Bringing a Critical Multiculturalist Perspective to the Art History Classroom

• In Event: 52.083 - Roundtable Session 19
  In Roundtable Session: 52.083-7 - Social Justice in Arts Education

Abstract

This paper serves as a reflection on an in-class activity conducted in undergraduate art history and art appreciation courses at a large university. Through a description and analysis of a debate activity that centers around the ownership of the Parthenon Marbles, the author seeks to reflect on her own teaching practices and the potential for a more critical approach in the art history classroom. While a debate around the Parthenon Marbles is usually a successful class activity, dialogue around the institutional connections and relationships between museums and marginalized communities allow for deeper critical understandings of the power structures in play with cultural and ethnic representations and have more potential for a more inclusive, critical pedagogy.

Author

• Kristy Masten, The University of Texas - San Antonio