershey, PA: IGI Global.
Lawrence, R. L., & Cranton, P. (2013). Mentoring arts-based research: A tale of two professors. In D. E. Clover & K. Sanford (Eds.), Lifelong learning, the arts and community cultural engagement in the contemporary university: International perspectives (pp. 81–94). Manchester, UK: Manchester University Press.
Lawrence, R. L., & Cranton, P. (2015). A novel idea: Researching transformative learning in fiction. Rotterdam, Boston: Sense Publishers.
Leavy, P. (2013). Fiction as research practice: Short stories, novellas, and novels. Walnut Creek, CA: Left Coast Press.
Lincoln, Y. S., & Guba, E. G. (1985). Naturalistic inquiry. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
Mezirow, J. (1991). Transformative dimensions of adult learning. San Francisco: Jossey Bass.
Newell, M. (Director). (2003). Mona Lisa smile [Motion picture]. USA: Revolution Studios and Red Om Films.
Newman, M. (1994). Defining the enemy: Adult education in social action. Sydney: Stewart Victor.
Peirce, K. (Director). (1999). Boys don’t cry [Motion picture]. USA: Fox Searchlight Pictures, The Independent Film Channel Productions, Killer Films and Hart-Sharp Entertainment.
Reed, B. (2017, Host). S-Town [Podcast serial]. https://stownpodcast.org/.
Rosenberg, M. (2015). Nonviolent communication: A language of life. Encinitas: PuddleDancer Press.
Salinger, J. D. (1951). The catcher in the rye. Boston: Little Brown and Company.
Smith, J. N. (Director). (1995). Dangerous minds [Motion picture]. USA: Hollywood Pictures, Don Simpson/Jerry Bruckheimer Films and Via Rosa Productions.
Walker, A. (1982). The color purple. New York: Washington Square Press.
Weir, P. (Director). (1989). Dead poets society [Motion picture]. USA: Touchstone Pictures, Silver Screen Partners IV, A Steven Haft Production, Witt/Thomas Productions.
Wheatley, M. (2009). Turning to one another: Simple conversations to restore hope to the future. San Francisco: Barrett-Koehler Publishers.
Williams, S. (2002). Dancing on the edge of the roof. New York: One World/Ballantine Books.
Acknowledgements
The author wishes to thank Brian Dashew and Karen Grossman for their contributions to this chapter and Patricia Cranton for helping to give birth to The Butterfly Café.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2019 The Author(s)
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Lawrence, R.L. (2019). Tales from the Butterfly Café: Imagined Dialogues with Fictional Characters for Research and Practice. In: Jarvis, C., Gouthro, P. (eds) Professional Education with Fiction Media. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-17693-8_6
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-17693-8_6
Published:
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-030-17692-1
Online ISBN: 978-3-030-17693-8
eBook Packages: EducationEducation (R0)