critical thinking visual culture

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1 What is Visual Culture?

J. Keri Cronin and Hannah Dobbie

Introduction

It is no exaggeration to say that we are surrounded by images. Take a look around you now. How many different kinds of images do you see at this moment? Think back on all of the images you encountered so far today. Can you bring them to mind? Is it possible you didn’t even notice some?

From the moment we wake up in the morning we are inundated with images. Perhaps you scrolled through social media as you ate your breakfast. Were there colourful images on the box of cereal in front of you? Do you have posters or framed family photographs in your living space? On your way to work or school you likely passed advertisements, billboards, and window displays in your local shops. Does your bus pass or parking pass have a logo or image on it? Did you stop to take a picture of your cat curled up in a patch of sun? Did your professors use images or graphs on the slides they showed in your classes today? Is there an image on the cover of the textbook in your backpack? A logo on your jacket?

We are surrounded by images on a daily basis– some would even say we are overloaded by images !  However, we don’t often stop to think critically about them. Learning to think about how images work and make meaning in our societies opens our eyes to many important social, cultural, ethical, economic, political, historical, and technological issues.

Images can help us make sense of the world. They can challenge ideas, but they can also reinforce dominant ideas and the status quo. And the meanings generated by images can be complex. How do we negotiate this?

When we talk about studying visual culture we simply mean that we are focusing our learning, research, and scholarly inquiries on images. Studying visual culture in an academic context involves thinking critically and seriously about pictures and about how they make meaning in our world. We live in a very visual world and yet we are rarely given the opportunity to learn about the ways that images make meaning.

When we use the term “visual culture” we are typically referring to visual representations of something. So, your adorable baby niece isn’t an example of visual culture (she is a living being!), but the photograph of her on the invitation to her 1st birthday party is an example of visual culture. Your cat isn’t an example of visual culture, but the cartoon cat on the bag of cat food he enjoys would be. A forest isn’t an example of visual culture, but a map of the hiking trails that run through it would be. In each of these cases, the living thing (baby, cat, forest) is represented in a way that conveys specific information (a happy child, a hungry cat, a way to safely navigate the forest). In each of these cases, the representation of the baby/cat/forest offers a select interpretation of that living thing (your niece isn’t always grinning is she?), and it is this process of interpreting something complex through an always incomplete process of representation that we are interested in investigating in this course. The way an image looks, the choices the artist/image-maker made, and where the image is viewed shapes how we understand it. As we will see, there are also complex political, social, and technological issues that inform what Marita Sturken and Lisa Cartwright have termed the “practices of looking.” [1]

Images as “Active Players”

You will note that we were very deliberate about our use of language in the previous paragraph–we wrote that “images make meaning” not that they have meaning. Our point here is that pictures don’t come preloaded with a single, fixed meaning that we have to learn to decipher and decode. Rather, as W.J.T. Mitchell writes, images are “active players in the game of establishing and changing values.” [2]

What does Mitchell mean here? Let’s dig in further. In his book What Do Pictures Want?: The Lives and Loves of Images , Mitchell argues that:

“we don’t just evaluate images; images introduce new forms of value into the world, contesting our criteria, forcing us to change our minds… Images are not just passive entities that coexist with their human hosts, any more than the microorganisms that dwell in our intestines. They change the way we think and see and dream.” [3]

To think of a picture as an “active player” might seem a bit odd at first, but Mitchell is not suggesting that an image is alive in the same way that, say, a puppy is.

Pictures don’t have sentience, they don’t have central nervous systems. But their very presence can influence, reinforce, challenge, and shift ideas. They can make us question what we think we know. They can be the cause of new understandings or ways of seeing the world. They can give us information. They might make us angry, sad, happy, or intrigued. And each person viewing that picture might have a different response. There is a beautiful complexity when we start to think about how pictures function in our world. And once we start to understand this, we can transpose this understanding to any image we encounter in our world.

You might be thinking “well, a picture doesn’t do all of that. The artist or person who made it does!” We will delve into this point in more detail a little later in this course, but for now we will just say that the meaning an artist or image maker intends a picture to have isn’t always the one that a viewer receives.

Let’s look at a quick example to help illustrate this point. The image below was taken by a photographer named Caroline Gunn and it is part of the Wellcome Collection , a museum, library, and archive based in London, England that focuses on health, science, and medicine.

The information accompanying this image on the Wellcome Collection’s website doesn’t give us much context about why Caroline Gunn took this image. We don’t have any information about who this little mouse is, but we can infer from the title (“Mouse Health Check”) that the mouse is being handled carefully and gently by the person performing the health check. Is this mouse a pet? Is the human a veterinarian? Does this animal live in a laboratory? We don’t know, but given that it is part of the Wellcome Collection we can assume that this picture has something to do with science, medicine, or health.

Even though there are gaps in the information we have about this picture, we still bring our knowledge, assumptions, perspectives, understandings, backgrounds, feelings, and emotions to these pictures. Some people might see this picture and smile because they think this mouse is really cute. Others might be afraid of mice and recoil a little when they look at it. Some might be reminded of a pet mouse they once had while others might be thinking of the time they had to rescue a mouse from the jaws of their overzealous housecat. If you are an animal rights activist this image might make you uneasy–perhaps this mouse is about to be the subject of a scientific experiment.

I’m sure we can add to this list of possible reactions to this photograph, but the point here is that even though Caroline Gunn would have had an idea about what she wanted to express through this photograph, other meanings are being generated as we look at it. The picture, in other words, is playing an active role.

Still unsure or unconvinced? We will be returning to this concept of pictures being dynamic participants in the meaning-making process throughout this course.

How is Visual Culture Different From Art History?

Visual culture is related to art history, but the field of inquiry is expanded. Art history has traditionally been concerned with things like the biographies and motivations of artists and/or the formal style of an image. Further, art history tends to be very limited in terms of the kinds of images focused on–typically painting, drawing, and sculpture considered to be “great masterpieces” and “things in art galleries.”

Visual culture, on the other hand, is concerned with a very broad scope of images and image makers. Famous paintings found in art galleries can certainly be the subject of visual culture inquiries, but so can advertisements, social media images, sports logos, cartoons, and passport photos (to name just a few examples). Visual culture scholars ask a very broad range of questions when they work with images and focus their inquiries on how images make meaning in the world.

Visual Culture and Accessibility

In recent years we have seen new initiatives in the fields of art history and visual culture in terms of attempting to be more accessible for a wider audience. Museums and art galleries are often leading the way on this front. For example, the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) uses an app called BlindSquare to provide exhibition and wayfinding information for visitors who are blind or partially sighted . The Dallas Art Museum has established a program where visitors who have Color Vision Deficiency (often known as “color blindness”) can borrow a set of lenses that can help visitors to the gallery “view the world with a more enriched color field .” [4]

Another example of accessibility initiatives in the context of viewing images comes, once again, from the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO). For their summer 2023 exhibition called Cassatt-McNicoll: Impressionists Between Worlds , the AGO included an American Sign Language Video that offered supplementary information about the life and work of Helen McNicoll presented by Peter Owusu-Ansah and Rae RezWell . Owusu-Ansah and RezWell are Deaf visual artists, as was McNicoll.

Reflection Exercise

Have a listen to this episode of Art Matters which features an interview with representatives from VocalEyes , a charity in the UK that brings “art and culture to life for blind and visually impaired people at theatres, museums, galleries, heritage sites and online.”

Take 5-10 minutes to do some freewriting on this topic. What did you find the most interesting or surprising about the information presented in this podcast? Does this topic raise any questions for you? Are you interested in thinking further about the topic?

Who Should Study Visual Culture?

Visual culture is something that relates to every subject of study. Even if you are not planning to major in art or visual culture you can develop skills that can help you in your chosen field of study. Are you a history major? What can those old photographs in the archives tell you about your subject? Are you a science major? Why do scientific illustrations look the way that they do? Do you plan to be a teacher? How can images help children learn in the classroom? The list is endless! Developing skills that help us analyse images can be very useful no matter where your academic studies and career take you!

Writing Exercise

• Make a list of some of the ways that images relate to your field of study. (examples: logos, advertising, data visualisation, works of art, film adaptations of novels, medical imaging technologies, etc.)
• Pick one item from your list above. Can you think of a specific example of this type of image? What does it look like? What details stand out in your memory? Where did you see it? How does it make you feel? How does this example relate back to your larger field of study?

Spend 5-10 minutes on this exercise.

Learning to look carefully and to ask questions about what you see is a very important skill to have. For example, many medical schools are now requiring their students to take courses in art history and/or visual culture so that they become more skilled at careful looking and detailed observation . Studying visual culture can lead to career paths in the arts, media, museums, advertising, social media, etc., but more importantly this kind of learning can help you become a more astute consumer of the images that you see every single day.

Becoming a critical thinker when it comes to assessing and analysing images can help you judge whether what you read online or see on television is credible. While there is a long history of images being manipulated and edited, this has become an even more complex topic with the rise of AI tools in recent years .

