Masters Degrees (Visual Arts)

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Browsing Masters Degrees (Visual Arts) by Subject "Adorno, Theodor W., 1903-1969 -- Criticism and interpretation"

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    Perceptions of globalisation : how high school learners perceive and express their understanding of globalisation
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2018-03) Cameron, Sean Stuart; Constandius, E.; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Visual Arts.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: As an art educator, my role is to assist learners to assign a deeper meaning to art. Learners need to be guided to connect with art on a greater than superficial level based on the obvious aesthetic. Learners need to understand that art connects them with the world they inhabit and where they, as a generation, are headed. This has been the focus of my approach: to guide them towards an understanding that there is a difference between form and context. My challenge is to instil knowledge and understanding of the potential of art to reveal more about the world in relation to others and where one stands within this context; to reveal an interconnectedness between the self and the world. This attempt was met with ambivalence, disinterest and, in certain cases, resistance on the part of the high school learners. The theoretical perspectives of Theodor W. Adorno regarding conceptions of reified consciousness were used to inform the research. The research focused on how high school learners perceive globalisation, how those perceptions are expressed, what those expressions reveal about high school learners’ attitudes towards globalisation and to what extent attitudes expressed by high school learners may be interpreted according to the theoretical perspectives of Adorno as reified consciousness. This case study was used in conjunction with non-probability sampling and qualitative data-collection techniques. The sample comprised high school learners at a private school in the Helderberg region of the Cape Town Metropole. Inductive content analysis was used to make sense of the collected data. The study revealed that perceptions and attitudes towards globalisation of high school learners do indeed exhibit traits of reified consciousness. This was indicated by the learners’ general lack of interest in broader socio-cultural contexts and through displays of lack of empathy towards others, a certain level of desensitisation towards violence and a limited level of autonomy. Implications based on the findings and conclusions of this study indicate that reified consciousness poses a significant barrier to critical citizenship education. As an educator this poses certain challenges for me, such as how to approach related topics and ensuring that I do not potentially alienate learners further or, unintentionally, reinforce resistive attitudes.