Art and Social Justice.
Introduction.
Art has, over time, been used as a means to reveal ones feeling towards a particular subject or topic. The art has, over time, been a tool used for different goals. In some instances, the technique has been used to span stereotypes and also sources of animosity between people. (Goodman, D. J. (2011). Though art has been used for harmful objectives, it has extensively been used by a different artist to fight for the rights of the weak and the less fortunate in our society. Different artist such as Dyke and Jerram have extended their ability in artistic in fighting for the injustices that have taken root in our society.
An example is a portrait of the men who had died in a quest for justice, and engraved in them was was their last words. Art was also incorporated in dances and sharing of the heritage such as the clothes and share African American stories in fostering peaceful coexistence and abolishing injustices based on racial difference. (Barone, T. (2013).
Impact of art on social justice.
Art is used as a weapon in fighting for people with less ability to fight for themselves. By use of art, most people have joined in the battle against racism and gender-based violence. It has enabled the message to reach to the right stakeholder and curbing effects of injustice. (Goodman, D. J. (2011).
When art is craftily used, it has enabled to change the stereotypes threats associated with different groups. Art has contributed to improving the negative opinions towards certain subjects and different people.
It is a source of education. It enlightens people on their rights and why they should never forsake them. Art gives people a clear view of why rights are necessary and advantages of their implementation. It ensures that people realize that human rights are part of a safety net. (Barone, T.(2013).
Can art be effective in fostering social justice?
Art over, decades been used as a tool forged to fight for the rights of everyone. It is used to convince people that it is time that their voices were heard and the necessary measures implemented. Different artist such Aaron has used rights for an anti-discrimination crusade and also for the girl child rights. The art is used for awareness creation, and this has lead to great achievements.
Art has been successful in achieving awareness. People have been continuously getting aware of their rights. (Vanclay, F. (2012). The use of art has led to dialogues on different crucial topics such as discrimination over racial differences and other sensitive issues affecting our society.
Real life evidence of art achieving a difference.
Back in the year twenty fourteen, a teenager after eloping with a man in Pakistan was shot and thrown into a river by both her father and uncle. Miraculously she survived and became a protagonist in the war against the so-called “just killings.” After the Pakistani prime minister watched her video on “A girl in the river. The Price Of Forgiveness.” The prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, promised to take strict measures on the honor killing.
This is evident that art is a tool that should be used to advocate for justice.
Open-ended questions on art and social justice.
Polemarchus in Plato’s “Republic” has explained that justice means giving everyone their due. In response, what does justice mean to you?
Are there limitations to what art can achieve concerning social justice?
Conclusion.
Art has proven that it can be used for the right reasons and purpose. It is therefore prudent for all the artist to use their artistic abilities in ensuring that they give a voice to the voiceless and also pioneering for change. ( Vanclay, F. (2012). Art for change.
References.
Goodman, D. J., (2011). Promoting diversity and social justice: Routledge.
Di Cesare, S., Silveri, F., Sala, S., & Petti, L. (2018). Positive impacts in social life cycle assessment the way forward. The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment, 23(3), 406-421.
Esteves, A. M., Franks, D., & Vanclay, F. (2012). Social impact assessment: Impact Assessment and Project Appraisal, 30(1), 34-42.
Garber, E., (2004). Social justice and art education. Visual Arts Research, 30(2), 4-22.
Hanley, M. S., Sheppard, G. L., Noblit, G. W., & Barone, T. (Eds.). (2013). Arts for social justice: A way out of no way. Routledge.