SCA2001 2022
Portfolio
Week 1 4.1. Activity: Cultural case studies
Some of my own cultural influences are growing up in a Christian family.
We had very strong values of being responsible and respectful. Being responsible is a good thing, and I believe as humans we are accountable for ourselves and oversee the choices we make, our fate is in our hands. I had trouble with having to be respectful of those who were older than me though. To be honest I have emotional wounds from childhood that live on to this day as there were many double standards. As a child, I was told to be respectful of my parent and were expected to obey without question. As I grew up I felt like I was not given enough choices, and was manipulated into being respectful whilst my parent did not respect my own space and boundaries. I still believe that Christian values are good and it can give young people a community or group to socialize in. It is good to have a group you belong to and it is vital for our well-being so we do not become self-isolated and disconnected, but we have to be careful we do not use our own prejudices and abuse people with our own black-and-white views on the world. We are all humans, complex and dynamic, and in the complex cultures and ways we think we all are humans who should be equally respected and acknowledged as a person.
Identify someone in your life:
My grandma is someone I know well. Her older generation is quite different from how we as a younger generation are. We are more exposed to technology and know how to use it well. We use technological tools and learn how to post, share our life, do hashtags, and use social media fairly well. When I look at the older generation such as my grandma, she finds it a bit harder to find things on her laptop or know how to problem solve when posting something and an obstacle gets in the way. I believe it comes with its pros and cons though because I would say there are benefits to not being so technology dependent such as learning to spend time with yourself without distractions and connecting face-to-face with people.
Week 1 7. Activity: Cultural Safety
- Take a look at the list of desirable traits in an ethical leader in ‘4. What is Ethics?’.
- Are there examples of leaders, managers, or teachers in your life where you can see these traits? Or perhaps an absence of these traits? Talk about who this person (or people) are and the effect they’ve had on the people around them.
I know an artist and art lecturer who inspires all those who are around her. Anna has a way of seeing the world and gaining insight that uplifts other people and encourages them. But one of her most desirable traits is her honesty. She is honest about how we struggle as humans, what it means to go through something painful, and to learn from our suffering as humans. She embraces what makes us broken in life and sees the humanity in us all. This shows her authenticity, which is a valuable trait and asset in gaining mutual respect and trust. People look up to her for her honesty, and it inspires them to be truthful with themselves and others too.
- Do you view yourself as capable of leadership? Regardless of if your answer is yes or no, what qualities do you think would most fit your leadership style? What are qualities you would like to cultivate in yourself that might not be present at this stage of your emerging career?
The qualities that would most suit my leadership style is to be inspiring and forward-looking. I am introverted and find it hard to be out there and lead a group. But what I am good at is leading by inspiration. People look up to me and appreciate the insight and advice I give them, so I lead more by example than by being in the limelight. I am normally focused on helping others achieve great things and working with their strengths then leading from the front.
I am also good at being forward-looking. My personality fits into the visionary type, being an introverted intuitive person, I see patterns and data, and once I see the patterns, I use them to predict what can happen next and use the possibilities to see what can be done in the future. I see a world of opportunity that can be used and designed by me, a world I can make. I believe I have always been like this, and I often look ahead to things that can be accomplished years ahead in time rather than the now.
I also value honesty, and I don’t think I have a problem saying what I think about something and giving a truthful opinion. I value authenticity and sticking to what I value and believe that to be honest, our words must match our actions else we are being two-faced and hypocritical.
One quality I would like to cultivate more that I am not so strong in is competency. I often think ahead and get overwhelmed with what I must do in the present. I plan ahead but I am still learning to organize my plans so that my goals are met. I want to close the gap between not knowing what I need to do now to what I know I want to build up to and accomplish.
- Knowing everything you do now, what is your definition of cultural safety?
Week 2 2.1. Activity: Queensland Theatre Case Study
- Is it reasonable to expect a state theatre company to program First Nations-centred work? If so, why?
Yes, because a state company is representing that state, and therefore the people in it. You cannot have a state-based theatre without there being some inclusion of those who are Indigenous to the land and have original culture. It is being respectful of those who have lived there for centuries.
- Is it reasonable to place the same level of expectation on smaller arts companies, like independent artists?
I think as individual artists we should be aware of First Nations people and acknowledge them, but it doesn’t have to be included in our work. When you work as an independent artist the work is authentic to you and represents who you are and how you see the world. It is very individualistic, and it is important to be original and show yourself up as you are. I guess for smaller art companies it may be a good thing to have expectations in sharing a bit more of the First Nations people, but not necessarily if it is a place that is based on self-expression and sharing our own stories.