Critical Thinking

You will often see the phrase “critical thinking” or “thinking critically” in these pages. What do we mean by these terms?

bell hooks describes critical thinking as “discovering the who, what, when, where, and how of things–finding the answers to those eternal questions of the inquisitive child–and then utilizing that knowledge in a manner that enables you to determine what matters most.” [5]

Critical thinking does not necessarily mean taking a negative stance or perspective. It is very possible–and quite desirable, actually–to think critically about an image or an idea you are excited about or really enjoy.

Critical thinking is an important concept in the Arts and the Humanities. When we talk about engaging in critical thinking we are simply talking about asking deep questions about whatever it is we are focusing on. We then support that process of questioning through evidence.

In our everyday language we often use the word “critical” to mean something bad or negative. For example, if we say something like “my father was critical of my outfit” we mean that our dad didn’t like what we were wearing. This has a negative connotation.

However, when we use the word “critical” in the phrase “critical thinking” we are not necessarily taking a negative point of view. All we mean when we talk about “critical thinking” is that we are interrogating our object of study–asking questions and thinking deeply about how it works to make meaning in our world. It is perfectly acceptable to engage in critical thinking about things you like–say, for instance, your favourite movie, novel, or video game.

Throughout this course we will be developing critical thinking skills to help us make sense of how images work in our world.

• Marita Sturken and Lisa Cartwright, Practices of Looking: An Introduction to Visual Culture. Oxford University Press. ↵
• W.J.T. Mitchell, What Do Pictures Want?: The Lives and Loves of Images (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2005), p. 105. ↵
• W.J.T. Mitchell, What Do Pictures Want?: The Lives and Loves of Images (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2005), p. 92 ↵
• Rhea Nayyar, "A Better Museum Experience for Color-Blind Visitors" Hyperallergic (Oct 23, 2022): https://hyperallergic.com/771685/dallas-art-museum-color-blind-visitors-enchroma/ ↵
• bell hooks, Teaching Critical Thinking: Practical Wisdom (New York and London: Routledge, 2010), p.9 ↵

Look Closely: A Critical Introduction to Visual Culture Copyright © 2023 by J. Keri Cronin and Hannah Dobbie is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

On the site

February 2, 2021

Visual culture: Critical seeing for the 21st century

SupaduDev | Art

“Visual culture is never neutral, and is thus never without value.”

“Visual culture,” Alexis Boylan notes, “has always been inscribed by the dominant and by domination, yet it has also always contained resistance, reversal, and subversion.”

In this historic era of unprecedented visuality, questions about the nature of visual culture have never seemed more alive. The urgencies of racial and gender inequity, the devastation of global health crises, and the precarity wrought by climate change are unrelenting. It takes commitment to look and see critically, and to comprehend the complexity inherent in the visual production of meaning—particularly around politically-charged, pressing issues that affect us all.

And the rewards of this commitment—of this critical seeing—are immeasurable.

How can we navigate this overwhelming visual terrain? Have visual technologies fundamentally changed the nature of truth and knowing? How can we begin to examine the ways that visual culture influences and even shapes us? Boylan not only probes these fascinating and difficult questions, she gives us the tools we need to grapple with both the dark side and the public good of visual culture.

Sarah Elizabeth Lewis , editor of Carrie Mae Weems , brings together essays and interviews that celebrate this legendary artist’s work—her bold originality, her provocative repositioning of the Black female body—and ultimately, the critical importance of Weems’ oeuvre in both the history of photography and contemporary art. With contributions from influential figures including Dawoud Bey, Thelma Golden, and Deborah Willis, the volume examines not only the significance of Weems’ work but also the necessity for an expanded set of concerns in contemporary art—one in which race does not restrict a discussion of aesthetics as it has in the past, robbing Black artists of a full consideration of their work.

Very much of the moment, Fournier argues that for artists and writers working in the wake of modernism from a feminist sensibility, autotheory became a way to engage philosophy and theory from a lived position. Integrating art with life, practice with theory, and fiction with autobiography, autotheory reveals what is at stake in feminist art and literary perspectives.

Through close readings of the work of icons like Martha Rosler, Adrian Piper, Maggie Nelson, and Chris Kraus, Fournier—in the words of McKenzie Wark—gives us “a whole series of tactics for thinking and feeling together from the margins—of gender, race, ability, and colonialism. This autotheory creates spaces for being together for those excluded from a culture that only tolerates difference as the mirror to the universal bourgeois subject.”

Campt offers poignant and spirited analyses of work from artists like Deana Lawson, Simone Leigh, and Arthur Jafa. With lyrical, poignant writing, she compels us to understand that engaging with this artwork requires us to do more than simply look. The work solicits visceral responses to Black precarity. This distinctively Black gaze shifts us from the passive optics of looking at to the active struggle of looking with, through, and alongside . This distinctive gaze gives us a way to imagine a hopeful future.

Visual culture is never neutral, and is thus never without value, Alexis Boylan reminds us. Visual culture is power.

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Assembling Visuality: Social Media, Everyday Imaging, and Critical Thinking in Digital Visual Culture

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Aaron D. Knochel; Assembling Visuality: Social Media, Everyday Imaging, and Critical Thinking in Digital Visual Culture. Visual Arts Research 1 December 2013; 39 (2): 13–27. doi: https://doi.org/10.5406/visuartsrese.39.2.0013

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Art education faces significant curricular challenges through the confluence of two contributing innovations that are transforming learning in the art classroom: networked digital technologies and shifts in curricular focus to a visual culture pedagogy. These shifts present forms of visual research in student’s learning that may involve crowdsourcing a community of users, analysis of the social practice of tagging, or assembling image collections that allow students to engage in understanding visuality. Visuality, as a central construct of critical thinking in visual culture, assembles social constructions of images that are often invisible to understand the performativity of visual culture in constructing our social worlds. Efforts to augment the curriculum of a university-level art education course to explore the opportunities social media provides to build students’ critical thinking skills in their relationships to images in a visual culture are reviewed. These investigations in visuality and social media provide an indication of the ways that the field of art education, through a visual culture pedagogy, may contribute to critical thinking in a participatory culture.

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Assembling visuality: Social media, everyday imaging, and critical thinking in digital visual culture

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Understanding Visual Literacy: The Visual Thinking Strategies Approach

• First Online: 01 January 2015

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• Dabney Hailey 3 ,
• Alexa Miller 4 &
• Philip Yenawine 5  

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This chapter makes the case for two aspects of visual literacy that the authors believe to be generally overlooked: (1) that visual literacy occurs by way of a developmental trajectory and requires instruction as well as practice, and (2) that it involves as much thought as it does visual awareness and is an integral component of the skills and beliefs related to inquiry. This chapter roots these ideas in the theory and research of cognitive psychologist Abigail Housen, coauthor of Visual Thinking Sttategies (VTS) with museum educator Philip Yenawine. Housen identified aesthetic stages that mark the development of skills helping to define visual literacy. Her research is also the basis of VTS, a method of engaging learners in deep experiences looking at art and discussing meanings with peers, a process that, this chapter posits, furthers visual literacy. This chapter presents that body of research and details the resulting VTS protocol. It reviews academic studies to date, subsequent to Housen, that document the impact of VTS interventions in various settings, and suggests beneficial areas for future research. In order to probe what development in visual literacy looks and sounds like on a granular level, two case studies of student writing from existing studies are presented and analyzed. Visual literacy skills enabled by VTS are briefly connected to broader educational concerns.

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Abigail Housen’s stages of aesthetic development with details about stages 1 and 2 added. All quotes appearing here are taken from aesthetic development interviews Housen and associates conducted over 18 years. Aesthetic development interviews are nondirective, stream-of-consciousness-type interviews (Housen 1983 ).

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Hailey, D., Miller, A., Yenawine, P. (2015). Understanding Visual Literacy: The Visual Thinking Strategies Approach. In: Baylen, D., D'Alba, A. (eds) Essentials of Teaching and Integrating Visual and Media Literacy. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-05837-5_3

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Understanding What is Visual Culture Art Education

Table of Contents

Visual Culture Art Education (VCAE) is a groundbreaking field that aims to incorporate visual culture, including popular culture, into art curricula. By integrating visual culture in the classroom, students can develop critical thinking skills and navigate the complex world of signs and symbols. VCAE adopts inquiry-based and constructivist pedagogical approaches, empowering students to actively participate in their own learning.

Key Takeaways:

• Visual Culture Art Education (VCAE) integrates visual culture into art curricula.
• By incorporating visual culture, students develop critical thinking skills.
• VCAE adopts inquiry-based and constructivist pedagogical approaches.
• Students become active participants in their own learning.
• Visual culture enhances art education and prepares students for a visually-oriented world.

The Role of Visual Culture in Art Education

Visual culture plays a vital role in art education, expanding the boundaries of artistic study beyond traditional art forms. It encompasses a diverse range of visual expressions, including popular media, advertising, and photography. By incorporating visual culture into art pedagogy, educators can engage students in critical thinking, encourage self-expression, and foster a deeper understanding of social and cultural issues.

Visual culture allows students to explore diverse perspectives, challenge dominant ideologies, and actively participate in shaping their own visual worlds. It provides a platform for students to analyze and interpret visual messages, developing their visual literacy skills. By exposing students to a wide range of visual stimuli, educators can enhance their ability to think critically about the world around them and cultivate empathy, creativity, and cross-cultural awareness.

