Critical aesthetic pedagogy : toward a theory of self and social understanding

UNCG Author/Contributor (non-UNCG co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
Yolanda Medina (Creator)
Institution
The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG )
Web Site: http://library.uncg.edu/
Advisor
H. Svi Shapiro

Abstract: "This dissertation attempts to describe a new form of education called Critical Aesthetic Pedagogy. The object of this pedagogical method is to infuse aesthetic experience into critical educational practices in order to enhance capacities in students that are indispensable for social empowerment. By exposing students to participatory encounters with artworks that possess certain qualities that encourage the sharing of experiences and the recognition of common sources of oppression, educators can create a sense of empowerment that will prepare students to enable social justice. As illustration of this process, the Lincoln Center Institute's Aesthetic Education Program is described. This program provided a practical framework for incorporating aesthetics into critical pedagogical practices, which contributed to the development of the aforementioned pedagogy. The tool used to measure the ultimate success of this critical aesthetic process was a narrative paper in which a group of 46 teacher education students enrolled in a foundations of education course were asked to write reflecting on the entire semester's assigned readings and related class discussions in the light of their own personal experiences and using the LCI Aesthetic Education experience as a backdrop. A narrative analysis of students' reflective papers was conducted looking for recurring themes that indicated an enhanced critical awareness and empowerment to pursue social change."--Abstract from author supplied metadata.

Additional Information

Publication
Dissertation
Language: English
Date: 2006
Keywords
Critical Aesthetic Pedagogy, pedagogical method, aesthetic experience, educational practices, capacities, students, social empowerment, artwork
Subjects
Aesthetics
Art in Education

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