- As an artist about to emerge into the professional field, what expectations do you place on yourself in terms of intersecting with First Nations artists and audiences?
I think it is important to be connected and know the Indigenous people in the area that you live in. I have high expectations in being aware of them and learning from them so that I am inclusive of their worlds too. There are circumstances where this is not always possible, I know communities where all the Indigenous people were wiped out which is very sad because we lose some of our cultures and we lose stories. But when possible, it is good to reach the audience in diverse ways that acknowledge and understands that they may have a different culture, therefore you take that into account.
- Lewis apologized. Was the public apology enough? If you were working for the company, what would you advise as the correct course of action moving forward?
I think we sometimes overcompensate and make too much of a big deal of things in making it better. It was obviously a mistake that was made from ignorance, and they learned to know better and took responsibility and ownership of their mistake. Lewis’s apology was adequate in my opinion, as long as he makes amends by improving his actions in the future. A correct action that could be done in the future is doing work that is based on the First Nations culture, such as a theatrical performance created by Indigenous people.
Week 2 4.1. Activity: Reflecting on Welcome To Country
I have not seen a particularly compelling Welcome to Country. I was not born in Australia, so I am less knowledgeable about it and haven’t heard many. I was not born here, and do not know a lot about the cultural history of this land. My parents came from South Africa, Afrikaans, and Zimbabweans. The cultural history of that land is just as dynamic and complex as Australia. A lot of Dutch people colonized to South Africa, and there were a lot of feuds between the Indigenous people and the colonizers. I hope to express the country and culture of Australia through my art by appreciating the land through my art. I would love to do some landscapes that acknowledge the beauty of the land without humans destructing and taking over nature. I would include pieces that show the destruction that we can do if we interfere with the natural land and ignore the culture that kept the place alive.
For an Acknowledgment of Country, some key points that I’d address in my Acknowledgment would be:
- An acknowledgment of the Elders, families, and forebearers of the area of Australia I am doing it in. I would Acknowledge them as the original custodians of the land and acknowledge it as a place where they held celebrations and ceremonies which had a unique role in their lives.
- I would also say that the land is the center of passing down life for future generations and that we as colonizers have a responsibility in respecting the land and its traditional owners.
Week 3 4. Activity: Reflections
Mariusz Kedzierski is a 23-year-old Polish artist. He mostly makes realistic or hyper-realistic drawings. Most of them are portraits.[1] His talent was discovered when he was 3 years old and has continued drawing and painting since then, except for when he had to stop for a few years due to surgery when he was 12.[2]
When he is talking about himself, he uses identity-first language, he states being a disabled person doesn’t mean he can’t live his own, great life with dreams and creative ideas.[3] The media differs and uses person-first language when talking about him. In 2017 he appeared on a list of 100 of the most influential people with disability in Poland. [4] The media and awards ceremonies addressing him use “person with a disability.”
I have quite a lot of experience with disabilities. My sister has (FND, Functional Neurological Disorder) and non-epileptic seizures. I have been exposed to the ups and downs that come with it, and it can be very emotional sometimes because you care for that person, and it is hard to know how to help at times. I have also had a lot of experience with Autism and have learned a lot from people with autism because they see the world differently and you learn to appreciate their unique traits and how to help them with things they may struggle with. Another sister and I also have an immune disorder called type 1 diabetes. This understanding doesn’t really affect the art that I create, and I do not try to portray it in my art and include it as a subject. The people I seek to work with may feel more heard though because I understand it a bit more and have had enough experience to make sure they are seen more. I may be able to emphasize a bit more than other people might who haven’t lived around people with disabilities.
Week 4 2. Activity: “Politically correct”
I feel anxious and uncomfortable around the concept of ‘politically correct’ language. I feel scared I will say something that is incorrect, and I do not have a lot of knowledge about the politically correct language to use. This anxious uncomfortable feeling probably comes from the lack of knowledge, as well as coming from a very different culture where the values and beliefs I was brought up with do not exactly align with the LGBTIQA+ community.
I do not know many people in my life who are passionate about this issue to be honest. I have not really brought it up nor was anyone else in my social group. But those who advocate this issue I think are passionate about this issue because they felt unheard and unseen by the majority. They may have felt different from most people and when they started exploring who they feel like they are they found their voice. The relief from finding this discovery may make them passionate about sharing so that others can feel heard and seen.