Expanding Art Pedagogy with Visual Culture

• Incorporating visual culture in art education expands the scope of artistic study beyond traditional art forms
• Visual culture engages students in critical thinking and encourages self-expression
• Visual culture fosters a deeper understanding of social and cultural issues
• Visual culture allows students to explore diverse perspectives and challenge dominant ideologies

By integrating visual culture into art pedagogy, educators create dynamic and engaging learning environments that promote creativity, self-expression, and interdisciplinary thinking. Visual culture pedagogy emphasizes inquiry-based methods, critical thinking, and meaningful connections between course materials and students’ lives, empowering students to actively participate in their own learning. Through visual culture, students develop the skills and knowledge necessary to navigate and thrive in today’s visually-oriented society.

Integrating Visual Culture in the Art Curriculum

Integrating visual culture in the art curriculum is essential for creating engaging and meaningful learning experiences for students. By incorporating visual artifacts and experiences from everyday life, educators can bridge the gap between the classroom and the real world, allowing students to make personal connections to their own experiences and backgrounds.

One way to integrate visual culture in the art curriculum is through the use of multimedia resources. This can include incorporating videos, images, and digital platforms that reflect diverse visual expressions and popular culture. By leveraging these resources, students can explore and analyze a wide range of visual stimuli, expanding their understanding of art beyond traditional forms and techniques.

Another effective method is through field trips to museums or galleries. Exposing students to contemporary art exhibitions and installations allows them to engage with visual culture in a direct and immersive way. These experiences encourage students to critically analyze and interpret visual messages, fostering a deeper understanding of social and cultural issues represented in the artworks.

Exploring Visual Culture in Art Classrooms

Discussions on contemporary art practices are also instrumental in integrating visual culture in the art curriculum. By exploring the works of contemporary artists who draw inspiration from popular culture and mass media, students can gain insights into the intersection between visual culture and art. These discussions enable students to reflect on the social, cultural, and political implications of visual art, fostering critical thinking and encouraging them to develop their own artistic voices influenced by visual culture.

Overall, integrating visual culture in the art curriculum allows students to develop a deeper understanding of the world around them and cultivates creativity, empathy, and cross-cultural awareness. It provides them with the tools to navigate and thrive in our visually-oriented society, empowering them to become active participants in shaping their own visual worlds.

Benefits of Integrating Visual Culture in Art Education:

• Enhances students’ visual literacy skills by exposing them to diverse visual stimuli.
• Fosters critical thinking and analysis of social and cultural issues represented in visual artifacts.
• Encourages personal connections and self-expression through exploring students’ own experiences and backgrounds.
• Expands students’ understanding of contemporary art practices and their own artistic voices.
• Promotes creativity, empathy, and cross-cultural awareness.

Visual Culture and Art Pedagogy

Incorporating visual culture into art pedagogy is essential for creating dynamic and engaging learning environments. This approach recognizes the profound impact of visual culture on students’ lives and encourages educators to embrace it as a tool for art education. By integrating visual culture into art pedagogy, students can develop a deeper understanding of the visual world and cultivate critical thinking skills.

Visual culture art pedagogy encourages educators to adopt an inquiry-based approach that values students’ individual perspectives and interests. It emphasizes the importance of making meaningful connections between course materials and students’ lives, allowing for more personalized and relevant learning experiences. Additionally, visual culture pedagogy promotes interdisciplinary thinking, enabling students to explore the intersection between art, popular media, and everyday life.

Through visual culture art pedagogy, students can explore diverse artistic practices, challenge dominant ideologies, and critically analyze social and cultural issues. By engaging with visual artifacts from popular culture, advertising, and photography, students gain a deeper understanding of the power of images and the ways in which they shape society. This empowers students to become active participants in shaping their own visual worlds and fosters a lifelong appreciation for the arts.

The Impact of Visual Culture on Students’ Learning

Visual culture has a profound impact on students’ learning in art education. By exposing students to a diverse range of visual stimuli, educators can enhance their visual literacy skills and develop their ability to analyze and interpret visual messages. Engaging with visual culture allows students to navigate the complex world of signs and symbols, fostering a deeper understanding of the cultural and social issues represented in visual artifacts.

Furthermore, exploring visual culture in art classrooms encourages students to question, challenge, and critically engage with the visual world around them. By analyzing and interpreting visual expressions from everyday life, students can develop a greater awareness of the perspectives and ideologies embedded in visual culture. This cultivates empathy, creativity, and cross-cultural awareness, empowering students to become active participants in shaping their own visual worlds.

Exploring visual culture in art classrooms offers students the opportunity to develop higher-order thinking skills, such as analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. By critically engaging with visual artifacts, students learn to make connections between art and the world in which they live. They gain the ability to interpret visual messages, decode symbols, and understand how cultural and societal values are communicated through visual representations.

The Benefits of Exploring Visual Culture in Art Classrooms:

• Enhanced visual literacy skills
• Deeper understanding of cultural and social issues
• Development of critical thinking skills
• Promotion of empathy and cross-cultural awareness
• Active participation in shaping visual worlds

Overall, integrating visual culture into art education not only enriches students’ learning experiences but also equips them with the skills and knowledge to navigate and thrive in today’s visually-oriented society.

Visual Culture and Student Engagement

Visual culture plays a crucial role in fostering student engagement in art education. By incorporating elements of visual culture that resonate with students’ interests and experiences, educators can create a more meaningful and relevant learning environment.

Here are some ways in which visual culture can enhance student engagement in art classrooms:

• Connecting art to students’ everyday lives: Introducing visual culture that reflects students’ personal experiences and backgrounds can spark their interest and make art education more relatable. By exploring themes and images that students encounter in their daily lives, educators can create a sense of relevance and foster a deeper connection to the subject matter.
• Encouraging critical thinking and self-expression: Visual culture provides a rich platform for students to analyze, interpret, and express their thoughts and ideas. By using visual artifacts from popular culture, media, and contemporary art, educators can prompt students to think critically, question dominant narratives, and develop their own unique perspectives.
• Promoting active participation and collaboration: Visual culture often stimulates conversations and discussions among students. By incorporating group activities, presentations, and debates centered around visual culture, educators can encourage active participation and interaction, fostering a collaborative learning environment where students can learn from one another’s experiences and opinions.

Exploring Visual Culture in the Art Classroom

When exploring visual culture in the art classroom, educators have the opportunity to open doors to a diverse range of art practices and artistic voices. Through engaging with visual culture, students can develop a broader understanding of the world and gain insight into different perspectives and cultural contexts.

Here are some strategies to explore visual culture in the art classroom:

• Field trips to museums and galleries: Visiting museums and galleries allows students to engage directly with visual culture and experience different forms of artistic expression firsthand. It provides opportunities for students to analyze and interpret artworks, fostering a deeper appreciation for diverse art practices.
• Using multimedia resources: Incorporating multimedia resources, such as videos, documentaries, and online platforms, can expose students to a wide range of visual artifacts and artistic practices. This enables them to explore different art forms, styles, and ideologies, expanding their understanding of visual culture and its impact.
• Facilitating open discussions: Encouraging open discussions about visual culture in the art classroom creates a space for students to share their opinions, ask questions, and exchange ideas. By fostering a supportive and inclusive environment, educators can promote critical thinking and cultural awareness among students.

By integrating visual culture into art education, educators can captivate students’ interest, foster their creativity, and empower them to actively participate in their own learning. Visual culture not only enhances student engagement but also equips them with the skills and knowledge to navigate and thrive in today’s visually-oriented world.

Visual Culture in Contemporary Art Practices

Visual culture is an integral part of contemporary art practices, influencing artists’ creative processes and the ways in which they convey their messages. In today’s visually-oriented society, many artists draw inspiration from various aspects of visual culture, including popular media, advertising, and technology. By exploring the intersection between visual culture and contemporary art, educators can expose students to a diverse range of artistic practices and expand their understanding of the art world.

Through the study of visual culture in art classrooms, students gain insights into the social, cultural, and political implications of visual art. They develop critical thinking skills as they examine the meaning and significance behind visual artifacts. Visual culture also encourages students to question and challenge dominant ideologies, fostering a deeper understanding of the world around them.

By incorporating visual culture into art education, students have the opportunity to develop their own artistic voices that are informed by the visual culture in which they are immersed. They can explore their own identities, express their ideas, and participate in critical conversations. Visual culture provides a platform for students to make personal connections between art and their everyday lives, making art education more engaging and relevant.

• Engage students in discussions on contemporary art that incorporates visual culture elements
• Encourage students to analyze visual artifacts from popular media and advertising
• Expose students to diverse artistic practices that draw inspiration from visual culture
• Facilitate critical thinking by asking students to question the social and cultural implications of visual art
• Encourage students to create their own artwork that reflects their understanding of visual culture

By exploring visual culture in art classrooms, educators can provide students with a well-rounded art education that prepares them to navigate the visually-rich world in which we live. Through the integration of visual culture, students can develop a deeper appreciation for contemporary art practices and develop the skills necessary to critically engage with visual artifacts.

