Below is a copy of the consent form for my interview/field trip sessions:
Ethical Action Plan
Behold! My EAP.
Reading: Method Illustration
Summary
Article outlining a form of practice formed on BA Illustration at Camberwell College of Arts: method illustration. Authored by Jen Franklin (JF) and Dr Rachel Emily Taylor (RET).
Keywords: experience, understanding, expectations, theatre, performance, rehearsal
Definitions
Method illustration – an illustration research method that requires a person to embody, become, make or engage experientially with their research topic
Method acting – established by Lee Strasberg, it is a research method for actors that encourages them to embody a role
Notes
- Method illustration is a research method emerging on the BA Illustration course at Camberwell College of Arts.
- It requires that students ‘do’ the topic they are making work ‘about’. For example, a student drawing the process of cheesemaking, actually learns to make cheese.
- Students carry out the tasks with risk assessments and create reports in a record. Reports may come in the form of drawings, photographs, film, writing or objects.
- The reports may become outcomes or may exist to achieve a deeper understanding of the topic and propel a project forward.
- Performativity is commonly used within illustrative practices.
- RET is intrigued by the ‘synthesis between performance and illustration’ (pg. 2).
- The practice emerged through a series of workshops on the course.
- The process takes cues from Constantin Stanislavski’s System (‘Given Circumstances’ and ‘Magic If’, 1936.) and rehearsal techniques, foundational to Strasberg’s ‘method acting’.
- The exercises encourage exploring through action.
- RET uses the metaphor of fuel and heat to describe the benefit of this methodology, referencing Tom Selwyn’s ‘hot authenticity’. (1996.) The intangible, emotional responses audiences have are the ‘heat’.
- RET questions the boundaries of self and other: “Stanislavski’s Emotion Memory encouraged an actor to apply his/her own memories to their character’s experiences. But when practising illustration and telling another’s story, we must not lose sight of the fact that even if we ‘stand in another’s shoes’ (Klein [1959] 1988: 252) we do not stand in their skin.” (pg. 3)
- JF cites the beginning of method illustration with the discussion of Michael Beirut’s essay ‘Warning may contain non design content’ (2007.) and how illustration and design are nearly always about ‘something else.’
- ‘Make Cheese’ project asked students to go away and make something then return and explain ‘how it worked’. Students took on active rather than passive roles.
- Is the knowledge gained from the research assimilated into ‘an illustration’? What is an illustration anyway? Regardless, method illustration is a way to discover and understand.
- Method illustration works from ‘familiar realms and inherited knowledge’ as coined by Rogoff (2019) in ‘Becoming research’.
- ‘…research becomes the thing itself and a process of becoming.’ (pg. 8)
- Stepping into another’s role requires respect.
- Making things tangible can lead to new discoveries and unpredictable outcomes.
Reflection
This article was suggested to me after expressing frustration with ‘traditional’ research techniques. I think my exact words were: ‘I just want to be doing stuff. Not reading about doing stuff.’ I am lucky to work alongside the two authors who instantly recognised my desire.
I relate to the ideas of ‘risk’ and ‘unpredictability’ expressed in this article. What I am choosing to do for the ARP is risky, I have no idea how people will respond to the outcome. I’m viewing this as a start of a relationship (performer and audience?) that will allow for feedback, a kind of constant rehearsal.
By embodying the thing that I am researching (podcasting as a pedagogical tool, humour in pedagogy, educator as performer) I can hope to at least understand these positions, whether or not I’m any good at them individually is besides the point.
References
Franklin, J. and Taylor, R.E. (2022) ‘Method illustration’, Journal of Illustration, 9(1), pp. 115–142. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1386/jill_00052_1.
Workshop 1: Critical Friends
Below are some notes, drawings, and reflections from our first workshop.
ARP Cycle
Social Justice
Things to consider:
- Who benefits?
- What inequalities are you addressing?
- What voices are included? Or missing?
- How will your research promote change?
For me, the content of the work I’m making will address social justice issues. I need to think about voice – the planned structure involves having a conversation with one other guest. Who is that guest? What do they offer? Is it better that they are informed or uninformed in the topics covered?
Consent
- Consent is informed
- Consent is given
- Consent can be withdrawn
I intend on conducting interviews and having guests on my podcast. I will need to create an information sheet and consent form for both participants. If I am doing a listener experience event, I will need to consider consent then too.
Learning Outcomes
- Critically analyse how a social justice issue within your context impacts student experience.
- Develop a feasible and detailed research design.