Ryan Pola is a Melbourne-based artist who’s done a particularly good job at being inclusive. He is renowned for his detailed and realistic drawings. In creating works for Unwrapped: Celebration of LGBTIQA+ Arts and Culture, Ryan Pola wanted to explore different facets of his own identity.[5] Within the works for Unwrapped, he looks at how we have an identity that gets pulled in different directions like a tug-of-war.[6] For Ryan, creating gives him time to think and look behind the veil that we show the world, he looks at the face underneath what we normally show.
I do not know anyone who’s made a mistake with the politically correct language.
Week 4 4. Activity: ‘Cultural Safety Update’
In week 1 I wrote, “Cultural safety is when we are sensitive to the culture others may have and act with consideration to them. This means we also give them a space where their culture is accepted and celebrated, where they are not judged, and they feel safe in sharing their culture.”
This definition that I said in my own words in week one is pretty accurate and a good definition. It could change and morph when considering people with disabilities and the LGBTIQA+ community after the last few weeks of material I have learned from. I could also include in what I have said that it’s when people feel safe in sharing their culture, beliefs, values, identity orientation, and disabilities and they are accepted and celebrated for what they can share with others. Where people are comfortable sharing their stories and who they are. I think this would help people understand that whether they are part of the LGBTIQA+ community or have a disability, or if they have a different perspective that they feel like they are able to share it without fear of judgment.
The responsibility I feel as an artist is that I will be sensitive to another’s point of view and I will ask questions if I am unsure of something. This knowledge will help me in my practice in order to communicate with diverse people from different backgrounds because understanding that another person may have a different perspective or life experience helps me become more aware of myself and what I present to others.
Week 5 3. Activity
Reflect on the privilege walk video, shown under section 2.2: Privilege. Using those questions, how would you talk about your own sense of privilege? Are there questions that weren’t asked that you feel as especially important?
As a small child, I experienced a financially privileged life with the benefits that came with that. My father was an engineer, my mom didn’t work. Until one day they divorced, and then everything changed…. I was ten years old.
Looking back, we may have been financially stable before they broke up. But there was much brokenness behind those masks that looked good to the outside world. I get flashbacks of the parents fighting, pervasive memories of my siblings and I getting involved and made to take sides, watching intense conversations my parents had, and being strung into their fights. It was a bit of an unprivileged start in terms of emotional security. I think that is when my creativity really came out more. As a child I began to obsessively draw, paint, sculpt, and create. My theory is that many artists use their creativity for therapeutic purposes and their ingrained longing to be emotionally present and calm without even realizing they are unconsciously using it to self-heal themselves from their wounds.
And then they divorced. I remember crying myself to sleep, feeling very alone and disconnected from my peers when life fell apart. I became a loner that always felt different, and like I didn’t belong. I grew up not knowing why I felt that way, but there was a longing that I could never describe, a longing for love and belonging, but at the same time an aversion to social groups and people in general, except for the few close friends.
After the divorce, my mom stopped taking us to see our other parents. We stopped seeing him over time and lost that connection. They went through court things over feuds about child support. My mom became an angry person who scapegoated some of us so we felt responsible for her own emotional instability, although maybe she didn’t become angry, maybe she always was like that. Evaluating this is complex. She spent a short time working late in night and then on weekends for a short time to survive and earn money for the family. But it didn’t last long and then she got my sister and brother to financially support the family. She would have long gaps of not doing much, and then one day decided to study a postgraduate, giving us more financial pressure as a child to support her dreams as we were anxiously worried about making the whole family survive and stay alive.
I became aware from an early age my art was linked to my emotional start. In times of heartbreak, I became more intense and obsessed with creating. When I was depressed, I would go for long periods without creating, the very thing that made me feel alive and the passion I lived for. This past has been hard to deal with, there are many layers and pieces of me that I still have not unraveled, and I think part of being an artist is being a person who is on a journey to find the missing pieces that life took from them.
Another disadvantage is that I kind of felt embarrassed about my clothes and the house we lived in after my parent’s breakup. I became more aware of the dwindling life around me; everything became lifeless with me in the middle of it continually trying to reignite that flame of hope in despair. My mom moved us to an isolated town with a cheap and run-down house, but it wasn’t so much the run-down of the house that embarrassed me, but the sense of loneliness with being in a community where I struggled to find connections with other people. I was the youngest daughter, so I also experienced a lot of hand-me-downs with clothes from my sisters that they outgrew, so I guess you could say it was a treat to ever get brand-new clothes.
