For this entry I will attempt to articulate some aspects I found challenging between A pedagogy of social Justice Education” Social identity Theory, Intersectionality and empowerment. Aaron J. Hahn Tapper and White fragility Robin Deangelo from the shades of noir articles provided by the course as well as some additional ideas that have emerged as a result of the task.
In “a pedagogy of social justice education”, the author discusses the aspect of “deexceptionalizing”, that is removing the perception that an individual’s conflict is singular or unique and that their experience is in fact common. I think this logic is skewed when individuality and the personal narrative is the primary concept celebrated in contemporary culture. Despite in general terms communication design still being for the purpose of providing a solution for a “client”, design education often requires students to use their personal experience as a starting point for projects. A book that has been brought to my attention and that may support this but I’m yet to read is The Auto-Ethnographic Turn in Design.
Although the paper suggests that the organisation recognises an individuals trauma as singular I still find it particularly insensitive to consider a persons bereavement as a result of armed hostility as common place or the same as another. “To paraphrase Kluckhohn, every person and every conflict is in some respects like all others, like some others, and like no others (Kluckhohn and Murray 1948). In this sense, no participant is sui generis and no conflict is entirely one of a kind.” I think this is weak and flattens peoples experience and to stress the point, I believe the thing we appear to value the most today is the individual narrative.
Briefly noted in the paper is the banking system. I agree that the philosophy of “knowledge as a gift to be bestowed” is not relevant today and describes a power structure that places one person at the centre, disregarding the fact that everybody possesses knowledge. Shifting this mentality is beneficial to students and creates better learning environments that value people’s lived experiences. However, I do think we still need experts and specialists which can very often come from a “master” perspective. This is particularly relevant with technical knowledge and skills. For example if you have incorrectly prepared a file for print your project will not meet high expectations. In my own experiences in graphic design and illustration education, there has been a rejection of important technical skills-based learning. The technician is often seen as separate from the “real” learning and is placed at a secondary level. In the communication area of the foundation course, the teaching staff maintain and run a modest relief and screen print studio, with tutors operating in a dual role. This dialogue between the two spaces has been invaluable for many students, allowing projects to reach their full potential due to immediate access to the print room and providing a great sense of accomplishment for the students. In my opinion, technical knowledge is essential in design education, and I believe skill-based drawing such as observation, life drawing, and perspective drawing should be mandatory in an illustration course.
The paper quotes the writer and activist Audre Lorde “there is no hierarchy of oppression”. This idea presupposes for example you cannot fight for one oppression alone but all at once. However, Robin Deangelo states that “white people have problems but systematic racism isn’t one of them” this appears to suggest that there is in fact a hierarchy of oppression. Due to systematic racism, two people of different ethnicities but with similar economic backgrounds will inevitably experience a hierarchy of oppression.
It is almost impossible to find examples in design in the western world that don’t have inherent systematic racism in them. We can take any instance of design culture and it will have a background of oppression. In the context of graphic design We can take the common font Helvetica found on most computers as an example. A “neutral” font from a “neutral” country, belonging to western school of design, a font for universally any communication. Arguably Helvetica alone has a lineage of colonial power and its continued use maintains the whiteness status quo. Ironically the font is used as UAL’s logotype and perhaps becomes a beacon of western design theory as the dominate. Pentagrams Domenic Lippa states Helvetica was chosen for its neutrality and was chosen as means to unify the colleges across the university. But there is no neutrality, there are sides.
I believe a powerful tool a tutor has is the ability to contextualise resources for students and design strategies for them to view their disciplines through their own lenses. However, this requires tutors to be constantly researching and committed to teaching. But how does that fit with the realities of fractional staff members who juggle multiple roles, jobs, and a design practice?
Will, Thank you for your very candid expressions and reflections.
I found it very interesting to read. Not least because I found a challenge because we probably hold different views. But this is a good thing and I appreciated reading your perspective.
In “a pedagogy of social justice education”, the author discusses the aspect of “deexceptionalizing”, that is removing the perception that an individual’s conflict is singular or unique and that their experience is in fact common.
I kind of agree with this…..For some, a very personal negative or trumatic experience although personal is in fact shared and common. Take for instance the war in Ukraine, whole neighborhoods have been bombed, neighbours, family and friends alike. Your personal feeling and response may be individual but the fear, trauma, sense of loss and bereavement is common and shared.
Think of group counselling for bereaved parents or AA groups, people coming together and recognising both a deeply personal but also a shared pain or trauma. And the footballer Dele Alli, being lauded in the press for sharing his story because people believe how much it can help others by letting them know that there is a communality in this suffering and they are not alone.
The key word is ” In some respect” so not entirely.
Another example is my experience of racism, although very personal to me it is not unique to me, however, how I respond to it is individual.
Helvetic and UAL use of particular fonts….This was interesting and I really appreciate you highlighting this because it is a part of your subject and I can see you trying to make some connections which is important.
What is your student cohort like in terms of race and ethnic/cultural mix?
Do your students from different cultural groups mix/sit and work together freely without prompting?
Have you ever been in a teaching environment (group or individual) where you have felt uncomfortable or unsure of how to respond in relation to race?
Have you ever found it challenging to get students from specific cultural backgrounds to speak and contribute in class?
How do you intend to go about creating an inclusive space when it comes to your teaching practice. What about the communication images, and resources you share and activities you design?
Thank you for sharing!!