- Design, act, and review research methods.
- Present a critical evaluation of your project.
I’m trying to keep these LOs in mind as I go through the process!
Ethical Research Plan
I have begun drafting my submission!
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Action Research Project: What do!?
(This blog is written with the delicious clarity of distance and time.)
In a mentoring session, I worked through what I might do for my Action Research Project. One thing I’ve learnt on the PgCert is that I’m a verbal processor, speech is how I form and develop ideas.
During the yap-fest, we identified the following themes:
- Narrative + storytelling structures
- Comedy as a progressive tool
- Podcasting
- Social model of trauma
- Doodling as note taking
I spoke about a podcast idea I had had that I felt would be appropriate for the ARP, a podcast exploring visual communication and culture through stories – and more chatting!
I need to research the following:
- Comedy as pedagogy
- Podcasting
- Aural learning
- Potential topics
Introduction to Trauma Informed Teaching: Reflective Report
Contents
Introduction
Positionality Statement
This statement is intended to offer context for my perspectives and interests as a student and educator – without re-victimisation.
I have chosen to create a project on the topic of trauma. It is important to therefore disclose that this interest arises from recent lived experiences. I am in a period of healing and processing, so I am choosing to maintain boundaries and not disclose the nature of this experience while still acknowledging that this obviously influences my perspectives on the subject.
I am also mixed race and recognise the trauma of existing as a non-white person in British society. I have an interest in intergenerational trauma, arising from both of my heritages suffering colonial injury recent and historic.
A Guide to Trauma Informed Teaching
I have written and designed an introductory guide to the principles of trauma informed teaching. Trauma informed teaching recognises that ‘students’ actions are a direct result of their life experiences.’ (Huang et al. 2014) It centres cultural and historical contexts for trauma, and therefore is an inherently inclusive framework. The guide acts as an introduction to the main concepts. It is available in digital and printed forms, it can also be printed at home. It features the following content:
- What is trauma informed teaching?
- The Key Principles of Trauma Informed Teaching
- What actions can you take? (The Four ‘R’s)
- Resources
- Glossary
- Fold-out Poster
The full guide is available to read in two formats in the Appendix of this report. This reflective report uses the outline of ‘Before’, ‘During’ and ‘After’ as an homage to the practice of ‘Realising the impact’ outlined by Thompson and Carello in ‘Trauma-informed Teaching: A Guide for Responding to Crisis and Inequality in Higher Education’ (2022). The research compiled in this particular publication informed so much of this project. I am very grateful for the generous knowledge sharing demonstrated by the contributors.
Before
When asked to create an intervention that furthers inclusive practices, I immediately thought of the unique but also universal experience of trauma. The Covid-19 pandemic not long in the rearview mirror, current research suggests 1 in 5 experience on-going psychological distress due to the pandemic. (Kaubisch et al., 2022) With multiple conflicts occurring across the globe, a seemingly endless culture war on the marginalised, and a news cycle that would make the worst misanthrope weep, trauma is an ever present companion. With that in mind, I wanted to design an intervention that would raise awareness amongst educators and equip my colleagues with a basic understanding of the principles of trauma informed teaching.
In my teaching context, I see evidence of the ubiquity of trauma in the content of student projects and pastoral issues raised in tutorials – so much so that I reached out to a colleague and friend, Sophia Luu, for advice. (You can read more about this exchange in my intervention proposal.)
In my research, I learnt that intersectional identities are at a higher risk of polyvictimisation. (Marchi et al., 2015.) The trauma informed framework is one that centres intersectionality. Knowing that I teach a diverse cohort, in terms of age, gender, race, and ability, I feel there is a need to address trauma and it’s presence in the studio. The data collection of the NSS is imperfect but on paper: 5% of students are over the age of 25, 1% of students are non-binary, and 14% have a declared disability. (University of the Arts London NSS Results, 2023 – 2024)
Initial Survey
To begin, I surveyed a selection of my peers. Some are fellow lecturers, others work in activism, mental health care, and special educational needs. The survey was intended to gauge the current knowledge base and gaps.
There were several recurring themes in the responses:
- Recognition of trauma’s presence in the classroom
- Concerns about professional versus personal boundaries
- Impact of trauma responses on lesson planning and implementation
- Desire for training
Overall, the respondents expressed feeling a desire to be trauma informed but feeling unsure of where to start. I decided at this point that the content of the guide should be foundational, not referring to specific scenarios or case studies. Hopefully this would emphasise the flexibility of trauma informed teaching.
