The Melanie Buffington Papers

Document Type

Conference Proceeding

Original Publication Date

2019

Journal/Book/Conference Title

Transdisciplinary Inquiry, Practice, and Possibilities in Art Education

DOI of Original Publication

https://doi.org/10.26209/arted50-09

Comments

Originally published by Pennsylvania State University Libraries Open Publishing as part of the proceedings of the seminar "Transdisciplinary Inquiry, Practice, and Possibilities in Art Education: Proceedings from The Penn State Seminar @50." Licensed under a licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. DOI: https://doi.org/10.26209/arted50-09

Date of Submission

March 2023

Abstract

In this paper, we investigate the work of Jane Addams and Hull-House, through Cornel West’s (1999) ideas of prophetic pragmatism. In accordance with West’s writings, we consider the importance of investigating the historical underpinnings of what we believe to be true, while at the same time questioning existing practices, and considering where and from whose work these practices originate. Addams and Hull-House were revolutionary during their time and their work resulted in major neighborhood and community reform. Additionally, through the open forums and frequent visitors to Hull-House, the work there influenced many of Addams’ contemporaries, including John Dewey. Yet, historically, women like Jane Addams and their work have been marginalized as being less than the work of men. We contend that this practice needs to be changed. We pay particular attention to the relationship between Addams’ and Dewey’s ideas, chiefly in Democracy and Education (1916). We pull from and suggest that social work, feminism, community-based research, and pragmatism should be “informing disciplines” for 21st century art education. Expanding West’s notion of prophetic pragmatism, we suggest a feminist prophetic pragmatist lens (Hamington, 2009) through which to view Addams’ work, the work of the residents of Hull-House, and their situation within the histories of Art Education.

Rights

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/).

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