A Study of Group Cinematherapy for Interpersonal Relationship Skills of Christian College Students
Erikson (1959) stated that developing close and committed relationships is one of the important developmental tasks in the early adulthood years. The a...
A Study of Group Cinematherapy for Interpersonal Relationship Skills of Christian College Students
Erikson (1959) stated that developing close and committed relationships is one of the important developmental tasks in the early adulthood years. The acceptance and sense of belonging that comes from positive relationships play a key role in identity establishment. In relation to Erikon’s theory, through this research, I have developed a group cinematherapy program to support the ‘improvement of interpersonal relationship and personality development’ for Christian college students that live on campus with other college students, living away from their parents. Additionally, I have tried to establish this program into a realistic and practical program.
College years are the time when the range of an individual's interpersonal relationship drastically increases. For this reason, college years are also a time when frequent confusion of interpersonal relationship appears. During the adolescence years, individuals focus only on studying for college entrance exams and develop limited relationships with others. However when one enters college, the individual is placed in an environment where he has to establish various relationships in different groups and gradually he may face stressful situations that he has not experienced before. Particularly, making relationships with people in a new environment can be stressful for college students who are not yet mature, who are apart from their family and considers their family to be the most intimate people to them. In effect, in the process of making relationships and interacting with others, students can make mistakes by committing crimes and these issues should not be overlooked.
Ultimately, I will use the action research, which is a type of qualitative research methodology that can review the process of change in the interpersonal relationship of the participant’s subjective and internal experience. I will limit the research participants to Christian college students who are alert in and are willing for positive interpersonal relationships. In addition, I will utilize the standpoint of exploration proposed by Patricia O'Connell Killen & John de Beer to discuss on the field of life and the Christian heritage. Through such process I will reveal the experience of conducting the group cinematherapy program.
For the improvement of interpersonal relationship of Christian college students I have come up with the following research questions.
1) How is group cinematherapy program for the improvement of Christian college students constructed?
2) What changes does group cinematherapy program bring to the interpersonal relationship of Christian college students?
3) What theological reflection is shown in group cinematherapy for improvement of interpersonal relationship of Christian college students?’
Group cinematherapy counseling is valued in terms of effectively handling various problems of college students, in comparison to one to one, individual counseling with Christian or Pastoral counselors working in Christian ministries. To be specific, unlike individual counseling, the number participants becomes equivalent to the number of counselors, and the movie as a text itself works as a supporter to increase the efficiency of counseling. Group cinematherapy also has an advantage in verifying reality regarding new behaviors without fear through movies. Finally, in group cinematherapy, the sense of belonging, fellowship and interpersonal relationships can be easily formed through internal communication and causal interactions among the Christian college students.
All in all, group cinematherapy counseling has the power of providing instantaneous treatment effects. The environment allows personal problems to be revealed within a group and right after this revelation; the problem can directly be solved and corrected. Recently, various areas have tried similar treatment methods but most universities, public organizations and churches are oblivious of the possibility of group cinematherapy program. Therefore, if current universities, public organizations and churches take in the advantages of the researches results and use this program, many Korean Christian college students will be supported by the development of positive interpersonal relationship.