During
Re-Inventing the Wheel
Fig. 1: Equity-Centered Trauma-Informed Wheel of Practice by Phyllis Thompson and Heidi Marsh (2022)
Figure 1 is a diagram developed by Phyllis Thompson and Heidi Marsh. (2022) This diagram summarises the key principles of trauma informed teaching. At it’s centre are cultural, historical and gender issues. They state that the decision to format the principles as a wheel highlights:
- That the principles are relational, not separate
- That equity informs the interpretation, understanding and implementation of each principle
- That healing happens in relationship
Fig. 2 shows my own illustration developed for this project. In my diagram, I have chosen to put the cultural and historical context in the roots of the flower. I wanted to convey that sometimes the cause of trauma is unseen, undetectable and historic. (I explored this in some depth in my blog on faith.) I also wanted to show that our cultures and histories can be the foundation to healing and resistance. In my context as a lecturer in Illustration, this kind of reading of an image is another effective method of communicating ideas.
The wildlife theme of the illustrations in the guide were prompted from a desire to emphasise the goal of trauma informed pedagogy to create an environment, one that organically flexes and adjusts for different needs and contexts. I have been interested in reframing the studio or classroom as an ecosystem since engaging with ‘The design critique and the moral goods of studio pedagogy’ (McDonald and Michela, 2019).
Peer Feedback
Once I had written a draft of the guide, I went to my peers for feedback. As well as receiving general feedback on the quality of the work, I was keen to know what terms should be defined in a glossary. Sophia Luu’s work ‘Secrets Worth Sharing’ (2021) makes the point to define the language specific to her context, I felt it appropriate to do the same for trauma related vocabulary.
The feedback was positive on a whole, in particular my peers appreciated the breaking down of the principles and the four Rs. They did not feel overwhelmed by information.
Some feedback for improvement included adding case studies to the guide. This was something I considered previously, however I felt it would be more appropriate for a follow up to the guide – perhaps a workshop or activity sheet. Should I continue to expand this project I will definitely include case studies.
A Social Model of Trauma?
I took a moment at this stage to also pause and reflect on my progress in this project. I had a moment of clarity when I learnt that trauma responses were not restricted to the negative. I only thought of my trauma as the cause of disassociation, hyper-vigilance and derealisation. I knew that these were defensive mechanisms: to create distance from the events and to prevent them happening again. Learning that a trauma response can be positive totally reframed my perspective and understanding of the topic and myself. I understood that my desire to educate others about trauma, to be a trauma informed practitioner, and to create trauma resistant work spaces, were also ways for the body to heal, protect and resist. I’m reminded of the social model of disability, how that shifting of perspective can be so empowering. I would like to return to this quote from Thomas Shakespeare, previously referenced in my disability blog post:
‘Recognising Lived Experience Is Essential to Empowering Disabled Patients’, 2022.
When it comes to disability, patient empowerment can be beautiful. I notice how people sit differently after I explain to them that many of their problems are down to social barriers, not the disability itself. They leave the room differently from how they entered because of the power of this understanding of disability.
A question I would like to explore is: can we reframe trauma to fit a social model?
After
The physical version of the guide is in three separate parts:
- Glossary bookmark
- Binding band
- Poster zine
The yellow band acts as a physical barrier, the reminder written on it is important, so I wanted to make it unavoidable. Part of my decision making on the format was that I wanted the learner to engage in time and space that feels safe to them. A workshop about trauma could be in itself traumatising. A video or audio format may not allow space for contemplation. The text ‘Engage in a place you feel space.’ invites the reader to take control of how they consume this information, this is a part of the ‘Voice and Choice’ principle of trauma informed pedagogy. The ability to say ‘yes’ or ‘no’ without pressure or coercion is empowering.
The guide itself is a poster zine layout, it folds from a booklet into a large poster. I hoped this would encourage colleagues to keep and display the poster, perhaps in their desk spaces, it may indicate safety to a student.
The glossary is in the form of a book-mark. This is one aspect of the guide I’m not completely satisfied with. In it’s current form, the words ‘coercion’ and ‘trigger’ peek out of the guide. Not ideal! I would consider adding the 4 ‘R’s to the reverse of the glossary too, as these were particularly popular with my peers.
The Last Word
For my final feedback I asked my peers to give short responses to the guide, some were given the guide in person and others used the alternate formats, available in the Appendix of this blog post.