I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at age 10, around the same time as the breakup so that was a bit rough sailing. Also, I struggled with depression and anxiety from a young age, although not officially diagnosed then, I look back and see the symptoms. Mental illnesses aplenty, including anorexia and later a diagnosis of PTSD when I left home. So yeah, another area that could be called a disadvantage, but I do not let it define me and I believe it shouldn’t stop me from living the best version of myself.
Being bullied or made fun of for something you cannot change, yeah, mostly from my mom actually.
Time off for religious holidays, no. I do not get time off for that.
Supportive family environment…. let’s just say what I have already said is self-explanatory.
I also don’t move through the world without fear of sexual assault, I always worry about what could happen to me. But it is not based on a disadvantage from the societal environment, and the area I live in is pretty good.
I am in a public environment where I have no fear of showing affection to a partner, and that is one privilege I have. I can also see a doctor whenever I need to, and I am very grateful that Australia has many medical benefits and supports its people in getting access to medical help.
I have also been able to get loans for my education as I am an Australian citizen, so that is another privilege.
I have more than 50 books I own, but let’s just say that it is an addiction for me to read and is not based on being privileged. All my saved money to spare is used for learning, whilst others use it to buy new gadgets and materialistic things, I use it to fill my longing to find meaning and need to learn and give my brain something to feed on!
There are no questions that I can think of that can be added to this questionnaire.
- I would say that the factors that I feel make up my concept of intersectionality is the life experience of developing a cognitive dissonance between what was my responsibility and what were my parents. This has affected my ability to know who I am and what my role is in my life story, it takes a while to know what I want and develop my own dreams I want to accomplish without feeling guilty for not self-sacrificing that opportunity to someone else. Growing up the boundaries between child and caregiver responsibilities faded, and thus it made me somebody who had to fit different roles. I became a person whose identity had to change to fit the wants and needs of someone else. These influence each other as my experience in life and how it affects culture correlate. Someone from the same culture can have different childhood experiences and memories that shape them and make them into an individual subculture within the wider culture. The diverse perspectives people can take from a situation are different, one Australian who has a healthy supportive family will have a very different outlook on life from one who grows up witnessing domestic violence. The complexity within a group becomes even more dynamic when subgroups are formed within that group, and within those subgroups, you have individual experiences and interpretations of situations. One child may be treated better within a family subgroup, developing trust in humanity, and having a more positive outlook for their own future. And then another child could be picked on more within that family, becoming shyer and finding it harder to take on risks and challenges, their outlook in life can be more distrustful of people and they may see humans as unpredictable and untrustworthy, and people cannot be relied upon. This is a theory and philosophy I have developed over time from observing and evaluating people’s lives around me and my own, and this is only a short explanation of what I have developed. I have then applied this theory to what I have learned about intersectionality.
Week 5 4. Activity: Allyship in Disability Arts
According to Hadley’s ally types, the problematic ally behavior Jack shows is the ‘optical’ or ‘performative’ ally. This is an arts worker who will ‘like’ a campaign on Facebook or share it on social media.[7] Their words do not match their actions though, and when Jack posted something in support of disabled artists, he was discriminating against one at his workplace.
Look at these actions below and identify which ally type would best describe you:
- I would probably approach Jack privately to advocate for equal pay for Jill. When this doesn’t work, I would probably offer support to Jill privately. I may not be in a position to help Jill on my own, but I could start by asking him to help me in my endeavor to right things and would encourage Jill to speak up for himself and find supportive people who will rally with him for change. I would try and listen and learn about his perspective and how he feels about it and try and partner with him to right what had been wronged.
Week 6 2. Activity: Representation and Perception
- Watching Dylan’s acceptance speech above, what do you notice? He says he is born with the disability and has been in a wheelchair his whole life. He used to hate himself, he felt different, and he never saw someone like him. The only time he saw someone else like him was on the radio, tv, etc was when an accident happened. The message they gave was that someone’s life was over.
- When he saw this, he thought it was going to be his life too. People close to him told him he was worthy, and that he could be loved, and this changed his perspective. As a teenager, he started seeing people like him who had become well known for their sports achievements and advocacy, which inspired him and pathed the way so that he could be where he is today. What I notice with this is that we can radically change our lives by changing our beliefs.
- What does he say about disability? He says he is a proud man with a disability. He loves his disability, says it is the best thing that happened to him, and is thankful for the life he gets to live. This means that he doesn’t see disability as a barrier to having a good life. He then goes on to say that 1 in 5 people with a disability do not feel the way he does about it. He says it is not their fault they feel like this, and this is an opportunity for those that accept to do things and get out so that they too, can be proud and be the people they want to be. At the end of his speech, he says we need a greater representation of people with disabilities so that they get to have the opportunity to live their lives like everyone else.