Evolving Perspectives on Visual Culture Art Education

As visual culture art education continues to evolve, educators and researchers are constantly exploring new ways to integrate visual culture into art curricula. This includes examining the impact of digital technologies, globalization, and cultural diversity on visual culture and art education. By understanding and integrating visual culture, educators can provide students with a well-rounded education that prepares them for the visually-oriented world they live in.

Embracing Digital Technologies

In today’s digital age, visual culture has expanded to encompass various forms of visual media, including social media, video games, and virtual reality. This digital landscape presents both opportunities and challenges for art educators. By embracing digital technologies, educators can expose students to a wide range of visual stimuli and provide them with the tools and skills necessary to navigate and critically analyze digital art forms. Additionally, integrating digital technologies into the art curriculum allows students to explore new modes of creative expression and opens up avenues for interdisciplinary collaboration.

Promoting Cultural Diversity

Cultural diversity plays a significant role in visual culture, and art educators have a responsibility to ensure that their curriculum reflects and celebrates this diversity. By integrating visual culture from various cultural perspectives and traditions, educators can create a more inclusive learning environment that values and respects the cultural backgrounds and identities of all students. This promotes cross-cultural understanding and empathy, while also challenging dominant narratives and stereotypes.

Fostering Social Justice and Advocacy

Visual culture can be a powerful tool for social justice and advocacy. Art educators can use visual culture to encourage critical thinking and dialogue around social issues, such as systemic racism, gender inequality, and climate change. By exploring visual artifacts that address these topics, students can develop a deeper understanding of social injustices and become empowered to use their artistic voice to promote positive change in their communities. Visual culture art education can help students recognize the power of art as a catalyst for social transformation and inspire them to become engaged citizens.

As we continue to explore and integrate visual culture into art education, it is important to recognize the evolving nature of the field. Visual culture art education is not a static discipline, but rather a dynamic and responsive practice that adapts to the changing needs and interests of students. By understanding visual culture and integrating it into the art curriculum, educators can provide students with a rich and meaningful learning experience that empowers them to navigate and thrive in today’s visually-oriented society.

Visual culture art education is a dynamic and interdisciplinary field that enriches traditional art education by incorporating elements of popular culture, media, and visual technologies. By integrating visual culture into the art curriculum, educators empower students to be active participants in shaping their own visual worlds and developing critical thinking skills.

Visual culture art education encourages students to explore diverse perspectives, challenge dominant ideologies, and make personal connections to their own experiences. Through visual culture, students develop a deeper understanding of the world around them and cultivate creativity, empathy, and cross-cultural awareness.

The ongoing exploration and integration of visual culture in art education ensure that students are prepared to navigate and thrive in today’s visually-oriented society. To learn more about visual culture art education and its impact on students’ learning, visit Exquisitive Education.

What is Visual Culture Art Education?

Visual Culture Art Education is an emerging field of study and practice within art education that seeks to integrate visual culture, including popular culture, into art curricula to make art instruction more relevant to students.

What is the role of visual culture in art education?

Visual culture plays a crucial role in art education by expanding the scope of artistic study beyond traditional art forms. It encompasses a wide range of visual expressions, including popular media, advertising, and photography.

How can visual culture be integrated into the art curriculum?

Integrating visual culture in the art curriculum involves incorporating visual artifacts and experiences from everyday life into the classroom. This can be done through the use of multimedia resources, field trips to museums or galleries, and discussions on contemporary art practices.

How does visual culture inform art pedagogy?

Visual culture informs art pedagogy by providing a framework for exploring and understanding the visual world. It encourages educators to adopt a student-centered approach that values students’ individual perspectives and interests.

What is the impact of visual culture on students’ learning in art education?

Visual culture has a significant impact on students’ learning in art education. By exposing students to a wide range of visual stimuli, educators can enhance their visual literacy skills and develop their ability to analyze and interpret visual messages.

How does visual culture contribute to student engagement in art education?

How does visual culture intersect with contemporary art practices.

Visual culture is deeply embedded in contemporary art practices. Many contemporary artists draw inspiration from popular culture, mass media, and visual technologies in their work.

How are perspectives on visual culture art education evolving?

Perspectives on visual culture art education continue to evolve as educators and researchers explore new ways of integrating visual culture into art curricula.

What is the conclusion of visual culture art education?

Visual culture art education is a dynamic and interdisciplinary field that enriches traditional art education by incorporating elements of popular culture, media, and visual technologies.

About The Author

Ethan Emerson

Ethan Emerson is a passionate author and dedicated advocate for the transformative power of education. With a background in teaching and a love for writing, Ethan brings a unique blend of expertise and creativity to his contributions on ExquisitiveEducation.com .His articles are a delightful mix of insightful knowledge and engaging storytelling, aiming to inspire and empower learners of all ages. Ethan's mission is to ignite the spark of curiosity and foster a love for learning in every reader.Ethan Emerson, is your companion in the realm of general education exploration. With a passion for knowledge, He delves into the intricate world of Education Expenses & Discounts , uncovering financial insights for your educational journey. From the vitality of Physical Education to the synergy of Education & Technology , Ethan's here to bridge the gap between traditional and innovative learning methods. Discover the art of crafting impressive Resume & Personal Documentation in Education , as well as insights into diverse Career Paths, Degrees & Educational Requirements . Join Ethan in navigating through a sea of Educational Courses & Classes , exploring the nuances of various Education Systems , and understanding the empowering realm of Special Education . With an eye on Teaching & Teachers , He offers a glimpse into the world of educators who shape minds. Let's unlock Studying Tips & Learning Methods that turn education into a delightful journey of growth with Exquisitive Education .

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ART 8 : Introduction to Visual Thinking

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Art 8 considers contemporary art as fundamentally emerging from a larger system of visual culture that cuts across many material forms and platforms, from unique works in traditional media like oil painting viewed in museums, to time-based photographic media, to ecological, social, or networked practices. In lecture and studio sections we will encounter and learn terms and concepts common to contemporary visual culture. We examine issues arising from the history, economics, and institutionalization of art as well as issues in contemporary art making and critical thinking. We will discuss and practice material, critical, and presentation skills. In three larger and 6 smaller projects students will progressively define and articulate their subjective interests, conceptual urgencies, and material or procedural affinities. Art 8’s goal is to further students’ own sense of direction and voice as young artists by guiding you toward critical and imaginative skills, toward a practice radical openness and productive doubt, and toward ever-greater awareness knowledge of the cultural contexts you work and live within.

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Critical thinking, creativity & competence in visual culture

“No longer are we preparing graduates for a job in their lifetime, we are preparing them for a lifetime of jobs!”

This was the startling revelation from Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Education (FHE), Professor Waibinte Wariboko, at the orientation session for first-year students, a few years ago. If this claim is true, what are the competencies that are required to prepare our graduates for this rapidly changing, technology-driven and scientifically innovative 21st-century world and beyond? Also, what is the relevance of the humanities to that world?

I had the good fortune, as chair of the Association of Commonwealth Literature and Language Studies (ACLALS), to attend the 18th Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers (CCEM) in Mauritius 2012, where I had a eureka moment. One cluster of the stakeholder’s forum of which I was a part was focused on Skills for the Future, and one of its very enlightening sessions was titled, ‘Education for Tomorrow’s World: For What are We Preparing Young People?’ Before even attending the session, it struck me that much of our education is past-oriented, not future oriented. For the majority of educators, they pass on what they have learnt. And if such educators are not paying attention to new research, or new trends, or the new context in which they operate, they tend to remain stuck in the past of their previous preparation. Based on what we know now and what we see emerging on the hazy horizon, we need to begin to imagine what lies ahead.

One of the fascinating aspects of being a science student at Cornwall College and loving literature is that I enjoyed reading science fiction. Long before the film fascination of such movies as Black Panther, many of us attending high school in the 1980s (pre-cell phone, pre-calculator use in maths exams, pre-Internet) had a fiction fascination, in particular science fiction that created future worlds that many of us now inhabit in 2020. One branch of science fiction uses current scientific information and pushes those ideas to their logical conclusion in order to imagine the future.

That education cluster at the CCEM conference asked us participants to imagine the future, to take the information we now have to figure out what lies ahead. Based on the knowledge-driven economy of today and based on research, the presenters of that panel identified six competencies needed for the future: critical thinking skills, innovativeness (read creativity), good communication skills, problem-solving skills, cognitive flexibility (ability to mobilise knowledge) and emotional intelligence. All of these competencies are at the core of literary studies.

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The Caribbean Examination Council understood this over 15 years ago as they designed the CAPE Literatures in English syllabus. The Ministry of Education seems to have heard the clarion call and is now championing these core competencies in PEP. Beyond STEM, we must, therefore, recognise that in English studies, literature is absolutely essential and we should make the subject compulsory for students up to fifth form.

Scandalised

When I was a first-year student at The University of the West Indies in 1986, many people were scandalised by my choice of literature as a field of study. They constantly asked, “What are you going to do with it? Here in 2020, we now know that the study of literature and the fostering of creative expression and communication excellence represent core competencies for the future. The Department of Literatures in English, in particular, and the Faculty of Humanities and Education, in general, have always been part of this future. The common-sense approach to choosing an area of study because it is aligned with a specific job is becoming a less attractive approach in this rapidly changing word, given that in a current student’s lifetime, there will be many jobs.

