Reaching Refugees through Art

Save the Children/BBC News

Syrian children refugees in Lebanon are taking part in a program funded by Save the Children, to learn how to process their trauma through art. The children are asked to reflect on their previous home life before the conflict, the events of their displacement, and their road to Lebanon through art and animated cartoons. The two week program includes lessons in computer animation. The creative expression opens up the opportunity for these children and teens to not only process what they’ve lost but also gives them space to share and connect with others. Refugees are also being taught life skills and basic English.

BBC News: “Syria conflict: Seeking refuge in art and animation”

Pop Culture and Education in Action

Much of my research has focused on how to integrate the arts and popular culture into peacebuilding. While this is an emerging field, a decent amount of uncertainty and skepticism remain for its real applications and the ability to conduct proper monitoring and evaluation. However, a project conducted by the World Bank and PCI Media Impact in Mexico shows a way forward.

The project took an existing telenovela, Mucho Corazón, and over the course of a season, integrated lessons on financial management into the soap’s storylines. Mexico is a prime candidate for soap operas for change because of the prevalence of television sets. The financial education material appeared in 7 of 35 episodes.

Most importantly, the evaluation showed that viewers actually liked learning through entertainment. In the past, there has been much debate over whether pop culture vehicles have the capacity to teach as well as entertain. Another important lesson learned: people who were more likely to identify with the characters were also more likely to change their behavior. One individual even noted that he found learning through the show (and seeing a character perform tasks) was more informative than simply being told what to do. While this initial evaluation was qualitative, plans are in the works for additional quantitative evaluation.

What I find most interesting about this project is the use of a pre-existing, established telenovela. Instead of creating a show from scratch with a specific topic and/or issue in mind to tackle, this method comes with an audience base. I’d be interested to know if incorporating smaller, educational storylines into a show (so the viewer can enjoy all the typical storylines as well without the education feeling forced) is more conducive to learning than say, introducing a show that is designed to shine light on inequality, financial education, or any other target. This strikes me as something organizations like the World Bank can target in a number of countries with a high television watching culture: find producers of shows with a decent viewership and negotiate to see what social and/or economic education can be introduced into the season.

Source

http://www.worldbank.org/en/results/2014/09/04/using-a-soap-opera-as-a-vehicle-for-financial-education-in-mexico

Countering Marriage Equality Master Narratives with Television

With recent victories on the ballot for marriage equality, I have heard countless exclamations over how quickly views on gay rights have transformed in one generation. While first moving at a glacial pace, the discussion is gaining enough momentum to prepare society for the collective realization of how far the scope of human rights and should extend. My experience with this phenomenon, in relation to gay rights, can be articulated by the rapid changes in the representation of gay characters and same-sex couples on network television in the last two decades.

Once a taboo topic, a gay character’s inclusion onto network television largely involved a long coming out process and “a very special episode” which tiptoed its way through transitioning the character from perceived as straight to “shockingly” gay. Boundary breaking at first, the networks quickly realized that a gay character was a great source of dramatic storytelling.  I can remember the long, painful process of Jack revealing himself as gay on Dawson’s Creek, as it left profound imagery and heartbreak in its wake. I can similarly remember Willow’s evolution from dating her high school boyfriend Oz to finding love with fellow wiccan Tara on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. At the same time, I saw more lighthearted gay characters on Will & Grace, which managed to make the characters human and usually played stereotypes for laughs.

From my experience growing up with these gay narratives on television, I have witnessed the next, and welcome, stage in the gay narrative. As I will discuss in my later analysis, the new experiment eschews the shock value in favor of a counter-story that gay characters simply exist in our culture, just as straight characters exist: without need for explanations or caveats.

Master Narratives

Master narratives dominate our culture, to the point where many are indiscernible until a careful analysis of an idea’s origins. A master narrative comprises the culturally shared understandings of a population, which stand up to most all challenges thrown in their wake. These cultural narratives are “often archetypal, consisting of stock plots and readily recognizable character types, and we use them not only to make sense of our experience but also to justify what we do” (Nelson, 2001). We look to the master narrative for understanding of our own morals, believing they have the authority to advocate the correct and accepted common norms of society.