- What do you think this moment means for Australians with a disability? Hope for funds from the NDIS. He specifically says we need to ask those with a disability what they need to improve their lives. There is hope that it will be an investment in people with disabilities.
Consider: What do we learn from this article? Update your blog to reflect your thoughts.
“So I’m getting on the front foot and making a small request to the people of Australia in this year of Dylan Alcott.
“Please don’t judge me and other disabled people for not being as “in love” with our disabilities as Dylan is.”
Dr. Taleporos wrote that Dylan often describes how he grew to love his disability after once hating it.
“His narrative is one that I have heard shared by many disabled people over the years. Especially amongst disability activists as we discovered that our problems lay in the obstacles placed before us by society rather than “understand that we can’t all ‘love our disability’.
“For me, there’s really not a lot to love. I hate it and always will.
Popular in movies What does all of this mean?
Disability representation in film tends to center on disability-as-tragedy narratives, designed to incite pity and/or position the disabled character as the victim. This is consistent with a medical model approach to disability.
Week 7 4. Activity: Multiculturalism
1. What does this say about multiculturalism? Although multicultural diversity has a good impact, it also has its negatives, especially for the Indigenous that live in the community. Not much was said about Indigenous culture during his high school years, it never comes up. Their beliefs, traditions, culture, and views are not talked about. A highly diverse community where there are groups that make up the bigger numbers, overshadow the group with the smaller numbers. The indigenous culture is not visible to the majority of the people.
2. What does this say about cultural diversity? In the area, there is a very small amount of Indigenous representation. The leaders need to have the responsibility to host events and provide opportunities and representations of the Indigenous people. In a multicultural community, encouraging more positive representatives of the traditional owners of the land. People need to acknowledge each other’s cultures in diverse settings.
3. On reflection what are your thoughts about the relationship between multiculturalism and First Nation culture?
I think the relationship between multiculturalism and First Nation culture consists of a lot of ignorance and a lack of education. Because the number of First Nations has fallen, their culture has dwindled and become less known. I think it would do good to learn and retrieve as much of it as possible.
5. Activity: FNC
The audience question:
“Why do we insist on promoting multiculturalism when it so clearly hinders us from a unified national identity and culture?”
Diversity is complex with many different groups within an area. Each culture has so many layers of feelings, thoughts, and beliefs and when they all are compacted together as a community, the question of whether diversity is helping dwindle the Indigenous culture will sooner or later be brought up. The numbers of Indigenous Australians are a minority, which means some of their culture is threatened under the government that favors multiculturism. The subtle shift in favoring diversity denies the First Nations Peoples’ rights to their land and makes it difficult for them in a multicultural and ethnic country.
I emphasize with the Indigenous people and understand where they would be coming from.
But I think it is fair to embrace diversity. Put yourself in an immigrant’s shoes and imagine if you were them. Coming to a strange land you would feel alienated and would lose your sense of belonging to a group. If the government supported you it would make life so much easier, allowing you to regroup and possibly build yourself again and maybe find people who share the same culture. I think we also need to realize that we live in a modern world that sees inclusivity as a priority now. Do you know of any country that keeps to itself and denies the globalization of people and places? Many cultures in the past had to share some of their communities with other cultures and had to make sacrifices. As we rebuild ourselves, maybe we should see it as building each other up and acknowledging both sides.
Week 8 7. Activity: Queer Responses
I have not done any artistic representation of queer people and haven’t really planned to.
Yes, there are many examples of comedy this week. I think comedy would play are more cynical role in my art, like sarcasm and satire which is how I normally approach humor. I think I like to pick up on something that is silly that we all do, and make people see how ridiculous it is. I guess this sense of humor could be used to push a political agenda such as LGBQ+. An example could be depicting a couple who chose to be straight getting arrested for their choice, the same as homosexuals were arrested in the past for choosing their choice of sexuality.
Cultural responsibility
I mentioned in weeks 1 and 4 that prejudices need to be put aside and that we must be respectful of others from a different point of view. Also, we are responsible to be sensitive to another’s culture and act considerately towards them. This means we must give them space where they feel accepted and safe to share with others without judgment. I would add to this that we need the awareness that someone may see things differently, and to be properly aware of it we should educate ourselves and do our own research, get to learn more deeply about another’s way of viewing the world.
