The Art of Empathy: Employing the Arts in Social Inquiry with Poor, Working-Class Women

Part of a special issue on the relationship between art, identity, and social justice. A study was conducted to explore the use of the arts in conducting research among poor, working-class women. Data were obtained from field work, art projects, and interviews conducted as part of the Sure Start pro...

Full description

Saved in:  
Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Foster, Hamar 1948- (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
Published: 2007
In: Social justice
Year: 2007, Volume: 34, Issue: 1, Pages: 12-27
Online Access: Volltext (Verlag)
Check availability: HBZ Gateway
Keywords:
Art & society
Social attitudes
Equality
Women's employment
Self-actualization (Psychology)
women artists
Themes in art
Feminist art
Working class women in art
Participant Observation
Social problems in art
Poor women
Description
Summary:Part of a special issue on the relationship between art, identity, and social justice. A study was conducted to explore the use of the arts in conducting research among poor, working-class women. Data were obtained from field work, art projects, and interviews conducted as part of the Sure Start program involving working-class women from a deprived area of Great Britain. Findings revealed that those who participated in the project cultivated relationships, made important discoveries about themselves, and gained a rare opportunity to share the reality of their lives with an audience that included policymakers and professionals. Findings also revealed that artistic, emotional expression facilitated an accurate evaluation of the success of the program. Findings indicated that the arts and humanities have much to teach social sciences in the area of capturing life as it is and communicating it to a wider audience. Findings are discussed in detail.