Situating an Art-based Action Research Study within Social Justice Theories

Abstract

Background : Action research (AR) inherently claims social justice practice in many aspects. This underlying goal of AR reflects the concept of ‘civic friendship’ in terms of finding a solution through collaboration and mutual respect between researcher and researched; thus, it emphasizes a democratic process. By employing an experimental writing style, this paper explores on the issue how research can contribute to social justice as well as to the lives of research participants through an art-based, action research study. Methods : The paper aims to answer two main questions through the critical reflections on an art-based, action research study: (1) what does social justice look like, particularly in the arts? (2) Do art-based, action research studies contribute to social justice for the participants? The case study is designed to use community arts as a means to empower the women (n=16) who were domestic violence survivors and homeless. Using their art works as the women’s voices, an art exhibit was held to initiate civic discussions and engagement on a community level. To investigate the social impacts of community arts, audience surveys (n=74), informal and formal interviews, participatory observation, and journaling were employed as the research methods of this case study. Results : The collected data strongly indicates that art can be an exceptionally powerful tool for communication and healing, especially when words and discussions fall short. In addition, art appears extremely effective to elicit not only emotional but also intellectual responses among the research participants regarding the subject matter, domestic violence. In particular, the main theme that occurred from the collected data was ‘mutual respect and compassion’ between the women and the audience through their shared experience, the women’s art exhibit. In essence, the themes of the collected evidences indicate civic friendship as the outcome of the case study that falls into the pluralistic view of social justice theories. Conclusion : The case study that was used in this paper exemplifies the potential artist in all of us, and the need for policies and resources to support the integration of the arts into all of our lives. More importantly, we argue for the potential for the arts to be integrated into society in a way that builds community, heals wounds, and communicates problems as part of cultural policy practices.