Nelson argues that the development of solid counter-stories can effectively challenge damaging, or false, master narratives. By confronting the “oppressive but shared moral understanding” of the master narrative, the counter-story shifts the narrative, “rejecting its assumption that people with a particular group identity are to be subordinated to others or denied access to personal and social goods” (Nelson, 2001). As I will discuss later, marriage can be considered a personal and social good, which is largely denied to same- sex couples in the United States.

Current Counter Narratives

In the fight for gay rights, active campaigners as well as outlets as innocuous as network television are effectively combating the master narrative and advocating a persuasive counter-story. At the heart of the struggle over marriage equality lays a war over terminology; while in popular culture, representations of gay characters are synchronizing to promote a singular counter-story.

Supporters of gay rights are waging a campaign to attack the master narrative perpetuated by Americans that utilize the term “gay marriage.” Instead, many proponents, and the Associated Press, prefer the use of the phrase “marriage equality.” As Lara argues, the entrance of a different term is one of the first steps in creating a counter-narrative. While not a new term like Lemkin’s genocide, the term “marriage equality” is far more resonant and purposeful than using the phrase “gay marriage.” The use of “gay marriage” is otherness in a nutshell: it removes the idea of marriage as a singular institution and attaches a qualifier to the notion. It halts the counter-narrative where it begins and implies that for same sex couples, marriage is not the same. However, “marriage equality” is a powerful term that fully situates the struggle as one against inequality, not one attacking the institution of marriage. It is reframing the argument to be an issue of human rights, the exact opposite of the othering term, “gay marriage.”

Therefore, as more courts hear gay rights cases, subsequent wins will challenge the master narrative of the country. The court is a legitimate power, and its decisions will eventually alter the master narrative and public opinion. Nelson includes court cases as an example of a foundational master narrative (Nelson, 2001). Similarly, powerful individuals like judges and the government as a whole represent a legitimizing force with the capability of altering public opinion; President Obama, in endorsing marriage equality, is leading the way for powerful sources to change the master narrative.

Television Touchstones

Representations of gay characters on television have become more nuanced and less stereotypical. In the past few years, it has seemed almost trendy to include a gay character and/or same-sex couple on a new program. Some instances are a classic case of Hollywood copycat success: the commercial and critical success of Modern Family (which portrays the life of same-sex couple Mitchell and Cam) helped to create a space on network television for same-sex couples. However, whether a character on television is a stereotypical portrayal of a gay man or lesbian is now beside the point. The new trend is to present these characters as “morally upright human beings” (or no less so than their family and friends) and this effectively challenges the master narrative.

As opposed to the carefully planned “very special episode” routine of yesteryear, television now presents the idea that gays are relatively stable, functioning members of society. In fact, these characters are just as dysfunctional as straight characters. For all of its melodrama, Scandal‘s portrayal of the marriage of Cyrus and James was perhaps the most grounded relationship on the show. They fought and they loved, but sometimes they really hurt each other. It was gritty, emotional, and most importantly, rang true.

On ABC’s Happy Endings, a group of 6 tight-knit friends includes one gay guy, Max. The show almost seems to throw every stereotype out the window when writing for Max: he’s into sports, a slob, and exhibits no feminine traits. We meet Max as an integral part of the social group, already accepted with one or two flippant phrases thrown in to categorize him as gay. In fact, his Jewish identity is far more likely to be the subject of a story or punch line than his sexuality.

As network television continues to mainstream this idea, more and more opportunities are open for Americans to reflect and analyze their opinion on gay rights, and one hopes, to form an opinion if they were otherwise noncommittal. The promotion of both the larger counter-story of marriage equality and the more minor change in representation of gays on network television, work together against the master narrative.