“No longer a job for a lifetime; instead, there will be “a lifetime of jobs”! We are actually told that in some current jobs, humans will be replaced by machines. Professor Hopeton Dunn, in FHE 2017 Distinguished Lecture, presented a startling video of Ford Motor Company, demonstrating how technology has invaded the work world. The clip revealed that some jobs in that company had already been taken over by machines that could also prepare a cup of coffee for the human worker and also give him/her a back rub!

What core competencies must we develop in our students so that they remain relevant to this brave new world of robotic invasion? From Derek Walcott, Nobel Prize winner, to Marlon James, Booker Prize winner, from Curdella Forbes to Tanya Shirley, The University of the West Indies has been unleashing the creative potential of our people and fostering critical thinking. The Department of Literatures in English, in particular, has always responded to the currencies of the day.

Shifting from the Department of English to the Department of Literatures in English, expanding the archive of literary study beyond Chaucer and the classics to Chronixx and popular genres (reggae songs, science fiction, romance, crime fiction), revamping our programme to include visual culture (film studies) and the digital humanities, the department has maintained relevance in a rapidly changing world. With the pioneering work of Professor Carolyn Cooper, the Institute of Caribbean Studies (ICS), now led by Dr Sonjah Niaah, has given validation to the creative industries as a serious area of study and a viable source of economic development for our people.

In recent years, the Faculty of Humanities and Education has been innovative in looking ahead and providing students with options in tertiary education to position them for the future. The Caribbean School of Media and Communication introduced Animation and Film Production programmes, the Institute of Caribbean Studies has introduced programmes in Cultural and Creative Industries and Music and Performance Studies, and the Department of Literatures in English has introduced the Film Studies programme, and more recently the Bachelor of Arts in Writing, Literature and Publishing.

The entire faculty is now building on its courses in the Digital Humanities to develop a full multidisciplinary programme. This thrust by Dean Wariboko on multidisciplinary programmes is not arbitrary; it provides the opportunity to help students develop that required cognitive flexibility – to manipulate knowledge, to engage core competencies, and to deploy multiple disciplinary tools to a variety of problem-solving scenarios.

The Faculty of Humanities and Education (UWI) continues to position our graduates for the future, building core competencies in critical thinking, creativity, and visual culture!

Michael Bucknor, PhD, is a senior lecturer and campus orator at The University of the West Indies, Mona. This article is one in a series that seeks to promote and highlight the impact of the arts and humanities on the individual’s personal development and career path. Please send feedback to [email protected] .

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Critical and Visual Studies at Pratt

Critical and Visual Studies is a dynamic interdisciplinary bachelor of arts degree offering a strong foundation in the social sciences, history, and philosophy while immersed in Pratt’s uniquely vibrant community. Critical and Visual Studies emphasizes critical thinking and research, writing, and social theory. If you are excited about the interconnections of society, culture, the environment, and urban space, then Critical and Visual Studies is the major for you.

The Experience

Our students work closely with faculty and advisors to forge individual paths of study anchored in a core curriculum that combines theoretical exploration with practical applications. Our program underscores the utmost importance of persuasive writing and efficient communication. Students embark on a systematic and rigorous exploration of the social, political, ecological, and aesthetic underpinnings of cultural production. Every facet of social life – from society and history to everyday life, music, media, fashion, art, globalization, and environment – is a potential object of your studies.

Berlin, Germany, stands as an ideal city for The Pratt Berlin study abroad program invites sophomores and juniors to broaden your cultural, intellectual, and creative horizons with a semester in one of Europe’s most vibrant artistic and literary hubs. Housed in a newly renovated button factory in Kreuzberg, one of Berlin’s central and thrilling neighborhoods, this program offers writing majors and minors in creative writing, critical and visual studies, and humanities and media studies a complete 16-credit package, encompassing core classes and electives taught by our BFA Writing faculty. Explore further opportunities on Pratt’s Study Abroad Program page:

Visit Pratt’s Study Abroad Program page .

Symposium and Speaker Series

Our Speaker Series brings celebrated scholars and intellectuals to Pratt, offering our students invaluable opportunities for engagement and interaction. Past speakers have included luminaries such as: Randy Martin (who laid the foundation of the major), Manthia Diawara , Coco Fusco , Nona Sheppard , Frances Negrón-Muntaner , Gayatri Gopinath , Franco “Bifo” Berardi , Subhankar Banerjee , Cecilia Vicuña , T.J. Demos , J. Kēhaulani Kauanui, Jaskiran Dhillon , Julietta Singh , Roderick Ferguson , Jasbir K. Puar , Arjun Appadurai , Lisa Duggan , Alain Badiou , Tina Campt , Simon Critchley , Vijay Prashad , Gina Dent , Robert Gooding-Williams , Saidiya Hartmam , David Harvey , Gyan Prakash , Michael Taussig , and Ruthie Gilmore .

More Fall 2023 Symposium talks can be found at Talks.Pratt

September 21: Factory Farming and Agricultural Exceptionalism with Jan Dutkiewicz

October 5: Archipelagoes of the Unseen with May Joseph

October 26: Monsters and Human Variety from Pliny the Elder to Linnaeus’ “Systema natura” with B. Ricardo Brown

November 2: TERFism and Feminism Against Cisness with Sophie Lewis

November 9: Imagining a World Without Police with Geo Ciccariello-Maher

November 30:  New York Liberation School with Conor Tomás Reed

Scholar-in-Residence Program

Join in profound dialogues with eminent scholars visiting our department for extended lectures and discussions. Our past scholars-in-residence have included notable figures such as Partha Chatterjee , Stanley Aronowitz , Patricia Clough , Juan Cole , Susan Meiselas , Avery Gordon , Robin Blackburn , Susan Buck-Morss , and Laura Mulvey .

Learning Resources

Our interdisciplinary program emphasizes the richness and complexity of social life, offering abundant learning resources.

Learning resources

The Writing and Tutorial Center also has knowledgeable tutors and peer advisors to assist students in their work.

Our Faculty

Pratt’s Department of Social Science and Cultural Studies (SSCS) is passionately committed to interdisciplinary studies, engaging with a diverse spectrum of topics spanning from cultural theory to pressing local and global social issues. Our faculty members boast expertise in history, anthropology, sociology, philosophy, social and political theory, cultural studies, urban studies, race and ethnicity, gender studies, media analysis, and environmental studies.

Our faculty members are committed to the pursuit of equity through their teaching, research, and public engagement. They bring this dedication and extensive experience directly into the classroom. Explore our Social Science and Cultural Studies faculty to delve deeper into our academic community:

Faculty and administrators .

Dan Boscov-Ellen

Assistant Professor

Francis Bradley

Associate Professor

Uzma Z Rizvi

Our distinguished alumni are leading diverse and thriving careers, addressing critical challenges and creating innovative work that reimagines our world.

Recent Alumni News

Erin odenkirk ’23.

Author and Illustrator 

Erin Odenkirk appeared with her Emmy Award-winning actor Bob Odenkirk to talk about their recent book “Ziliot & Other Important Rhymes” NPR’s Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me.

Selin Bucak ’12

Journalist and writer

The Last Day Before Exile.

Displaced people are often presented as “waves” of immigrants, instead, Bucak’s new book, The Last Day Before Exile, reframes this narrative,  sharing the stories of immigrants who, during some of the hardest moments of their lives, must decide whether to stay or leave. Tracing the steps of professionals who have moved from the Gaza Strip, Pakistan, Morocco, Iran, Afghanistan Turkey, and Ukraine, Bucak shares stories of rebellion, fear, and, in some cases, victory.

Fernando Ortiz Báez ’14

Upper Manhattan & Bronx Borough Director New York City Economic Development Corporation

Fernando Ortiz Báez was honored by El Diario as part of their Hispanic Heritage Month “EL Awards” as one of the most influential Latino Men in the tri-state area for his work in economic development and community engagement in The Bronx and Upper Manhattan.

Molly Adams ’12

Founder and Board Member of the Feminist Bird Club

Molly Adams and Sydney Golden Anderson have recently published Birding For A Better World: A Guide to Finding Joy And Community in Nature. “an inspiring guide to inclusive birding, and “illustrates how anyone can engage in the universally available activity of birding, and support equity and environmental justice at the same time.”

Where They Work

• Assistant Vice President; Government & Community Relations, New York City Economic Development Corporation
• Senior Analyst National Institute for Children’s Health Quality National Institute for Children’s Health Quality (NICHQ)
• External Relations Officer, Friends of Firefighters
• Director, Programs & Strategy, NationSwell
• Editor, Dow Jones Private Equity News
• Associate Project Manager, Creative Operations, Tommy Hilfiger
• Multimedia Design & Production Specialist at Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP
• Alaska Botanical Garden, Marketing Graphic Designer
• PCA, COVID Unit, Yale New Haven Health
• Director of Operations, A Case for Women
• Clinical Trial Project Manager at Neurological Clinical Research Institute at Massachusetts General Hospital
• Lecturer in Law, University of Kent
• Founder, Feminist Bird Club | Advocacy and Outreach Manager, New York City Audubon
• Communications Manager at Urban Dove | Outings Leader at Latino Outdoors NYC
• Psychotherapist
• Certified sommelier
• Marketing Strategy Manager (Film, TV and Sports), Fox 
• Collection Move Registrar, Philadelphia Museum of Art
• Director of Editorial Photography, Saks Fifth Avenue
• Supply Chain Manager, Atlantic Chemicals Trading Group

Success Stories

Alumni & Students Share a Meal & Conversation in New Program

Shaping a Positive Future for NYC

A Pratt Pair Gives Back to the Schools Where They Got Their Start

With Ahmad Shaibani, MS City and Regional Planning ’17

Prattfolio Story

Reimagining Place Together: Taconic Fellows and Rockaway Residents Envision Landfill’s Future

Ready for more.

