Art For Social Justice Change
Thesis:
This study addresses the process through which educators move students from thinking about an issue to acting in response to that issue. In this study, I facilitated an art unit in which each student addressed a social issue, challenged an assumed norm, or addressed ways to correct an injustice. The pedagogical approach fostered social justice student artwork.
Main Question:
How do students engage with social issues through their artwork?
Sub-Questions:
i. When given the opportunity to create artwork about social injustice, how do students select an issue?
ii. How do students communicate their message through the artwork?
The process:
Nicole explains how students first come up with a social issue that is meaningful to them. Then they need to decide what type of medium and materials they will use to create and further expand on their social issue. She uses examples of graphic novels and even graffiti. Next she explores other artists and art educators who also incorporated social issue into their classrooms. Henderson and her students explored and created sculptures and instillations and these projects focused on the idea inequality. Next she acknowledges art educators who prepare their students to engage with social justice and how there is a need to change the educational system to make it possible to bring up these controversial or important topics. Her goal "is that through an activism-based art education curriculum, students will develop not only an awareness of the power art can have in the world but an appreciation for their own voice in society". She had the students watch TED talks and discuss several different artists then brainstorm injustices that exist in the world. They compose this information in their personal sketchbooks. Each student picked a topic and wrote art activist messages. The students had freedom to create their project with materials and mediums however they pleased. Nicole explains how, "while most students worked through the process of choosing an issue, determining a message for their artwork, creating a practice sketch, and then making their final piece of art, a few students did not follow this model". Nicole explains how several students created artwork to raise awareness for an issue they discovered. Encouraging students to create art for social justice, also allows them to engage in art that is meaningful.
This study addresses the process through which educators move students from thinking about an issue to acting in response to that issue. In this study, I facilitated an art unit in which each student addressed a social issue, challenged an assumed norm, or addressed ways to correct an injustice. The pedagogical approach fostered social justice student artwork.
Main Question:
How do students engage with social issues through their artwork?
Sub-Questions:
i. When given the opportunity to create artwork about social injustice, how do students select an issue?
ii. How do students communicate their message through the artwork?
The process:
Nicole explains how students first come up with a social issue that is meaningful to them. Then they need to decide what type of medium and materials they will use to create and further expand on their social issue. She uses examples of graphic novels and even graffiti. Next she explores other artists and art educators who also incorporated social issue into their classrooms. Henderson and her students explored and created sculptures and instillations and these projects focused on the idea inequality. Next she acknowledges art educators who prepare their students to engage with social justice and how there is a need to change the educational system to make it possible to bring up these controversial or important topics. Her goal "is that through an activism-based art education curriculum, students will develop not only an awareness of the power art can have in the world but an appreciation for their own voice in society". She had the students watch TED talks and discuss several different artists then brainstorm injustices that exist in the world. They compose this information in their personal sketchbooks. Each student picked a topic and wrote art activist messages. The students had freedom to create their project with materials and mediums however they pleased. Nicole explains how, "while most students worked through the process of choosing an issue, determining a message for their artwork, creating a practice sketch, and then making their final piece of art, a few students did not follow this model". Nicole explains how several students created artwork to raise awareness for an issue they discovered. Encouraging students to create art for social justice, also allows them to engage in art that is meaningful.
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