Week 9 3. Activity: Friere
Cognition means the mental action or process of acquiring knowledge and understanding through thought and experience and the senses. Synthesizing to create new knowledge.
‘Critical theory seeks human emancipation from slavery, acting as a liberating influence, and works to create a world where the needs and powers of humans are satisfied. Challenging power structures and all their contradictions, to raise conscientiousness as a leftist agenda. Critical pedagogy is derived from critical theory where education is influenced by politics. The classroom replicates the power structures of the environment.’[8] As a pedagogy, the school’s responsibility is to ‘identify and break down oppressive structures and to maintain them’.[9]
I was home-schooled, so I have not had a lot of experience with different teachers in my life. I would so it was oppositional to Freire’s work in general, as the schooling program was against leftist ideas. It didn’t really challenge things and was what you could call old-school and traditional. I didn’t have a teacher that specifically aligned with Freire’s methods in general. I found it beneficial to have some of the traditional ways of learning, as it gives you structure and stability in the learning practice. But I think the cons of this could include limited experience in dealing with social differences within a school group, less exposure to differences in culture, and less knowledge of leftism.
Week 9 5.1. Activity: Oppression
‘We can think about this at the scale of massive cultural groups, but we can also examine it in the power dynamics of any classroom or work environment. Who has the greatest power? Are they wielding that power responsibly?’ When you become a leader in a space, how do you ensure you are not oppressing groups or creating a space that is unsafe? Do your colleagues and co-workers genuinely get along with you, or are they simply committing acts of adhesion so that they can survive in the workplace?[10]
I thought about the last time I silenced myself at work because I could risk losing my salary. The person in that field would not have appreciated my opinion.
If I knew a famous person in the creative field and I had the opportunity to work with them, I wouldn’t necessarily feel intimidated by their work, but I would likely adhere to their methods of working because I would see it as an opportunity to learn from them. I would listen to their advice and get as much information from them as possible.
My current definition of cultural responsibly does make room for this, as it requires the employer to make the person feel safe without judgment, and for us, as the worker to be open to learning and adjusting to another person’s perspective.
My cultural responsibility would be to take the advice of someone more experienced humbly and be aware of the perspectives of others from another culture. To act ethically in an individual setting and in a community means that we are not just leaders who order others to do something, but act with honesty and respect for others.
Week 10 2.1. Activity: Existence = Resistance?
The spaces that I occupy that portray itself as an act of resistance is the way I approach Christianity in the arts. I take on a very different approach from most people, as I may tend to be more humanistic than most. I try and get down to the person and who they are, and understand where they are coming from. I would see this as a controversial political issue where I am acting as some sought of resistance because I don’t really fit in the box of both sides, and I find it appealing to rebel or challenge different sides and come up with new perspectives myself. This makes people think, encouraging critical thinking where people question whether religion and politics are not the same thing. I mean, isn’t it? They both have their own agendas that they push for. The state of not fitting in means that I can think independently and come to my own conclusions which may disturb the expectations of both sides. Art is kind of an act of rebellion, a space for the misfits, or those that think differently than most.
It sparks my imagination in my artwork because it forces me to challenge what others expect of me. The act of confusing the conventions of what others deem as ordinary helps me to take a step back and think about what is ‘normal’ exactly. We all have unique things about us, things that could have been seen as unusual by others. And there is no definitive line that can describe what normal is supposed to be.
5. Activity: Responsibility
The definition of cultural responsibility I wrote in week one is ‘Cultural safety is when we are sensitive to the culture others may have and act with consideration to them. This means we also give them a space where their culture is accepted and celebrated, where they are not judged, and they feel safe in sharing their culture.’
It expanded in week four to consider ‘people with disabilities and the LGBTIQA+ community. I could also include in what I have said that it’s when people feel safe in sharing their culture, beliefs, values, identity orientation, and disabilities and they are accepted and celebrated for what they can share with others. Where people are comfortable sharing their stories and who they are.’
In week eight, I expanded on this definition to include the following, ‘I mentioned in weeks 1 and 4 that prejudices need to be put aside and that we must be respectful of others from a different point of view. Also, we are responsible to be sensitive to other cultures others may have and act considerately toward them. This means we must give them space where they feel accepted and safe to share with others without judgment. I would add to this that we need the awareness that someone may see things differently, and to be properly aware of it we should educate ourselves and do our own research, get to learn more deeply about another’s way of viewing the world.
