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 i 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 ii 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 iii 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 iv 1 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. 2 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 st 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 st debated and relevant topic in the 21 century (Brewer, 2002), because gaining or securing 3 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. 4 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 5 VISUAL ARTS ADVOCACY 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 st 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. 6 VISUAL ARTS ADVOCACY 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,