SPLITSVILLE: A Play-with-Music Exploring Improper Divorce Disclosure’s Effects on Children
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.9744/katakita.9.2.267-275Abstract
Going through a divorce is a difficult time for a family, including the children. In this COVID-19 pandemic era, when the divorce rate in Indonesia soars high, I conducted a research to find out how it affects children or how children respond to it, especially when the decision to divorce is taken without their knowledge. To analyze it, I used theories from communication science. From the result of that research, I made a musical script which portrays my findings, in the hopes that readers or audiences can understand children’s perspective of divorce. The findings are the fact that it makes children become aloof and lowers their self-esteem. Even though they have a lot of questions and uncertainties towards the future, they will choose to become distant to avoid the topic of divorce. The reasons being they are afraid that talking about it will bring more drastic change. Other than that, they do not trust their parents as much anymore, since they think that the parents have lied to them.
Keywords: divorce, children, communication, aloof, play-with-music, comedy
References
Afifi, T.D., Afifi, W.A., & Coho, A. (2009). Adolescents’ physiological reactions to their parents’ negative disclosures about the other parent in divorced and nondivorced families. Journal of Divorce & Remarriage, 50(8), 517–540. https://doi.org/10.1080/10502550902970496
Afifi, T., & Schrodt, P. (2003). Uncertainty and the avoidance of the state of one's family in stepfamilies, postdivorce single‐parent families, and first‐marriage families. Human Communication Research, 29(4), 516-532. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2958.2003.tb00854.x
Berger, C. R., & Calabrese, R. J. (1975). Some explorations in initial interaction and beyond: Toward a developmental theory of interpersonal communication. Human Communication Research, 1(2), 99–112. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2958.1975.tb00258.x
Dorf, J. (n.d.). Five reasons why writing plays can make you a better screenwriter. Writers Store. https://www.writersstore.com/5-reasons-why-writing-plays-can-make-you-a-better-screenwriter/
Haddon, M., & Stephens, S. (2012). The curious incident of the dog in the night-time. Methuen Drama. https://doi.org/10.5040/9781408173381.00000006
Hastanto, I. (2020, August 26). COVID appears to be pushing couples in Indonesia to divorce. Vice. https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/y3z4gg/covid-appears-to-be-pushing-couples-in-indonesia-to-divorce
Haynes, N. (2018). Home, I'm darling review – cupcakes, cocktails and fetishising wifeliness. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2018/jul/04/home-im-darling-review-laura-wade-katherine-parkinson#:~:text=Home%2C%20I'm%20Darling%20is%20a%20timely%20analysis%20of%20the,be%20found%20in%20the%20past
Helitzer, M., & Shatz, M. (2005). Comedy writing secrets. Writer’s Digest Books. https://books.google.co.id/books?hl=en&lr=&id=oh9jDwAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PT11&dq=helitzer+and+shatz&ots=DVROTozJ71&sig=0RE88xdttkQN5u05lStyQUp7cI8&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=helitzer%20and%20shatz&f=false
Meehan, T. (1977). Annie. Music Theatre International.
Shaw, M. E., & Welker, H. (2016). Singing and dancing to the book of mormon: Critical essays to the broadway musical. Rowman and Littlefield. https://books.google.co.id/books?id=P2_0CwAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=book+of+mormon+musical+analysis&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiioOK8pPnrAhXqILcAHfQrCE4Q6AEwAnoECAQQAg#v=onepage&q=book%20of%20mormon%20musical%20analysis&f=false
Taylor, M. (2012). Musical theatre, realism, and entertainment. Ashgate Publishing Company. https://books.google.co.id/books?id=Tumhnt72hV4C&pg=PA33&dq=musical+theatre+analysis&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjqvKD1q_nrAhWO7HMBHbBeBXEQ6AEwCXoECAkQAg#v=onepage&q&f=false
The Jakarta Post. (2020, August 24). Regions see spike in divorce rates amid covid-19 pandemic. The Jakarta Post. https://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2020/08/24/regions-see-spike-in-divorce-rates-amid-covid-19-pandemic.html
Thomas, C.E., Booth‐Butterfield, M., & Booth‐Butterfield, S. (1995). Perceptions of deception, divorce disclosures, and communication satisfaction with parents. Western Journal of Communication, 59(3), 228-245. https://doi.org/10.1080/10570319509374519
West End Producer. (2015). Dear west end producer: What’s the difference between a musical and a play with music. The Stage. https://www.thestage.co.uk/dear-west-end-producer/dear-west-end-producer-whats-the-difference-between-a-musical-and-a-play-with-music
World Health Organization. (n.d.). Adolescent health in the south-east asia region. WHO. https://www.who.int/southeastasia/health-topics/adolescent-health#:~:text=WHO%20defines%20'Adolescents'%20as%20individuals,age%20range%2010%2D24%20years
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).