Section 2: Exploring inclusivity practices within activity-based interactions
On an even playing field of haiku making
An inclusive activity of creative verbal art
To help older adults living with cognitive impairments to engage in positive social interactions and maintain
verbal creativity, intergenerational small-group sessions of haiku creation and appreciation activity were
conducted online during the pandemic. Haiku, a short 17-syllable form of poetry originating in Japan, conveys
simple yet emotive seasonal images free from the complexity or logical continuity required of prose. Accordingly, it offers anyone
the challenge of an unfamiliar activity while minimizing impediment from linguistic and memory difficulties. The participants’
interactions during the activity and post-session interviews reveal that for both young and old, the haiku
creation format facilitated self-expression and sharing of personal narratives. The key to meaningful interaction was the equal
positioning of persons with and without cognitive impairments and their efforts to understand their interlocutor’s purpose and
conversational direction. The study encourages further studies in pragmatics centered on affect-oriented communication.
Article outline
- 1.Introduction
- 2.Background and structure of haiku activity sessions
- 2.1Background
- 2.2The structure of sessions
- 3.Interactions during the haiku activity sessions
- 3.1Inclusive interactions – Mutual inclusion
- 3.1.1In haiku-focused interaction
- 3.1.2In casual conversation-focused interactions
- 3.2Unintended exclusion – Other inclusion
- 3.3Discussion
- 4.Conclusion
- Acknowledgements
- Notes
-
References