Let us use these ideas to analyse how empathy might be generated using as an example ‘The Workhouse’ drama. The class have been enrolled as government commissioners. Their task is to visit and report upon workhouses.
Building the cognitive component
Out of role, the class have studied a photograph of the workhouse and now move into a fictional context, that is, standing outside the workhouse and
‘using their drama eyes’ in describing it. One of them knocks upon the great oak door and TiR as Crimmins, the Workhouse Master’s assistant, opens the door: Who are you? What do you want? We want no charity here! The Master’s very busy. Go and do good somewhere else!
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ToR then talks to the pupils about what has happened: Who do you think this man is? What was his attitude? His demeanour?They then question him further and tell him who they are. It is agreed that they wish to see the Workhouse Master and they intend to inspect the workhouse.
TiR as Crimmins: I am most humbly sorry. I thought you were the charity people poking their noses in. I didn’t realise, what with ladies being in your party. Do come in. Perhaps a glass of something, some supper after your journey from London? I will get the Master.
ToR discusses why his attitude has changed: Why would he be confused by the presence of women in the party? Who did he think they were? What was his attitude to ‘charitable visitors’?
In the next part of the drama the pupils are told that a new inmate is expected and that they are to witness her induction to the workhouse. First, they look at the Workhouse Master (TiR) as he watches the girl walking towards the gates.
They tell the teacher how they want him to stand and how they want him to look. He holds a stick. One of the girls in the class is enrolled as Martha, the new inmate. She carries a rolled up cardigan to signify she is carrying a baby.
She stands at one end of the room holding her baby and TiR as the Workhouse Master stands at the other, tapping his stick into his hand. The class form a corridor between the two roles for her to walk along. The class listen as TiR voices what the Master is thinking as he watches her approach:
Another waster. Another scraggy baby to feed. I hope she’s a good worker. She and that baby better not be ill. Don’t want her bringing her disease in here. I’ll take that baby off her straight away. Maybe wait till this lot have gone. Must impress the inspector do-gooders while they’re here. Can get back to normal when they’ve gone.
ToR discusses these comments and how the class feel about the Workhouse Master. They also discuss why Martha might be going to such a dreadful place.
What might have happened to her? We don’t know but we can guess and talk to her later.
Framing the affective component – thought-tracking and dealing with the Workhouse Master
We return to the drama. The pupils voice the thoughts of Martha as she passes.
They don’t have to speak but they must listen to each other and speak as if they were Martha as she approaches the workhouse and the Workhouse Master.
This strategy of conscience alley will enable the class to sympathise with Martha’s circumstances.
Pupil 1: I’m frightened.
Pupil 2: My baby will die if I don’t go here.
Pupil 3: Must look like I can work hard.
Pupil 4: I don’t want them to take my baby.
The cognitive stage
The first stage of structuring for empathising is the cognitivestage. In the example given it has three components:
1 The role – Martha represented by a pupil walking down the conscience alley.
2 The attitude of Martha as negotiated and agreed with by the class and teacher.
3 Martha’s purpose – to enter the workhouse and save the baby.
This representation of the cognitive stage of empathising has been con- tracted with the class before the strategy is enacted. Its success is generated by the constraints imposed on the roles, the context and the events leading up to Martha’s approach to the doors of the workhouse, in other words, the pre-text.
The roles First, empathy is generated by Martha and this is reflected by the pupils as the voices of Martha’s thoughts. Empathy here is a response to the atti- tudes of the roles they have met. Crimmins – uncaring, deceitful – and the Workhouse Master – cruel, untrustworthy, manipulative – and finally the low status role of Martha, vulnerable and limited in the choices she can make on her own.
The context If we then put these roles in the context of a workhouse – dan- gerous, forbidding and the last resort of the poor – while at the same time requiring the class to make judgements and a report about the workhouse, we are giving them power to take action.
Events leading up to her approaching the workhouse The pre-text to Martha approaching the doors of the workhouse involves her poverty, vulnera- bility, the symbol of a baby giving her little choice but to go the workhouse.
When the class meet roles with cruel and negative attitudes, i.e. Crimmins and the Workhouse Master, roles who are clearly willing to deceive the Commission, they are set up to empathise with the role of Martha. However, this is not truly empathising until they are given the opportunity to voice those concerns and to ameliorate her situation.
The affective stage
The second stage of structuring for empathising is the affectivestage. The three components this time are the pupils’ role, the context in which they find themselves and their witnessing of Martha’s treatment by Mards, the Workhouse Master.
The roles First the pupils’ role as commissioners is high status, fair-minded, responsible, not easily fooled and trying to make the world a better place.
The context If we then put these roles in the context of a fact-finding com- mission with the power to change practices, we give them the opportunity to take action.
Events leading up to their debrief of the Workhouse Master The pupils share the experience of witnessing the induction of a new inmate.
While the class’s attitude to Martha represents the cognitivestate, the second stage of the empathetic process is the affective state. After the class have had the opportunity to speak the thoughts of Martha as she approaches, they are able to confront the Workhouse Master and comment upon his treatment of Martha. They are in a position to criticise him and to make recommendations as to the procedures of the induction process. They may even ask for the process to be re-run with their recommendations enacted upon.
Of course, this situation is manipulated by the teacher structuring the roles and events in a particular way – the initial meeting with those who run the work- house, listening to their attitudes and witnessing their deceitful behaviour. All these planned events build towards the opportunity for empathetic behaviour to
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take place. In doing this we are not certain every pupil will respond empatheti- cally. Part of the function of teaching and learning is to create opportunities for assessment. Of course the nature of the response may vary from mere sympathy with Martha’s predicament to a more dynamic response to help the person by initiating action to help.
What distinguishes empathy as a response is its appropriateness to the person’s circumstances. ‘Feelings of pleasure, smugness, or hate’ would not be empathetic responses (Baron-Cohen, 2003, p. 28). What the structuring of an empathetic response does is enable you to diagnose an aspect of social health within the class, or within groups in the class, for example, boys and girls.
Those pupils who find it difficult to empathise will have the opportunity to see the skills modelled and the positive consequences played out.