THE RHETORIC OF ART EDUCATION ADVOCACY IN THE 21st CENTURY

88 Pages·2014·1.19 MB·English

THE RHETORIC OF ART EDUCATION ADVOCACY IN THE 21st CENTURY: INTRINSIC AND
INSTRUMENTAL MOTIVATIONS IN LATIN AMERICA AND THE UNITED STATES

Felix Valoy Rodriguez Suero

Submitted to the faculty of the School of Art, Art Education Program
in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree
Master of Arts in Art Education
in the College of Design, Art, Architecture, and Planning
University of Cincinnati

April 2014

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Accepted by the Graduate Faculty, University of Cincinnati, in partial fulfillment of the
requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Art Education.

____________________________________________________
Flavia Cunha Bastos, Ph.D.

Master
Committee

____________________________________________________
Nicasio Urbina, Ph.D.

April 22, 2014

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Table of content
Title page i
Advisors signature page ii
Table of content iii
Abstract 1
Chapter 1: The Rhetoric of Art Education Advocacy in the 21st Century ……………………. 2
Personal motivations ………………………………………………………………………………….... 6
Defining advocacy ……………………………………………………………………………………….. 9
Why do we need advocacy?..…………..…………………………………………………………….. 10
The dialectic of intrinsic and instrumental arguments ……………….………………….. 17
Intrinsic & Instrumental arguments as research framework …………………………. 23
Chapter 2: Art education Advocacy: A Review of the Literature……………………………… 26
The Rhetoric of Art Education Advocacy in the United States ………………………… 27
Art Ed. for economic development and professional performance …….. 28
Art education and academic performance .………………………………………… 31
Individual and social identity ………………………………….………………………… 34
Art education and cognitive development …………………………………………. 35
Art for art’s-sake…………………………………….………………………………………… 36
The Rhetoric of Art Education Advocacy in Latin America……………………………. 37
Art and society……………………………………..…………………………………………… 37
Art and personal development ……………..………….……………………………….. 39
Art education and language …..……………..………….………………………………… 41
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Chapter 3: Expanding Art education Discourse in the 21st Century advocacy ……….….. 44
Bringing Together Two Focal Points……..………….…………………………………………… 44
High Quality Art Education …………………..………….…………………………………………... 50
Demands in Advocacy for the 21st Century……….………………………………………….. 52
Plurality of Focal Points in Art Education Advocacy Discourse …………………….. 55
Chapter 4: The Art-E project ……..…………..…………………….…………………………………………. 58
Project Motivations ………………..……………..………….…………………………………………. 58
Project Background………………..……………..………….…………………………………………. 59
Project Description ………………..……………..………….………………………………………….. 62
Evidence of the project’s completion………………..……………..………….…………………. 65
Personal Reflections ………………..……………..………….…….………………………………….. 66
Chapter 5: Conclusions and Recommendations…………….…………………………………………. 69
Conclusions ……………………………………….…………….………………………………………….. 69
Personal Reflections..………………………….…………….……………………………………….…. 71
Recommendations ……..…………………………………….……………………………………….…. 72
References…….…..……………………………………….…….……………………………………….…………….. 74

