Browsing by Author "Meiring, Kobie"

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    Negotiating power relations
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2016-03) Meiring, Kobie; Perold, Karolien; Costandius, Elmarie; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Visual Arts.
    ENGLISH SUMMARY: After two decades of democracy, the phrase ‘a troubled time’ could be seen as accurately describing the current educational reality of South Africa. Art education has, in particular, been described as being lacking and undervalued in South African primary schools (Lochner, 2011). It has been contended that “pervasive exercises of power relations in educational institutions and processes” (Gore, 1995:166) could be contributing factors to the perceived lack and undervalued status of art education in this context. In reaction to the impoverished status of art education in South Africa, this study was aimed at gaining insight into the power relations that played out during the implementation of a specific art education programme in a low-income area in Delft, Western Cape. The objectives of the study were to gain nuanced insight into the variety of power relations at play in the implementation of the programme and to explore these power relations’ relation to one another. A qualitative approach and a case study design were used for the empirical part of the study. Through interviews, feedback forms, participant observations and written reflections, experiences of negotiating power relations in the establishment of the programme were collected. Inductive content analysis was used to develop key themes in the data. In the negotiation of power throughout the process of establishing the art programme, issues regarding the themes of 1) race, 2) inequality and exclusion, and 3) neutral territory featured strongly. The theme of race brought the fact that art education is considered to be a status symbol affordable only to the privileged and associated with whiteness to light. In efforts to address the complex racial and power related challenges facing art education, it was proposed that teachers should become knowledgeable in the functioning of hidden curricula to be able to work towards unbiased observation of learners. The theme of inequality and exclusion emphasised feelings of discomfort experienced by participants. Discomfort was often related with regard to language and learning barriers and limited material and human resources. It was suggested that dialogue within these moments of discomfort could potentially cultivate within teachers more understanding of how the opposites of, for example, poor and privilege intersect with class and race and power to shape the outplay thereof in education. Findings concerning the theme of schools as possible neutral territory opened the question of whether all role players in the art programme, i.e. school management, teachers and parents, could potentially detach from the symbolic forms of meaning that constitute their histories, social constructions, beliefs, viewpoints and preferences to be able to find a meaningful way to work towards social justice. The study revealed that the influence of hidden curricula was distinctively stronger than actual policy instructions, and that prevailing perceptions of art as a subject crucial to learner development should be addressed. Findings implied that teacher training aimed at increasing awareness of hidden curricula could be valuable in terms of promoting dialogue, resolving conflict and personal transformation. Improved power relations and the promotion of equality and inclusiveness could possibly serve as driving forces towards a more socially just education system which could ultimately improve learner success.