Aspiring School Leaders Addressing Social Justice through Art Making

Abstract

There is little in the professional literature about how school leaders or other professionals committed to promoting social justice deal with and manage their emotional responses to the challenges that await them in educational arenas. Even less has been written about how art making can be utilized as a means of developing new understandings and responses toward issues facing underserved populations. This study seeks to examine how 24 graduate students in the state of Texas understand the role of art making—specifically, the making of digital shorts using MovieMaker—to address issues of social justice and equity facing U.S. public schools. This study employs a grounded theory approach. Data consist of reflective interview responses, written narratives, and field notes. Participants identify art making as a valuable tool to deepening understanding and responses toward social justice and equity-oriented work in schools.

Artmaking as Sensemaking: A Conceptual Model to Promote Social Justice and Change

“…As school leaders draw meaning from their experiences and critically examine the implications of releasing their emotions as critical disturbances, they increase their capacity for empathy and navigating patterns of oppression facing marginalized populations (Boske, 2011(Boske, , 2012). The conceptual model encourages school leaders to express their emotions, explore their role as leaders, uncover and address injustices, and deepen understanding of self and of self in relation to other.…”

“…Artmaking as sensemaking encourages critical dialogue through aesthetics by exploring spiritual and moral dimensions of relationships (Kandinsky, 1977), understanding self in relation to others (see Boske, 2011), promoting problem-solving (see Katz-Buonincontro & Phillips, 2011) and engaging in activism (Boske, 2012). These arts-based practices have the capacity to encourage leaders to explore justice-oriented work through a myriad of mediums such as photography (see Arnold et al, 2015), visual and performing arts (see Boske, 2011), or sound and music (see Boske & Liedel, 2017).…”

“…The increased attention to understand school leaders and their capacity to engage in social justice and equity-oriented work (see Bogotch and Shields, 2014;Theoharis, 2007) aligns with arts-based principles centered on understanding sensory ways of knowing. Therefore, artmaking is as an experiential mode of inquiry that reveals insights and ways of understanding that impact school leaders' capacities for knowing (e.g., Boske, 2009Boske, , 2011Boske, , 2012Boske & Liedel, 2017;Cahnmann-Taylor & Siegesmund, 2008;Dewey, 1934;Eisner, 2002bEisner, , 2008. These ways of knowing find their roots in expressive art therapies, which can be categorized with movement, dance, art, drama, performance, and music therapies (see Rogers, 1993).…”

The Power of Artmaking to Deepen Ways of Knowing and Responding to Injustices

“…The interconnectedness between educational leadership and social justice-oriented work has been a focus in research studies since the late 1990s. The research agenda seems centered on defining what is meant by social justice educational leadership (see Bogotch, 2002Bogotch, , 2008English, 2003;Shoho, Merchant, & Lugg, 2011) to what it means to be a leader for social justice (Dantley & Tillman, 2010;English, 2008;Theoharis, 2007) to creating school leadership preparation programs that provide school leaders with opportunities to engage in social justice-oriented work in schools (Boske, 2011(Boske, , 2012Furman & Shields, 2005;Shields, 2015). Utilizing artmaking as sensemaking to uncover injustice, express emotions, deepen ways of knowing and being, and gaining insight to leadership practices provides school leaders with spaces to integrate the mind, body, and spirit to face social justice-oriented work in schools.…”

“…Emphasizing interconnectedness of the senses and artmaking creates opportunities for school leaders to make meaning from their lived experiences, discover connections among self, community, and social justice and problemsolve. If educational leaders engage in social justice work in schools, they may need to consider the benefits of reflecting on their practice, beliefs, and emotions associated with addressing injustices (see Boske, 2012). One means of exploring social justice-oriented work is through artmaking as sensemaking (see Boske, 2011).…”