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Exploring Experience Through Dolls: How Three Women Living With Cancer Used Doll Making to Tell Their Stories

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Exploring Experience Through Dolls: How Three Women Living With Cancer Used Doll Making to Tell Their Stories

Welland, Martha (2011) Exploring Experience Through Dolls: How Three Women Living With Cancer Used Doll Making to Tell Their Stories. [Graduate Projects (Non-thesis)] (Unpublished)

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Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore how therapeutic doll making could give voice to the subjective experience and facilitate personal storytelling for 3 women living with cancer in the post-treatment period. Participants attended a full-day workshop in which they created a doll and explored its significance. This experience was followed by individual open-ended narrative interviews, conducted 2 weeks later. Qualitative analysis of interview transcripts uncovered five themes: Reflection of Sense of Self, Reflection of Experiences, Positive Modeling, Ongoing Purpose, and New Beginnings. The themes indicated that the dolls provided a container for exploring past experiences and future possibilities, and created opportunities for personal validation and inspiration. The results of this research indicate the potentials of doll making and storytelling with this population.

Divisions:Concordia University > Faculty of Fine Arts > Creative Arts Therapies
Item Type:Graduate Projects (Non-thesis)
Authors:Welland, Martha
Institution:Concordia University
Degree Name:M.A.
Program:Creative Arts Therapies (Art Therapy Option)
Date:10 April 2011
Thesis Supervisor(s):Timm-Botos, Janis
Keywords:dolls, oncology, cancer, women, art therapy, doll making, narrative, stories, experiences
ID Code:7236
Deposited By: MARTHA WELLAND
Deposited On:19 Jan 2016 18:12
Last Modified:05 Feb 2019 21:13

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