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VISUAL ARTS ADVOCACY

Abstract
In this master’s research project I discuss how the value of art education has been
argued in the United States and Latin America in the last fourteen years. Keeping each
scenario as an independent unit of inquiry, I use the tensions between intrinsic and
instrumental motivations to explore elements in common and differences between Latin
America and the United States discourse in visual art education advocacy. I address how
contemporary challenges such as globalization, internationalization of education,
technology and diversity issues demand perspectives in advocacy to go beyond national
agendas. I argue that by looking at art education advocacy in Latin America and the United
States we will discover innovative ways to support and develop new forms of collaboration.
I explain how my website project, the Art-E, responds to the need to strategize the flow of
ideas in art education advocacy in the Americas.
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VISUAL ARTS ADVOCACY
Chapter 1
The Rhetoric of Art Education Advocacy in the 21st Century
The Rhetoric of Art Education Advocacy in the 21st
CenturyM: Iyn mtriansstiecr a’sn rde sInesatrrcuhm pernotjaelc Mt, otivations in Latin America and the United States
, aims
to afford insights that expand the visual art community’s understanding of art education
advocacy beyond the discourse within the United States. I discuss how the importance of
visual art education has been argued in Latin America and in the United States. Using the
tensions between intrinsic and instrumental arguments within advocacy discourse, I look
at elements in common and differences between Latin America and the United States
discourse in visual art education advocacy. I argue that looking at art education advocacy
discourse in both Latin America and in the United States gives us a bigger picture of the
issue. This allows a broader understanding, more tools to articulate the value of the visual
arts and the consideration of new forms of collaboration.
Despite the fact that art education advocacy has been a hot topic in visual art
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education literature in the last two decades, in the context of 21 century education
challenges, art education is needed more than ever to ensure that every individual has
equal access to art experiences that enable them to reach a fuller enjoyment of life and to
develop creative competencies that give them more chances to succeed. The visual art
community still needs to inform the public and policy makers of the importance of visual
art education in general education, especially in today’s educational context of systems that
stress the value of technology proficiency and other “essential subjects” and deem visual
arts as an extracurricular activity (UNESCO, 2003). Art education advocacy is still a
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debated and relevant topic in the 21 century (Brewer, 2002), because gaining or securing
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VISUAL ARTS ADVOCACY
a place for visual art education in general education is still a concern in both the United
States and Latin America.
Because the struggles to keep art education in general education is a concern that go
beyond national boundaries, advocates need to reposition their vision at an angle that
allows us to contemplate a bigger perspective on the horizon of values of visual art
education. Globalization and internationalization of education, the growing population of
Latino descendants in the United States, the influence of United States’ culture and
intellectual production in Latin America, among other factors invite us to think of advocacy
beyond regional scope and needs. By looking at art education advocacy in Latin American
and the United States we will discover innovative ways to support and develop new forms
of collaboration. This master research project is a contribution to the art community’s
struggles to ensure that all individuals have equal access to the art experiences that enable
their full creative potential.
It is anticipated that this master’s research will be of benefit to those interested in
broadening their understanding of how the visual art communities in Latin America and
the United States have articulated the importance of art education. In a more specific way,
this research affords insights that are very practical and useful for cultural andU anrtitse d
oNragtaionnizsa Etdiouncsa twioitnhailn, Stchiee nsctiofipce a onfd t hCeu lUtunriatel dO rSgtaatneisz aatniodn Latin America, suIncthe ransa tional
Society for Education through Art (UNESCO), the
(InSEA), as well as national and regional arts
organizations in Latin America and in the United States.
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VISUAL ARTS ADVOCACY
Because the way visual art education advocacy is stressed affects how visual art is
taught, this master’s research project also informs American art teachers working with
Latino populations and Latin American art teachers working with American students, who
have the interest to understand the background and prior visual art experiences of their
students. This project also affords insights into what is valued in the visual arts in both
Latin America and the United States which can help teacher teachers to plan more
appealing art experiences when dealing with a diverse population throughout the
Americas.
One of the lessons I have uncovered through this research is that the variety of
viewpoints from which visual art education is advocated represent an advantage to the
field in the sense that it gives advocates tools to appealing to a wider audience. The
multiple focal points from which the value of art education for the individual and for
society can be conveyed might exist in a tension regarding its intrinsic or instrumental
values; however, I believe this tension is of value to avoid a monolithic discourse and to
promote debate between advocates. Combining all these angles we can have a more
complete picture of the importance of art education, and become equipped with more tools
to meet the particular needs of our advocacy focus.
This master’s research project is organized into five chapters. In introductory
chapter, chapter 1, I discuss the context behind my research and explain why I chose to
examine advocacy in the United States and Latin America. In chapter one, I explain the
methodological framework and the criteria and limitations of this research; I also devote a
section to explain the intrinsic and instrumental tensions in visual art education advocacy
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discourse and to define important terms used in this master research project. Chapter two
is the review of the literature, where I discuss how the value of art education has been
argued in the United States and Latin America separately. Advocacy arguments in the
United States are divided into five categories: (a) art education and economic development,
(b) art education and academic performance, (c) art education and cognitive development,
(d) individual and social identity through art education, and (e) art for art’s sake. Latin
American arguments are discussed in three categories: (a) art education and personal
development, (b) art education and social cohesiveness and (c) art education and
communication.
In chapter three I discuss my findings from examining advocacy in these contexts.
I compare and contrast how intrinsic and instrumental tensions are different or similar in
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Latin America and the United States and discuss how these insights can contribute to 21
century advocacy in the Americas. In chapter four, I describe the creative project that
accompanies this research as part of the requirement for the culmination of the master in
visual art education. As a creative and practical counterpart for this research, I created a
website that is intended to be a platform for the promotion of the ideas contained in this
research and for advocacy in general, and explain how this website relates and applies the
findings of this master’s research project. Lastly, chapter five comprises my conclusions
and recommendations, summary of my main insights, lessons learned, and
recommendations for further studies.
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Personal Motivations
About six years ago when I was finishing my research project for my Bachelor’s in
music theory, I stumbled upon an article about music education advocacy in the United
States. In my lack of familiarity with the context behind this advocacy text, I was surprised
to read that music education in the United States was not being well supported in schools
and that in times of financial constraints the arts are the first thing to be cut out from the
curriculum.
I shared my surprise with my advisor, a Cuban professor who had been working at
the Universidad Autónoma de Santo Domingo for over a decade. He said that Americans
complain too much. His short and sharp answer might resonate with some art teachers in
Latin America. It makes sense though that within the constraints in which many art
teachers work in Latin America the scenario of American art education looks like a very
privileged one. Nevertheless, after living in the United States for two years and witnessing
the system from a closer vantage point, I have been able to understand the need of
advocacy in the United States.
My experiences both in the United States and in the Dominican Republic allow me to
address advocacy in the United Stated and Latin America with a good level of confidence. I
worked for seven years as a visual art teacher in the Dominican Republic. As a high school
art teacher in inner city Santo Domingo, I struggled to expose my students to meaningful
art experiences despite many limitations, such as lack of resources, over populated
classrooms, lack of support from parents and education authorities, and low payment. At
that small school I was the only art teacher. Part of my duties included music instruction,