The definition over time has changed from being considerate and empathetic towards others in week one, to making them feel safe and including specific groups in week four. In week four I wanted to expand on the definition to include specific groups where they would feel safe and comfortable sharing with others. This starts to create a culture where they feel like they are in an environment where they could share who they are. The definition expanded to respect and be responsible for how others may see things from another perspective and act in consideration of this. This also includes being inclusive of different groups and educating ourselves on diversity instead of relying on others to educate us.
The knowledge gained in the last module expanded my previous responses to include ‘insider’ and ‘outsider’ systems that keep people oppressed and disengaged from one another, aiming to form a broader term of cultural responsibility to break this barrier down. Insider groups in the art industry have the capacity to oppress people who identify as LGBQ+, Indigenous, or part of the disabled community the ‘outsider’ group. They could be doing without the realization and awareness they are, and there needs to be a few precautionary steps to prevent that.
Firstly, the insider group would need to recognize that whether they mean to or not, any form of art production is political. Any art production open to public scrutiny will evoke political responses and be analyzed through a political lens, whether it was meant to be represented politically or not. Secondly, the insider group will need to recognize their political acts. The group will need to ‘analyze their intentions of the work and what they are trying to say.’[11] Then, they need to think of the process, with particular attention to who is supporting the production and being included in the making process. ‘Whose idea to produce the artwork was it? Who helped produce it? Who is leading the process? And who paid for the production? There would also have to be the consideration of who is going to view the work. Which audience is the artwork aimed to speak to? And how do we expect them to respond?’[12] Finally, to break down the barrier they would need to take action to include ‘outsider’ groups.
In the course overall, I feel like nothing has really outraged me much. I am not easily aroused, and it would be hard to get me to that point where I am outraged. To be honest, the LGBQ+ issues have made me a bit uncomfortable only because I am not familiar with it, but that is all. The biggest reaction may be one of wonder as I reflected on how dynamic disability groups are, how they like to be named differently as an individual, and how they relate to the environment around them. I also was filled with wonder and muse at the subculture/subgroups that could arise from within culture/groups. This concept is raised by Freire in week 9 that outsiders consider a group as one, whereas the insiders often see themselves as diverse and have differing opinions.[13]I think I find this fascinating as I grow older because I realized how different people can be within a group. As I grew up, I used to get frustrated because I thought people didn’t understand and were ignorant about some things on purpose, but what I didn’t get was that within each group there are individuals with their own world that is not ever identical to another’s. It makes it so much more interesting, once you realize this.
Conclude by writing a new definition of cultural responsibility that builds off your previous drafts. Make sure your definition includes you. How are you, in your practice and in your work, going to achieve cultural responsibility? What are some clear practical steps that you can implement?
Cultural safety is when we are sensitive to the culture others may have and act with integrity and honesty toward them. This also entails with it the responsibility to give them a space where they feel accepted and are not judged for their individual choices, lifestyles, and traditions. The cultural responsibility a person has is important because a whole community is behind what someone may produce individually or with a group, so what we present to others needs to be genuine and truthful. Instead of speaking for a group, we allow them to speak for themselves or consult them first to avoid miscommunication and untruthful information being spread.
‘If you come from a background that isn’t particularly ‘oppressed’, that doesn’t mean you haven’t suffered. And it doesn’t mean you need to put your story aside.
But all artists need to be good listeners to create.’[14] We create a space where we value the other person’s culture, beliefs, identity, orientation, and disabilities so that they feel comfortable sharing with others. This should give people the confidence to share without fear of judgment or rejection.
As an artist, the responsibility I feel is that I would represent a group authentically and be sensitive to another person’s perspective. In action, this would include allowing others to speak for themselves and for me to listen, consulting them beforehand if I am including their story in a work, and asking for feedback and advice before I present it to an audience. If I am doing an art piece that only has my story in it, I would also have to consider if it would be appropriate to share with others. Sometimes it is good to have our own opinions because that helps us to think critically, but there are also times when it is best to be open to what others may feel about it and to adjust what we present. Practicing cultural responsibility will help me to become more aware of myself and communicate better with others who have different perspectives and interpret things differently. It also allows me to understand and learn from them so that I become a student to other people and am always learning from others to benefit myself.
[1] “I Was Born Without Arms But I Still Manage To Fulfill My Dream Of Drawing Realistic Paintings,” Bored Panda (blog), accessed December 8, 2022, https://www.boredpanda.com/drawing-realistic-paintings-without-arms-mariusz-kedzierski/.
[2] “Mariusz Kędzierski | Mariusz Kędzierski – Artist&Motivational Speaker,” Mariusz Kedzierski, accessed December 8, 2022, https://www.mariuszkedzierski.net.