Pratt Institute

@prattinstitute

From the Catalog

Sample courses.

• CST-100 First-Year Seminar 3 credits
• CST-440 Senior Thesis I 3 credits
• CST-480 Senior Thesis II 3 credits
• PHIL-200 Problems in Philosophy 3 credits
• PHIL-205 Philosophy Through Film 3 credits

Program Overview

Critical and Visual Studies is a dynamic interdisciplinary bachelor of arts degree with a strong foundation in the social sciences, history, and philosophy while immersed in Pratt’s uniquely vibrant environment. Critical and Visual Studies emphasizes critical thinking and research, writing, and social theory.

If you are excited about the interconnections of society, culture, the environment, and urban space, then Critical and Visual Studies is the major for you.

About the Bachelor of Arts in Critical and Visual Studies

Students are encouraged to pursue individual paths of study grounded in a core curriculum  emphasizing both theoretical foundations and practical applications. Critical and Visual Studies  merges the liberal arts and the social sciences with the study of visual and material culture. Our innovative program emphasizes the importance of being able to write persuasively, represent one’s ideas effectively, and to communicate efficiently. These skills are honed through the systematic and rigorous study of the social, political, and artistic  meanings of cultural and aesthetic production. In the Critical and Visual Studies program, every aspect of social life— art, political systems, music, media, fashion, sustainability and the environment in a global economy—is a potential object of study.

The Liberal Arts and Sciences Context at Pratt: Strong Foundations, Multidisciplinary Programs

The curriculum is grounded in both classic and innovative texts of critical theory, visual studies, philosophy, social science, and history. Students choose from a diverse offering of electives and the department’s formal Minors in Psychology, Cultural Studies, Philosophy, Sustainability, Gender/Sexuality, and Social Justice/Social Practice. Students may also choose electives and concentrations from within the School of Liberal Arts and Sciences and across the Institute. The fundamental goal of the faculty in Critical and Visual Studies is to provide students with a challenging and rigorous liberal education that helps them become critical, articulate, well read, intellectually flexible, and culturally literate – students who write well, know empirical methods of research and field work, and are able to express their views. In the Senior year, this work culminates in either a written capstone thesis or  project.

The Critical and Visual Studies program will offer students:

• a critical understanding of culture grounded in philosophy, history, and the social sciences;
• training in social theory, analytical/empirical research methods, and modes of communicating results;
• the ability to critically interpret and integrate written, oral, and cultural expressions and objects;
• the opportunity to pursue in-depth studies and make links between academic work and the wider world with a faculty whose work and teaching is on the cutting edge of scholarship and cultural criticism. 

Uniquely well versed in a wide range of intellectual disciplines and creative approaches, our faculty are approach a liberal arts education as “learning to learn” rather than “schooling” or training.  We provide our students graduate with a foundation for independent lifelong learning, preparing them to thrive in a future economy where they will need critical and analytical skills to move seamlessly amid changing economic circumstances and evolving career paths in the public and private sectors. 

The faculty’s teaching and research interests span the fields of sociology, cultural studies, philosophy, global history and historiography, globalization/imperialism/colonialism/post-colonialism, critical theory, psychology, gender and sexuality, environmental studies, sustainability, science and technology, ethnography, urban studies, visual culture, cinema, documentary film, theater and performance studies.

The dynamic array of cultural events and institutions offered by New York City provide students and faculty the opportunity to immerse themselves in the intellectual life of the city, both outside of the Institute and by participating in a rich array of on-campus events including:

• The Departmental Speaker Series , which brings renowned scholars and intellectuals to Pratt and gives our students the opportunity to meet and interact with them. Past speakers have included:  Randy Martin (who as Chair of SS&CS laid the foundation of the major), Manthia Diawara , Coco Fusco , Licia Fiol-Matta , Leticia Alvarado & Nao Bustamante , Nona Sheppard , Frances Negrón-Muntaner , Gayatri Gopinath , Franco “Bifo” Berardi , Subhankar Banerjee , Cecilia Vicuña , T.J. Demos , J. Kēhaulani Kauanui, Jaskiran Dhillon , Julietta Singh , Roderick Ferguson , Jasbir K. Puar , Arjun Appadurai , Jack Halberstam , Lisa Duggan , Alain Badiou , Tina Campt , Simon Critchley , Vijay Prashad , Gina Dent , Robert Gooding-Williams , Saidiya Hartmam , David Harvey , Gyan Prakash   Vicente Rafael , Martha Rosler , Sukhdev Sandhu , Michael Taussig , and Ruthie Gilmore .
• The Scholar-in-Residence Program   has brought major scholars to to the department for  extended lecture/discussion series. Past scholars-in-residence have included Partha Chatterjee , Stanley Aronowitz , Patricia Clough , Juan Cole , Susan Meiselas , Avery Gordon , Robin Blackburn , Susan Buck-Morss , and Laura Mulvey .

Field Trips to share and engage with each other and with our “City” at large.

• Senior Thesis Presentations which are public presentations by seniors allowing them the opportunity to present their work to their peers and to show the course of their own intellectual development to the broader Pratt community. ​

The Bachelor of Arts in Critical and Visual Studies 

The first year: foundation.

The first year of the program provides students with a foundation in critical theory, visual studies, philosophy, literary approaches, research methodologies, and social sciences. The centerpiece is the first-year seminar in which students become acquainted with the range of subjects, methods, and theories from which, later in their careers at Pratt, they will be able to assemble their own specialized paths of study.

The Second Year: Free Electives, Symposium, and Moderation

The second year of the program is rich in elective offerings that permit students to explore and expand the interests they discovered in their first year of study. The second year is anchored by the two-course sequence of Symposium and Moderation. In Symposium, department faculty lecture and lead a seminar in which students gain further exposure to models of intellectual work. In Moderation, students reflect on their studies during semesters one through three. Moderation enables students to take stock of their initial experiences in the program, examine their goals and interests, evaluate their performance, establish their commitment to a course of study, and chart their final two years of college.

The Third Year: Guided Electives and the Pursuit of a Focus of Study

In the third year of the program, students pursue Minors and concentrations through electives. The concentrations are individually designed courses of study, such as mass media and society, psychology and the arts, or war and culture.  The Department offers Minors in Cultural Studies, Psychology, Philosophy, Sustainability, Gender and Sexuality, and Social Justice and Practice.

Students may also add minors in studio art to their programs.  A complete list of Minors available in the School of Liberal Arts and Sciences is available here: https://catalog.pratt.edu/undergraduate/minors/#minorstext

Senior Year

In the fourth year, students take all-Institute electives and complete their studies with the capstone courses Senior Thesis I and Senior Thesis II, in which they work with faculty in developing, researching, and writing their thesis or project. The senior thesis hones students’ abilities to express themselves, argue their ideas, and make fresh sense of the broader social and cultural worlds they research.

Critical and Visual Studies Coordinator B. Ricardo Brown, PhD [email protected]

Academic Advisement Coordinator Erich Kuersten [email protected]

Office Tel: 718.636.3567 Fax: 718.399.4575 www.pratt.edu/critical-visual-studies

Learning Outcomes

Students in Critical and Visual Studies:

• Ground their intellectual work in the Social Sciences and Cultural Studies.
• To think clearly, critically, and for themselves, that is, learn to learn.
• Analyze and critique classical, modern, and newly emerging knowledge and social transformations.
• Grasp the interconnections and histories of  diverse fields of human inquiry with cultural, social, and political relations.
• Refine their knowledge of diverse cultures and communities.
• Appreciate the importance of material cultural production such as cinema, literature, and the arts.
• Understand analytical and quantitative reasoning and methodologies in comprehending the natural and social worlds.
• Gain an understanding of the historical past both for its own sake and to think creatively about the future.

School of Liberal Arts and Sciences

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Resources and Programs

• Teaching the Four Skills
• U.S. Culture, Music & Games
• Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs)
• Other Resources
• English Club Texts and Materials
• Teacher's Corner
• Comics for Language Learning
• Online Professional English Network (OPEN)

Integrating Critical Thinking Into The Exploration Of Culture

When one thinks about culture, what often comes to mind are the foods, languages, celebrations, music, and clothing of people from different areas of the world. While these things are certainly part of culture, there are a lot more cultural components that are not quite as easy to see. As Sonia Nieto and Patty Bode note , “Culture includes not only tangibles such as foods, holidays, dress, and artistic expression but also less tangible manifestations such as communication style, attitudes, values, and family relationships” (p. 17 1).

