Theatre of the Oppressed As Democratic Praxis: Addressing Internalized Oppression Among the Queer South Asian Diaspora

Background: Queer South Asians in the diaspora experience cumulative and intersecting stressors, including ethnocultural expectations, sexual racism, exclusion, and invisibilization. While minority stress frameworks have documented these impacts, less attention has been given to how oppression becomes internalized and how participatory approaches might disrupt these processes. Additionally, dominant individual‑level, cognitive approaches often obscure the embodied and relational manifestations of internalized oppression. Grounded in Multiple Minority Stress (Bowleg et al., 2003; Meyer, 2010) and Critical Consciousness (Freire, 1970; hooks, 1994), my study explores Theatre of the Oppressed (Boal, 1974) as a methodological and praxis-based approach to address internalized oppression among diasporic queer South Asians.

Methods: My study employs a critical qualitative, conceptual-analytic design. I conducted an integrative review across three bodies of literature: (1) multiple minority stress and internalized oppression, (2) critical consciousness, and (3) applied theatre, with a focus on Theatre of the Oppressed. Additionally, a purposive selection of empirical studies utilizing theatre-based interventions with queer and South Asian populations was included to ground the analysis in practice-based evidence.

These sources were analyzed using an integrative, theory-informed qualitative synthesis, drawing on reflexive thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006; 2021) and informed by critical interpretive approaches (Dixon-Woods et al., 2006). Analysis was iterative and inductive. Initial coding focused on identifying recurring mechanisms and processes related to structural, interpersonal, and internalized oppression. Through constant comparison and analytic memoing, codes were refined to examine how theoretical frameworks intersect and how Theatre of the Oppressed facilitates shifts in meaning-making, critical reflection, and engagement with oppression. The final stage of analysis involved the development of a synthesizing argument, linking these categories into a coherent conceptual framework that articulates how Theatre of the Oppressed operates as a praxis-oriented response to internalized oppression. Reflexivity was integral throughout the analytic process, informed by my positionality as a queer diasporic South Asian with a background in Theatre of the Oppressed.

Results: The synthesis identifies three interrelated pathways through which Theatre of the Oppressed may facilitate shifts across individual, relational, and communal levels. First, embodied externalization renders internalized narratives visible and contestable, enabling participants to critically engage with them. Second, collective meaning‑making fosters participatory analysis that situates personal experiences within shared structural conditions, strengthening relational support and collective consciousness. Third, envisionment and rehearsal of transformation allow participants to experiment with alternative responses to oppression, cultivating agency and collective imagination. Across these pathways, Theatre of the Oppressed functions as a democratizing research praxis by redistributing interpretive authority and positioning participants as co-creators of knowledge.

Conclusion: My study conceptualizes Theatre of the Oppressed as both a methodological approach and a praxis-oriented intervention that advances social work research toward more democratic, participatory forms of inquiry. By centering embodied participation and collective analysis, my framework challenges individualizing logics and contributes to more equitable, community‑engaged forms of inquiry. Implications include expanding social work research methodologies that foster critical consciousness, strengthen communal ties, and support democratic participation among multiply marginalized communities, while informing interventions aimed at social justice, inclusion, and the common good.