CCST 227: Ahimsa: Art and Soul Of Social
Change
Art, Activism and
New Media in Popular Resistance
In this Course, Art and Soul of Social Change; Art, Activism and
New Media in Popular Resistance, students will explore and develop an
understanding of the ways in which art and artists can facilitate positive
social/cultural change, public dialogue, and build community. Students will explore the relationship
between ahimsa, (nonviolence) art, activism and social movements for positive
social change and justice both Local and Global. The course will be divided in
three sections. In section one we will analyze the theoretical underpinnings of
the ahimsa/nonviolence paradigm and the relationship between the Artist and
society. Section two will examines
how artists address pressing social, political, ecological and material issues
and look at the works and the recent outpourings of artists/activists' protests
and resistance that are addressing issues of pandemic,
civil rights, freedom of expression, racial discrimination and questions of
equality, globalization, human rights, health care, and social justice among
others. How can the arts affect social change in communities? This course
challenges the understanding of what it means to be empowered and how to be an
agent of empowerment. The class fosters students' ability to apply the arts as
a catalyst for change in issues of discrimination and social injustice in the
USA and understand how social movements affect cultural and aesthetic
practices. We will focus on some of the recent racial and political conflicts
that have been significantly reshaped by the proliferation of digital media and
the Internet as a means of instant dissemination of images, texts, and
audiovisual expressions. The focus will be on considering the ways in which the
cultural texts generated by resistance movements like "Black Lives
Matter" the "#Me Too" and "It's On US" have
reshaped/reshaping the contours of specific cultures. The course aims to
address some important questions like, how do artists address social issues?
How can art serve as a force for creating public dialogue? Are there different
aesthetics for art with a social or political message? And, can art transform
lives? Through class assignments, class participation and research projects
students will address the above questions.
Outcomes
1. Understand the workings of nonviolent social movements in countries around the world and be familiar with basic vocabulary,
concepts and principles of conflict management and resolution in the practice
of art activism in social movement.
2.
Identify some artists
who are creating work in these arenas and learn about the aesthetic, social,
and cultural significance of their work.
3.
Understand the aesthetic
implications and challenges of art that straddles the realms of the political,
social, or cultural spheres.
4.
Understand the changing
role of the artist in society and their ability to organize and collaborate
with others to effect and affect positive social change
Most required readings, videos and films are on line.
Suggested Readings
1.
Zunes Stephen,
Kurtz and Asher, Nonviolent Social
Movements, 1999 Blackwell
2.
Zinn Howard , The power of Non Violence, 2002 Beacon Press
3.
Felshin, Nina, But Is It
Art? The Spirit of Art as Activism (1995)
4.
Glaser, Milton, The
Design of Dissent (2005)
5. Grande, John, Art Nature Dialogues:
Interviews with Environmental Artists (2004)
6. Kester, Grant, Art, Activism, and Oppositionality (1998)
7. Lacy, Suzanne, Mapping the Terrain: New Genre Public Art (1995)