Religion in Britain: Challenges for Higher Education.
The paper discusses religious illiteracy. However I do not think it is the responsibility of an associate lecturer to meaningfully engage with the complex subtleties of a persons faith. As with any subject matter, a student is welcome to explore their faith in a communication design project. We do however encourage students to bring their knowledge, share with peers and tutors and broaden their research base. Together in a studio environment I can support them to communicate their indented design aims successfully.
Article from SON around faith
I have struggled to identify an article from the prescribed source that is relevant to my teaching practice. While teaching on the foundation course, chaplaincy and spiritual guidance has always been clearly sign posted for anyone who needs it. However, students have never personally inquired from me to direct them to such support. More demand has been requested for mental heath and counselling over direction with faith, suggesting that greater emphasis should be placed on this area of support.
Kwame Anthony Appiah Reith lecture on Creeds.
I, in all honesty and in good faith, am completely unsure of the relevance of how I could use the source in my own teaching context. A connection I could make is how Kwame Appiah refers to religion having three dimensions: what you do – practice, who you do it with – community, and a body of belief. This idea could be extrapolated to a design studio environment. For example, the practice of graphic design involves the practical and theoretical exploration of the subject, the community consists of the people you work with in the studio, and belief refers to the “rules” currently followed within graphic design.
It would seem that you struggled in the same way that I did, finding a place for religion in your role. I suppose just by mentioning it as a possible topic of research in our briefs when the subject matter is wide open, in some way that may help them to see that they shouldn’t feel that they have to hide that part of themselves, and to bring their positionality to their assignments.
You mentioned that you encourage students to bring their experience and knowledge and share with their peers. It would be interesting to hear how you navigate ideas that may oppose your own views, your student views and maybe even ‘secular/social’ – if this is something you have experienced.
Also it is interesting that students are choosing mental health support more than faith support on your course. There are interviews with the various UAL chaplains within the SON article which may be worth a read, if you haven’t seen them already!
While I agree that it is not the responsibility of a tutor to get involved with the minutea of a persons faith, I think it is important – particularly when facilitating discussions with peers around work that may be informed by faith – to ensure the conversation does not aim to disregard or diminish faith as a valid source of inspiration. There are other examples in the TOR on faith which speak to this directly, definitely worth looking at if you haven’t had a chance to.