Blog Race

Hahn Tapper describes Social Justice Theory where students’ identities are interwoven with each other and all of the education environments students encounter. Not all of the class and teachers share the same social status and identity and even a starting point. Societal inequalities and power are brought into the class. The primary pedagogical goal is to enact social justice and freedom, both intellectually and physically, and challenge power, and the teacher’s role is to guide and steer students. The intersectionality and individual identities are based in relation to ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic class, identities students focus on as individuals and relations are developed through this commonality. I wonder how much UAL gets involved with social justice, student encounters and unlocking relationships in university life, I will research this more.

This report revealed alarming Art and Design data on undergraduate retention and attainment. I think there is an urgency to address racial retention and attainment disparities. Burke and McManus (2012) in their work ‘Art for a Few’ discusses widening participation policy to recruitment, creating inclusive, equitable and anti-discriminatory practice in Art and Design admissions. The report discussed were the whole experience from culture to the curriculum in Art and Design for a student from an ethnically diverse background can be improved. Students need to feel valued and belong to all aspects of the university, including the improvements for Art and Design pedagogies. Especially teachers need to be open to different aesthetics and approach which are different to traditional art teaching. Value of role models with having an ethnically diverse staff. 

Shades of Noir’s on Race, Peekaboo We See You: Whiteness, article on ‘Whiteness in Higher Education’ by Andrew Illman, as a White Academic he examines his own subconscious conditioning and ingrained racism, he is not a racist and is aware of his White Voice which is still carrying prejudice. The important aspect of his personal examination is that he understands the importance of the experience and perspectives of people of colour, and why these voices need to be at the forefront of change. And not his own voice, he understands his perspective will always be an interpretation of POC’s experience and carry Whiteness and privilege. With this framework, he is interested in the role and allyship in numerous ways to support and seek to challenge the prevalence of racial inequality and oppression, without leading from the front, it was a thoughtful insight from a senior white academic.SoN is a rich resource I will be using for my practice in the future, this will support me in further discussions around social justice with students and staff.