The whole process of consuming pop culture can become a reflective activity. Morals and attitudes presented on the screen allow for the viewer to reflect on their own beliefs and solidify their morals.  The tide seems to be turning toward gay rights – more cases are being heard in the Supreme Court, increasing the likelihood for an eventual change in public opinion. For the first time, voters chose to allow marriage equality in their state. And media representations of gay characters are also supporting the counter-narrative that there is nothing humanly different about a person in relation to sexuality.

As a constant consumer of shows from the past two decades, I have witnessed the narrative change in the representation of gay characters. It is possible to trace the various hurdles that networks overcame to get to the point they are now: refusing to other a character in relation to sexuality. While it isn’t enough by itself to counter the master narrative, it is a serious indicator of our society’s shift in opinion.

Source

Nelson, H. L. (2001). Damaged Identities, Narrative Repair. Ithaca: Cornell University Press.

The Intersection of Arts and Peacebuilding

As an introduction to this blog, I’d like to share my thoughts on “Peacebuilding and the Arts” as a field — where it is now and where I think it should be going. 

The umbrella term “peacebuilding and the arts” applies, increasingly, to any form of popular culture that can be harnessed as a vehicle for conflict resolution and for the promotion of peace. Among numerous mediums, this can include the theater, film, television and radio, music, dance and artistic design. More research needs to be done not only on the potential for promotion of the field but also on issues that threaten to keep instrumental use of the arts marginalized.

We need to better understand what exactly popular culture contributes to peacebuilding. Some cultures may already have a popular type of music, dance, or festival that can be suited to promoting peace. And on the other hand, a reliance on more Western models (e.g., television) may lead to accusations of cultural imperialism. Some might argue that these mediums are unsuitable to handle such complex issues. The study of creative arts as a method of peacebuilding is on the rise, but the practice is still underutilized. I believe this is due to a lack of understanding of the “what, when, and how” of popular culture based peacebuilding.

Peacebuilding with popular culture-based projects is still considered an emerging field – and some might object to the use of the label “field.” Organizations dedicated to conflict resolution are increasingly integrating culture into their toolbox (Zelizer, 2007).  But its obscurity remains dubious; John Paul Lederach puts a special emphasis on use of the arts by putting it at the center of his idea of a “moral imagination” (Lederach, 2007). He posits, “peacebuilding requires an eternal belief in the creative act” and that “creativity moves beyond what exists toward something new and unexpected while rising from and speaking to the everyday” (Lederach, 2007).

Globally, media is proven to have an impactful role in the shaping of public consciousness (Shochat, 2003). Culture is a method that allows adversaries in conflict to speak a common language, if not the same language (Fukushima, 2011). Traditionally, artists exist at the fringes of society; space needs to be created to allow for art and creativity to flourish in the mainstream. Tom Woodhouse believes that this space can be created alongside the traditional areas of peacekeeping and peacebuilding – security, humanitarian and political spaces. The institutionalization of a fourth, cultural space will allow for the promotion of issues the other areas ignore, like “symbolic, social and psychological dimensions” that can be explored in public art projects and community activities (Woodhouse, 2010). Art as a creative practice allows the mind to access feelings and expressions that the other spaces cannot utilize; if a culture has a significant area of art that identifies them as a people, harnessing that medium will connect culture to the fourth space.

Aside from creating a space in mainstream peacebuilding, projects themselves differ according to conflict stage, proper cultural medium, and community needs. Projects can directly intervene with a conflict and focus on displaying different perspectives and alternative means of problem solving (Zelizer, 2007). However, the project may not address a particular issue from the conflict; instead, it may focus on promoting understanding and healing between the parties involved.

Shank and Schirch identify four approaches to characterize the goal of a cultural project: 1) waging conflict nonviolently, 2) reducing direct violence, 3) transforming relationships and 4) building capacity. From the approach of a project, it is easier to decide what activity will work best to achieve the project’s goals and affect change. For example, if the goal is to transform relationships, a project could address trauma and justice as a means of forming social bonds. Activities that promote the transformation of relationships might include visual arts therapy, drama therapy and image theatre (Shank & Schirch, 2008).