[3] “I Was Born Without Arms But I Still Manage To Fulfill My Dream Of Drawing Realistic Paintings.”
[4] “Mariusz Kędzierski | Mariusz Kędzierski – Artist&Motivational Speaker.”
[5] “Unwrapped: Celebration of LGBTIQA+ Arts and Culture,” Greater Dandenong Council, accessed December 8, 2022, https://www.greaterdandenong.vic.gov.au/unwrapped.
[6] “Unwrapped.”
[7] artshub-au, “Am I a Good Ally to Disabled Artists?,” ArtsHub Australia, September 2019, https://www.artshub.com.au/news/opinions-analysis/am-i-a-good-ally-to-disabled-artists-258881-2364719/.
[8] “Pedagogy of the Oppressed – Paulo Freire | Intro to Critical Pedagogy – YouTube,” accessed February 9, 2023, https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=62&v=hcEKvBTyMCU&embeds_euri=https%3A%2F%2Fusqstudydesk.usq.edu.au%2F&source_ve_path=MjM4NTE&feature=emb_title.
[9] “9: Empowering Oppressed Groups: Activity: Friere,” accessed February 9, 2023, https://usqstudydesk.usq.edu.au/m2/mod/book/view.php?id=2270955&chapterid=234822.
[10] “9: Empowering Oppressed Groups: Conflict in Insider Groups,” accessed February 9, 2023, https://usqstudydesk.usq.edu.au/m2/mod/book/view.php?id=2270955&chapterid=234825.
[11] “10: Resistance and Responsibility: Political Art,” accessed February 10, 2023, https://usqstudydesk.usq.edu.au/m2/mod/book/view.php?id=2262177&chapterid=234190.
[12] “10: Resistance and Responsibility: Political Art.”
[13] “9: Empowering Oppressed Groups: Conflict in Insider Groups,” accessed February 10, 2023, https://usqstudydesk.usq.edu.au/m2/mod/book/view.php?id=2270955&chapterid=234825.
[14] “10: Resistance and Responsibility: The Paradox Of Masculinity,” accessed February 10, 2023, https://usqstudydesk.usq.edu.au/m2/mod/book/view.php?id=2262177&chapterid=235506.
References:
“9: Empowering Oppressed Groups: Activity: Friere.” Accessed February 9, 2023. https://usqstudydesk.usq.edu.au/m2/mod/book/view.php?id=2270955&chapterid=234822.
“9: Empowering Oppressed Groups: Conflict in Insider Groups.” Accessed February 9, 2023. https://usqstudydesk.usq.edu.au/m2/mod/book/view.php?id=2270955&chapterid=234825.
“9: Empowering Oppressed Groups: Conflict in Insider Groups.” Accessed February 10, 2023. https://usqstudydesk.usq.edu.au/m2/mod/book/view.php?id=2270955&chapterid=234825.
“10: Resistance and Responsibility: Political Art.” Accessed February 10, 2023. https://usqstudydesk.usq.edu.au/m2/mod/book/view.php?id=2262177&chapterid=234190.
“10: Resistance and Responsibility: The Paradox Of Masculinity.” Accessed February 10, 2023. https://usqstudydesk.usq.edu.au/m2/mod/book/view.php?id=2262177&chapterid=235506.
artshub-au. “Am I a Good Ally to Disabled Artists?” ArtsHub Australia, September 2019. https://www.artshub.com.au/news/opinions-analysis/am-i-a-good-ally-to-disabled-artists-258881-2364719/.
“I Was Born Without Arms But I Still Manage To Fulfill My Dream Of Drawing Realistic Paintings.” Bored Panda (blog). Accessed December 8, 2022. https://www.boredpanda.com/drawing-realistic-paintings-without-arms-mariusz-kedzierski/.
“Mariusz Kędzierski | Mariusz Kędzierski – Artist&Motivational Speaker.” Mariusz Kedzierski. Accessed December 8, 2022. https://www.mariuszkedzierski.net.
“Pedagogy of the Oppressed – Paulo Freire | Intro to Critical Pedagogy – YouTube.” Accessed February 9, 2023. https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=62&v=hcEKvBTyMCU&embeds_euri=https%3A%2F%2Fusqstudydesk.usq.edu.au%2F&source_ve_path=MjM4NTE&feature=emb_title.
“Unwrapped: Celebration of LGBTIQA+ Arts and Culture.” Greater Dandenong Council. Accessed December 8, 2022. https://www.greaterdandenong.vic.gov.au/unwrapped.
