Applied Theater Teaching Model for Addressing Social Sustainability in Business Education

This chapter presents an innovative applied theater teaching model for fostering social sustainability in business schools. Applied theater, i.e., a form of theater with clear political, educational, or therapeutic goals, is particularly suitable for addressing the social-sustainability-related terms of “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion” (DEI) among Generation Z and, therefore, supports the implementation of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 3 (Good Health and Well-being), 4 (Quality Education), SDG 5 (Gender Equality), and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities). The applied theater teaching model is action-based learning that inculcates some of the most sought-after skills for the future, such as criticality, creativity, curiosity, agility, compassion, and various mindsets and competencies enabling inclusive social interactions. This is because theater-based teaching allows learners to actively reflect on themselves and their environment and supports comprehension of the roles that humans adopt or are forced to adopt, human feelings and behaviors in those specific roles, and their consequences. In this chapter, the explanations of applied theater’s application in business education are illustrated with experiences obtained while conducting applied-theater-based courses at BIMTECH—a leading business school in India. We hope to inspire educators across the globe to design and deliver courses playfully by integrating theater performances that can prevent unwanted real-life behaviors (e.g., discrimination, misjudgment, stigmatization) and encourage the taking of responsibility for one’s own actions in every context, including business.