English teachers have a special responsibility to help students navigate the components of culture that may not be easily visible. Many students studying English may eventually wish to travel, attend school, or work in other countries. Others may choose to work in industries that require them to interact with English speakers from many different backgrounds. Therefore, it is important that students are able to think critically about their personal experiences and cultural values, those of other people, and the potential conflicts differences may cause. This critical thinking will help them to navigate and resolve potential cultural misunderstandings.

This month the Teacher’s Corne r will present four successive activities to help students examine and deepen their understanding of culture:

Week 1: Reflecting on Hidden Cultural Rules, Part One Week 2: Reflecting on Hidden Cultural Rules, Part Two Week 3: Thinking About Intercultural Interactions Week 4: Successfully Navigating Intercultural Interactions

Educators are positioned to provide students with a chance to take part in activities and discussions that promote self-examination, reflection, and critical thinking. In doing so, teachers can help students begin to understand the less obvious parts of their own culture as well as those of other cultures. Activities like these, and the kind of thinking they require of students, have a lasting effect on how learners approach interacting with people from different backgrounds.

Reference: Nieto, S. and P. Bode. (2012). Affirming Diversity: The Sociopolitical Context of Multicultural Education (6 th ed.). Pearson. 

Table of Contents

This week’s Teacher’s Corner encourages students to think critically about the unspoken rules and expectations of different cultures. Because English is a lingua franca—a common language used by speakers with different native languages—the ability to successfully navigate different cultural expectations is becoming more and more valuable.

As noted by K. David Harrison in his book The Last Speakers , “languages abound in ‘cultural knowledge,’ which is neither genetic nor explicitly learned, but comes to us in an information package—rich and hierarchical in its structure” (p. 58). Every language has its own cultural “information package,” including English. However, because English is studied and spoken by so many different types of people from various backgrounds, there is not one set of unspoken rules or expectations for all English speakers. Rather, as teachers of English, we must prepare our students to be aware of differences and be ready to work through any potential miscommunications that may occur.

Activity: Generating a list of behaviors and planning a skit

Time: 60 minutes

• To help students reflect on what defines culture and to understand that different cultural groups have rules and expectations that may not always be communicated directly.
• To listen, speak, read, and write about culture in English.

Materials: Culture Group Descriptions (Appendix A), Example Scenario (Appendix B), poster/chart paper, different color markers, student notebooks, pencils

Preparation:

• Decide how you will divide your class into groups. There should ideally be a minimum of four groups with 3 to 6 students in each one. If you have a small or large class, adjust groups accordingly.
• Prepare copies of the Culture Group Descriptions and cut them into fourths for distribution. Note that each group of students will be assigned a single culture description (1, 2, 3, or 4). If your class is divided into more than four groups, you can assign the same description to multiple groups, but each group will need its own copy.
• Figure out how you will share the Example Scenario with students, such as by projecting it or making copies.
• Begin by asking students what they think culture means. They can discuss this in small groups or as a whole class.
• Create a Culture Thinking Map on chart/poster paper by writing culture in a circle in the middle. As students share their ideas with the class, draw lines coming out of the circle to record students’ responses.
• Explain to students,  “Every cultural group has visible or spoken elements that are easy to see and understand. These are things like common celebrations, foods, clothing, and music. Additionally, we can also observe common ways of interacting such as greetings and goodbyes. However, every culture also has rules and expectations that are not discussed, directly taught, or easy for other people to see.”
• Tell students that they are going to participate in an activity to examine some of the parts of culture that are not as easy to see.
• Have students get into groups according to the plan you prepared before starting the activity.
• Continue by explaining that each group will be assigned one description of a fictional culture. Working together, the groups should discuss the description and write down a list of behaviors they believe that members of their assigned cultural group would show in a conversation or interaction.
• Model this portion of the activity by choosing one or two of the characteristics from a Culture Group Description. Talk to students about what behaviors a person might show during a conversation or interaction as a result of each characteristic. Record responses in a chart as shown below.
• Have students create the same chart in their notebooks. Working together, each group should discuss the characteristics from the assigned description. Students should write down a list of behaviors they believe that members of their assigned cultural group would show in a conversation or interaction.
• Once groups have had adequate time to prepare a list of behaviors, tell students that they will now be given an example scenario. Say, “Using this scenario and the list of behaviors you wrote, your group will create a skit. The skit must be about the example scenario and the actors must demonstrate as many of the behaviors as possible. You will perform this skit for the rest of the class. Based on your skit, your classmates will try to determine some of the characteristics of your culture, so keep this in mind as you are working.”
• Display or distribute the example scenario, review it with students, and answer any questions they may have.
• As groups work on writing their skits, move around the room to ensure students understand the assignment. Note that not every student from a group must act in the skit, but all group members should help to write it.
• Students should write down a script or at least an outline of their skit in their notebooks in order to continue during the next class.
• Provide time for students to practice their skits. If needed, review each group’s culture description, list of behaviors, and skit to offer suggestions.
• After the activity is complete, collect all materials for use during upcoming classes.

In the next activity in this month’s Teacher’s Corner, students will perform and observe skits and work with classmates to describe each culture group.

Harrison, K. D. (2010). The Last Speakers: The Quest to Save the World’s Most Endangered Languages . Washington, DC: National Geographic Society.

During last week’s Teacher’s Corner activity, students began to think critically about what defines culture. They also planned a skit based on the characteristics of an assigned culture group. This week, groups will perform their skits as others observe and try to identify characteristics of each culture group.

Activities: Skit Presentations and Brainstorming

Time: Varies depending on the size of your class, but all groups will need to present skits, reflect on those they watch, and brainstorm a list of descriptors. Estimated time is 45-60 minutes.

Materials: Culture Group Descriptions (Appendix A), Example Scenario (Appendix B), poster/chart paper, different color markers, student notebooks, pencils, student skits (written and brought in by students)

• Copy the Skit Observation Table (shown in Procedure Step 3) on the board for student groups to use to record observations as they watch skits and discuss what they see. Students should copy the table into their notebooks before groups share their skits.
• If you have a very large class, with multiple groups representing each culture, you may choose not to have every group perform their skit in front of the whole class. Instead, you can divide up the class (in half, or in multiple sections) and have each section watch the groups in their section. If you divide up the class, make sure that all of the culture groups (1-4) are represented in each section. Every student should make observations about all the culture groups.

Activity one: Skit Presentations and Observations

• Begin by reviewing the purpose of the skits with students and answering any questions. Remind learners that the goal of the skit is to demonstrate the list of behaviors they made with their group based on their assigned Culture Group Description.
• Tell students that they will have 10-15 minutes to practice their skits before performing them for others. If you are splitting your class in half or into sections as described under Preparation, share the plan with students.
• Once the time allotted for practice has passed, draw students’ attention to the Skit Observation Table. Explain that as students present their skit, they should share the number of the culture group they are representing. Members of the audience should record this number on the Skit Observation Table. As they watch the skit, students should also note what behaviors they observe, as shown below.
• Once students have had a chance to view all of the skits from each of the other culture groups, they should work together with their group members for about 15 minutes to compare notes, discuss observations, and brainstorm ideas about characteristics of each culture. Characteristics should be recorded in the Skit Observation Table.
• After groups have had sufficient time to discuss and record characteristics, bring the class back together. Tell students that they will now share ideas in order to attempt to create a description of each cultural group.
• Label four sections of the board or four pieces of chart/poster paper with culture group 1, culture group 2, etc. Tell students that you will record the characteristics they share about each culture group and that they should also copy the information into their notebooks.
• Remind students that this is just a learning experience and that no one assumes any student shares the behaviors or characteristics of the culture group they represented for the activity.
• Beginning with Culture Group 1 on the board or chart/poster paper, have students volunteer to share characteristics that were observed during the skit. Continue with each culture group until a list of characteristics has been recorded for each one.

Activity Two: Descriptive Brainstorming

• Explain to students that now that a profile of each culture group has been established, the next step is to list words or phrases that describe each culture group. At this point, you can share the culture group Descriptions (Appendix A) either by photocopying, projecting, or having students read them aloud, to provide students with as much information as possible.
• Divide the class into four large groups or, if you have a large class, create smaller sections and assign each one a culture group to focus on. Provide students with chart/poster paper and markers to record their list.
• Tell students that they should carefully read the description and profile of their newly assigned culture group and think about positive and negative descriptions that may be used to describe the group. Inform the class that they will have 10 minutes to record as many positive and negative words as they can to describe the culture group they have been assigned. Have each group elect a recorder to write down student responses.
• Provide ample time for groups to review the list of characteristics generated about their assigned cultural group during the first activity, as well as the original culture group Description.
• Then, set a timer for 10 minutes and allow students to begin recording their one-word descriptions.
• What are some positive aspects of this culture group? What do you think they would do well? What would people like about someone from this group?
• What are some negative aspects of this culture group? What do you think they would not be very good at? What would people dislike about someone from this group?
• Once time is up, have each group select one student to share what their group wrote down to describe the others. Give each group ample time to share their list.
• What descriptors would you characterize as positive? Which ones are negative? Create a list for each.
• Which of the positive descriptors do you agree with most? Which do you disagree with? Why?
• Which of the negative descriptors do you agree with most? Which do you disagree with? Why?
• Do you think this is a fair representation of the culture group you represented during the skit? Why or why not?
• Ask students to find a partner that was assigned to a different culture group during Activity 1. Have partners share the reflections they recorded in their notebooks.
• Once partners have had time to discuss reflections, ask students to volunteer to share their feelings about this experience and whether their culture group was described accurately or not. Encourage students to discuss the implications of this activity beyond the classroom.