Besides choosing an approach and a specific activity, the timing for the implementation is also crucial to pinpoint. Conflict situations must be analyzed to determine a strategic stage (Shank & Schirch, 2008). From Shank and Schirch’s recommendation, it seems the best strategy is to conduct a conflict assessment before deciding on the approach, timing, and medium. A more thorough discussion of what is needed at the conflict assessment stage would be helpful for the development of a methodology framework (Shank & Schirch, 2008).

Potential Problems and Arguments

Given its numerous mediums, the arts field has wide-ranging applications for conflict resolution and peacebuilding, but no framework for an accepted methodology. Many organizations have no arts-based focus, with criticism of the approach being too soft; a lack of creative arts people in the field of conflict resolution may explain the hesitancy. Conversely, artistic people show disdain toward creating art for a specific purpose (Shank & Schirch, 2008).

Using popular culture mediums can be affected by political situations and shifts in the project country, are transient in nature and/or have no lasting impact. It is difficult to predict project outcomes (and therefore to get funding) and the project may not be effective if local needs are misinterpreted. The chosen approach needs to be appropriate given existing identity issues, and participants involved may decide to remain anonymous or un-cited (Fukushima, 2011). Popular culture can be used as a tool to promote nationalism, violence and war. Legitimate fears, since often there is an observable gap between the stated goals of the projects and its actual impact (Woodhouse, 2010).

The most daunting aspect of utilizing popular culture is the perceived difficulty of the monitoring and evaluation stage. Those that are unfamiliar with using cultural methods may poorly construct their M&E plan, leading to a report that fails to capture the results. Worse, even with a well-crafted plan, it is not easy to attribute what projects specifically contributed to the observed outcomes (Zelizer, 2007). The use of popular culture and artistic projects are still on the rise, clearly indicating that there must be some methodology to the M&E stage, if not a standard, circulated framework.

Recommendations

Promotion and collaboration is the key to addressing skeptical practitioners. All arts-based culture projects need to stress the promotion of local ownership of the activity (Fukushima, 2011).  A proposal should strategize to involve local peacebuilders and civil society members at all stages (Zelizer, 2007). Research must continue on better ways to monitor and evaluate arts-based projects. These projects typically require long-term commitments with a focus on transparency and discussions with local partners (Zelizer, 2007).

The field of peacebuilding can be “legitimized” by harnessing popular culture in what is seen as an emergent global peace culture (Woodhouse, 2010). Practitioners need to articulate reasons explaining the transformative capacity of the arts (Shank & Schirch, 2008). Most all recommendations include a call for more research and better understanding; academics in the field should heed the call for more research and work together toward creating a generally accepted toolkit and framework.

Sources

Fukushima, A. (2011). Peace and Culture: Fostering Peace through Cultural Contributions. New York: Joint Research Institute for International Peace and Culture.

Lederach, J. P. (2007). The Moral Imagination: The Art and the Soul of Building Peace. European Judaism , 40 (2).

Shank, M., & Schirch, L. (2008). Strategic Arts-Based Peacebuilding. Peace & Change , 33 (2), 217-242.

Shochat, L. (2003). Our Neighborhood: Using Entertaining Children’s Television to Promote Interethnic Understanding in Macedonia . Conflict Resolution Quarterly , 21 (1), 79-93.

Woodhouse, T. (2010). Peacekeeping, Peace Culture and Conflict Resolution . International Peacekeeping , 17 (4), 486-498.

Zelizer, C. (2007, June). Integrating Community Arts and Conflict Resolution: Lessons and Challenges from the Field. Retrieved September 25, 2012, from Community Arts Network: http://wayback.archive-it.org/2077/20100906203351/http://www.communityarts.net/readingroom/archivefiles/2007/06/integrating_com.php