Review of Ballengee-Morris and Sturh

Joni Hough

November 1, 2013

Advanced Art Education Methods

Review of Ballengee-Morris and Sturh

            In the article, “Multicultural Art and Visual Cultural Education in a Changing World,” Ballengee-Morris and Sturh begin by stating the importance of teachers understanding culture and cultural diversity, which should include issues of power, history, and self-identity.  These are important to the school reform model of education that is proposed in this article.  To do this teachers and students must learn to look critically at their own culture as well as the cultures of others.

            Ballengee-Morris and Stuhr point out that history, heritage, traditions, and culture (which is ever changing) of social groups is what creates diversity.  Culture influences our understanding and action, which is why it is important to learn about the culture and values of others.  Culture is comprised of one’s age, gender, sexuality, social and economic class, exceptionality, geographic location, religion, political status, language, ethnicity, and racial designation.  One’s position within these groups are often the basis of positions of power and acts of discrimination.

            Multicultural Education is a school reform movement that began in the 1960’s.  Two of the approaches to Multicultural Education are Multicultural Education Approach and Social Reconstructionist Approach.  Multicultural Education Approach schools have diverse populations.  This trend has been reversed in recent years as schools are becoming more and more segregated.  This approach also includes teaching students about the contributions of diverse groups of people.  Unfortunately in many classrooms if this is employed at all, it is superficial and only serves to reinforce stereotypes.

            The Social Reconstructionist Approach is similar to the Multicultural Education Approach.  The main difference is that the Social Reconstructionist Approach also aims to make changes in the community for the benefit of discriminated against groups.

            Ballengee-Morris and Stuhr present Stuhr, Petrovich-Mwanike and Wasson’s six position statements about multicultural art education.  Ballengee-Morris and Stuhr then give a curricular example of using violence as a key concept.  This example could work great in a modified TAB classroom or it could be modified to work in a full TAB classroom.