Next week, students will continue to think critically about culture as they add to their initial ideas about what makes up culture on the Culture Thinking Map from Week 1. Students will also begin to discuss and reflect on how cultural differences can make intercultural communication challenging at times. 

So far this month in the Teacher’s Corner, students have had a chance to adopt characteristics of a fictional culture group, plan and perform skits, and observe and describe culture groups other than those they were assigned. Through critical thinking, reflection, and discussion, these activities have helped students recognize that culture includes more than just food, clothing, and celebrations. This week, students will add ideas to the Culture Thinking Map and reflect on potential breakdowns in communication that could happen when people interact.

PREPARATION

Time: 30-45 minutes Goals:

   To help students continue to reflect on what defines culture.

   To think about and discuss potential miscommunications or misunderstandings that could happen

during intercultural interactions.

   To listen, speak, read, and write about culture in English.

Materials: culture group Descriptions (Appendix A), Example Scenario (Appendix B), Culture Thinking Map with students’ ideas about culture from Week 1, different color markers, chart/poster paper, student notebooks, pencils

Ensure that the Culture Thinking Map (Week 1) and descriptive lists (Week 2, Activity 2) are displayed in the classroom.

Gather copies of Culture Group Descriptions (Appendix A) and Example Scenario (Appendix B) , or be sure you have a way to project them.

ACTIVITY ONE: ADDING TO THE CULTURE THINKING MAP

Display the Culture Thinking Map from Week 1. Start by asking students to review the ideas about culture they previously added to the map.

Next, have students get into groups of 3-4.

Remind students to consider how they thought critically about culture during the other activities. Ask them to discuss additional ideas they would now add to the map.

Allow groups to discuss for five minutes. Then, have students share their ideas. Using a different color of marker, add new ideas to the Culture Thinking Map.

ACTIVITY TWO: REFLECTING ON INTERCULTURAL INTERACTIONS

Ask students to recall the number of the culture group they were assigned when they created and performed the skit. Have students hold up fingers to indicate which group they were a part of.

Tell students that for the next activity, they will need to create a new group of four students. Their new group should be made up of one member from each of the culture groups. It is OK if some groups have more than four members as long as each culture group is represented. Provide time for students to get into new groups.

Tell students that for the next activity, each of them will represent their assigned culture group. Students should approach the activity from their culture group ’s point of view.

Project or pass out the Culture Group Descriptions and remind students about the descriptive lists they created in Activity 2 during Week 2. Provide students a few minutes to review these items.

Explain to students that they will revisit the Example Scenario they used to plan their skits during Week 1. This time, students will participate in a discussion with classmates from each of the different culture groups and answer questions.

Display the following instructions for students to read:

Choose two culture groups. For each one, think about the description, the skit you

observed, and the descriptive list. What do you think would happen if members of both of these culture groups were in this scenario? Would people from the different groups interact easily and get along well? Would the interaction be difficult, or would anyone get upset?

List areas where you think the interaction might go well and areas where you think communication could be difficult. In your answers, refer to your descriptions of the culture group ’s behaviors and characteristics.

Repeat Steps A and B for a different pair of culture groups.

After students read the instructions, answer any questions about the task.

Tell students to write down their responses in their notebooks. Provide student s with at least 20 minutes to work in groups. As they do so, move around the room and observe.

When time is up, g ather students’ attention again. Ask learners to reflect on what they discussed and wrote down in their notebooks, thinking specifically about the reasons that intercultural interactions can be successful or challenging. Provide some examples by saying “For instance, in some cultures, direct eye contact is a sign of respect. However, in others, it is a sign of respect to not make eye contact. Or some cultures prefer to speak directly about issues when someone is upset, while others prefer to minimize feelings and maintain relationships. These differences could cause a misunderstanding.”

Givestudents5minutesingroupstogenerateafewreasonsthatinterculturalinteractionsmight succeed or be a challenge. Let students know that they will share their ideas with the class to create a new thinking map.

Writethewords“Factorsthatcanaffectinterculturalinteractions”inacircl einthecenterofa piece of chart paper or on the board. Have each group share the reasons they came up with and add them to the chart paper to create a new thinking map.

Onceallgroupshavesharedtheirideasandallnewideashavebeenaddedtothemap,explainto students that they will use this Intercultural Interactions Thinking Map during the next activity.

In next week’s Teacher’s Corner, students will bring together all of their ideas and reflections in order to think critically about how to successfully approach intercultural interactions. 

Each week of this month’s Teacher’s Corner has required students to reflect and think critically in order to deepen their understanding of culture and how it can affect interactions. This week, students will apply their experience and knowledge to figure out how to make intercultural interactions successful, even if they are challenging.

Preparation

• To help students continue to reflect on what defines culture.
• To think about ways to avoid or mediate miscommunications or misunderstandings during intercultural interactions.

Materials: Culture Thinking Map (Week 1) and Intercultural Interactions Thinking Map (Week 3), student notebooks, pencils

1.     Ensure that all of the thinking maps and descriptive lists from previous activities are displayed in the classroom so that students can see them.

2.     If desired, assign students to participate in completely new groups. Alternatively, students can continue to work in the same groups used during Activity 2 of Week 3.

3.     If you have a large class, you can make a plan for how students will present their scenes at the end of Activity 2. Instead of having each group present to the whole class, you can pair groups to present to each other.

Activity one: writing scenarios

1.     Have students get into groups (see Step 2 under Preparation).

2.     Give groups a few minutes to review the information on the Intercultural Interactions Thinking Map and the information they recorded in their notebooks about how different groups would interact with each other (See Step 6 in Week 3, Activity 2).

3.     Tell students that they will work together with their group to create a scenario where a misunderstanding or miscommunication due to cultural differences might occur. Provide students with the examples below so that they understand expectations for this part of the activity.

a.     Example 1: There are eight people in a sales department at a company. The two leaders have received a cash bonus for the achievements of their department. One leader comes from a culture where resources are shared amongst community members and accomplishments are celebrated by everyone. The other leader comes from a culture where the needs of each individual are most important and every person works for and keeps what they earn or receive. The two leaders must come up with a plan for what to do with the bonus money.

b.     Example 2: A teacher is giving a test to his or her class. The teacher notices that three of the students from the same culture group are whispering and helping each other on the test. After class, the teacher asks these three students to stay and explain why they were cheating on the test. One student explains that they were simply trying to help each other get good grades and make their parents proud because their parents want them to do well in school. The teacher must decide whether the students should get in trouble and have to retake the test.

4.     Let students know that another group of their classmates will act out the scenario they write. Allow time for students to ask questions and clarify what they are expected to do. Tell students that they will have 20 minutes to write down a scenario with their group.

5.     As students are working, move around the room and check in with each group to ensure that the scenarios make sense and will work for others to act out. Help any groups that need guidance or may be struggling with ideas.

6.     When 20 minutes have passed, check to see that all groups have finished. If needed, give students more time to complete the task.

7.     When students are done, collect all of the scenarios.

Activity TWo: Acting out and Reflecting on scenarios

• Read the scenario.
• Discuss the different elements of culture that may cause conflict or misunderstanding in the scenario. Write these cultural elements down on the same paper as the scenario.
• Think about possible ways to resolve the conflict or misunderstanding. Write these resolutions down on the same paper as the scenario.
• Make a plan for how to act out the scenario using one of the resolutions your group thought of.
• Answer any questions that students may have about the assignment.
• Tell students they will have 15 minutes to discuss the scenario, brainstorm possible resolutions, and practice performing the scene.
• When 15 minutes have passed, tell students that in a moment they will present their scene to their classmates. If you have paired groups together, as noted in Step 3 under Preparation, explain the plan to students.
• Explain to students that as they watch their classmates, they should reflect on a few things. Write the following questions on the board:

a.     What were the different cultural elements that caused a problem in this situation?

b.     How was the conflict avoided or resolved?

• After each group performs their scene, ask the rest of the class (or the other group if groups are paired) to discuss and share their answers to the reflection questions.
• After all groups have shared their scenes, ask students to reflect on the following questions in their notebooks in class or for homework:

a.        What are some possible reasons that intercultural interactions can be successful or not?

b.       What are some actions you, or any person, could take to prevent or resolve misunderstandings when interacting with people from different backgrounds?

The activities in this month’s Teacher’s Corner have aimed to help students increase their cultural awareness through reflection and critical thinking. Because speakers of English come from many different backgrounds, the ability to recognize and acknowledge the less obvious elements of culture is an important skill for students studying English. With this knowledge and a better understanding of how to apply it to intercultural interactions, teachers are setting students up for success as they communicate in English.

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