It was a harder journey to read and reflect on these resources than others, honestly, the question I am asking myself, is why?
The ‘peekaboo we see you: whiteness’ zine from Shades of Noir, is extremely insightful and engaging mixing text and visuals to break up the issue, I enjoyed reading a few of the articles, but the main one that stood out was that of Julie Wright: ‘I Don’t Hate White People, I just can’t stand white supremacy’, found on page 116-117. It was relevant to me in a more practical setting as it was teaching lived experience. Wright mentioned that evidence of white supremacy is there due to the microaggressions, while also providing references to media-established microaggressions. The teaching I took was that for me to break my privilege and understand my biases, I can provide the space and time for BIPOC to speak and illustrate their experiences in a safe environment. That I also must observe and reflect on body language and how my own presence as a cis, white male can dominate a room and control the narrative of discussion. The following quote by Wright provided me the moment to sit, take a break from this issue of SON and reflect on my past experiences.
“And that’s the problem right there, clear as day”.
As the class setting is already prepared, it was easier navigation to read up on, ‘Retention and attainment in the disciplines: Art and Design’ (Finnigan and Richards 2016). What captured my attention was the percentage differences between White students 6% to that of Black Caribbean, 13% of Black or Black British and 10% of Black other. This number was truly staggering, something as a technician I have considered, I also question if there are ‘investigative’ opportunities between why these students are dropping out, more in the sense of pastoral care than administrative action.
“Art education has generally been conservative, repetitive and exclusive. Art education theorists have even described art education as Eurocentric, racist and imperialist and have called for curriculum reform and social change. (Hatton 2015, p. 3)”
This quote from the article on page 8 under ‘Inclusive curriculum and Identity work’ proved a theory that I even questioned. The Eurocentric or Western ideals of education dictatorship, to accumulate profit over learning, showed me that we as a creative society have lost the beauty behind Art education and what it meant to find and study your identity as an artist. This rapport is evidence that art education needs to change, my only fault with it, is that I as a technician have no power to interrupt or intervene in change within my associated course. That hierarchy of privilege comes into play when senior academics dictate their wants over industry needs, and social constructs of learning environments need to change with current political and economic societies.
Reflecting on these resources has provided me with a stop button. Consider my positionality and my position and understand that my teaching environments need to be student lead and focused on student learning fulfilment and engagement. To understand my biases, how to observe and adapt my being to inclusive and understanding, but also how my own identity has shaped my career and how I can use my own lived experience to reshape my workshops to become inclusive and welcoming to all.
“Freire explains the role that identity plays in the shaping and implementation of education. One of his most important arguments is that students’ identities need to be taken into account in all educational settings.”
Quoted from ‘A pedagogy of social justice education: social identity, theory and intersectionality’ (pg 411-417 Read Hahn Tapper 2013). This I believe is a quote and pedagogy focus point I can bring into all my future teaching.
References
Finnigan, Terry, and Aisha Richards. Retention and Attainment in the Disciplines: Art and Design. AdvanedHE, 3 Sept. 2016.
Hahn Tapper, Aaron J. “A Pedagogy of Social Justice Education: Social Identity Theory, Intersectionality, and Empowerment.” Conflict Resolution Quarterly, vol. 30, no. 4, June 2013, pp. 411–445, https://doi.org/10.1002/crq.21072. Accessed 10 July 2023.
Shades of Noir. “Peekaboo We See You: Whiteness.” Issuu, 27 Apr. 2018, issuu.com/shadesofnoir/docs/peekaboo_we_see_you_whiteness.
UCU – University and College Union. “Witness: Unconscious Bias.” Www.youtube.com, 1 Feb. 2016, www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6XDUGPoaFw.
I read your blog with interest, as a white cis female, in my positionality I also needed that stop and reset you describe in the reflection of this units content. I’ve just come out of a horrendously overlong department meeting in which your third paragraph also rings true… we have been asked to cut teaching hours from our course (by UAL), without too much investigation I know that this will have detrimental impact on all our students if it’s not managed with creativity and sensitivity… but more than that, I know from reading these figures and all the other texts that any negative impact will likely be felt and seen more acutely in our minority communities. I do wish that all my departmental colleagues would have this content delivered to them as we have in this unit… it would have made conversation very different as we implicitly discussed critical and compassionate pedagogy today. I’m a squeaky wheel when I get going but I need a few more to squeak in unison for the machine to stop and reset as we have.
I have had a very similar experience to you as a white, liberal, benign person, the stop button is a great metaphor for this unit. Your natural curiosity paired with generosity will bring about an inclusive environment. I have learnt to via Freire that I must not load my knowledge onto my students but let their own lived experience come to the classroom. Putting this into action will feel like and experiment but in the new campus we hopefully have the freedom to try new routes. Cannot wait to do this together with you!