The feedback was very positive and affirmed my intentions. Participants described the guide as ‘accessible and educational’. They felt the illustrations were ‘joyful’ and helped to ‘simplify a complex topic’. Those who do not work in higher education but have completed degrees expressed hope that trauma could be less of a taboo topic in the classroom and studio.
Soon?
So, now what? I’d like to continue exploring trauma informed practices, including more of what interests me in illustration: narrative, autobiographical works, and comedy. When term starts in October, I will bring my guides to hand out to my colleagues. For now, a short break.
Bibliography
Amy Edmondson (1999) ‘Psychological Safety and Learning Behavior in Work Teams’, Administrative Science Quarterly, 44(2), pp. 350–383.
Andrews, A.R. et al. (2015) ‘Polyvictimization, income, and ethnic differences in trauma-related mental health during adolescence’, Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, 50(8), pp. 1223–1234. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-015-1077-3.
Bloom, S. and Sreedhar, S. (2008) ‘The Sanctuary Model of Trauma-Informed Organizational Change.’, Reclaiming Children and Youth: From Trauma to Trust, 17, pp. 48–53.
Kaubisch, L.T. et al. (2022) ‘The COVID-19 pandemic as a traumatic event and the associated psychological impact on families – A systematic review’, Journal of Affective Disorders, 319, pp. 27–39. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2022.08.109.
Marchi, M. et al. (2023) ‘Post-traumatic stress disorder among LGBTQ people: a systematic review and meta-analysis’, Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences, 32, p. e44. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1017/S2045796023000586.
McDonald, J.K. and Michela, E. (2019) ‘The design critique and the moral goods of studio pedagogy’, Design Studies, 62, pp. 1–35. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.destud.2019.02.001.
Thompson, P. and Carello, J. (eds) (2022) Trauma-Informed Pedagogies: A Guide for Responding to Crisis and Inequality in Higher Education. 1st ed. 2022 edition. Palgrave Macmillan.
University of the Arts London (2023) ‘Student Profiles – Summary Grids’. ActiveDashboards. Available at: https://dashboards.arts.ac.uk/dashboard/ActiveDashboards (Accessed: 1 August 2024).
What is trauma? (no date). Available at: https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/trauma/about-trauma/ (Accessed: 18 July 2024).
Appendix
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Race: Please don’t make me read the Telegraph
‘A Critical Race Theory Framework for Education Policy Analysis: The Case of Bilingual Learners and Assessment Policy in England’
This paper considers how critical race theory may be used to form policies, focusing on early years assessments as a case study. The text proposes the following questions to re-orient education policy:
- How do white people gain?
- How is white dominance prioritised?
- How does this maintain white dominance?
I found this case study to be an interesting insight into the exact ways politics shape education. It lists how changing Labour/Co-alition/Conservative governments and world events shifted policy focus – often in a tokenistic way. (Think: education responses to the murder of George Floyd.) The way education in the UK is spoken about paints a sad picture: there is a need to ‘fight for legitimacy’ (Gillborn, 2005). I imagine educators scrabbling for resources and good favour. It feels especially pertinent with an election in just under two weeks.
This approach works under the assumption that white people are benefiting, there is no need to prove it, and so re-focuses policy analysis onto how. This feels positive and actionable, although, and this might be a little cynical of me, I wonder if we will ever ‘prove’ the concept of white privilege ‘enough’ to those who most benefit from it.
‘Racism Shapes Careers: Career Trajectories and Imagined Futures of Racialised Minority PhDs in UK Higher Education’
This study examines how the trajectories and ‘imagined futures’ of racialised minority PhD students are affected by their intersectional identities and experiences of university. It speaks of the ‘triple burden’ faced by some students: race, gender, and class. The policy recommendations are:
- Mentoring
- Policies that engage with intersectional identities
- Decolonising the academic space
- Celebrating diversity and culture
- Platforming transgressive voices
I was particularly interested in the intersection of race and disability discussed in this study. They talk about BAME scholars having to navigate the world of ‘whitening neurodiversity’, students in the study discuss how their race almost seems to ‘outweigh’ their disability. This is certainly something that rings true to my experiences, and I can imagine the myriad of ways this intersection can play out negatively.
‘Professionalism’ and whiteness are connected, and again I see how this can be compounded if you are also disabled. It’s a wall I bump up against fairly frequently, I can be unfiltered and unable to read social cues (knowing when it is my turn to talk). I have left jobs previously where I found the toll of navigating a neurotypical playground too heavy. There are similarities I think to the implicit understanding of social etiquette and interpersonal skills, and the feeling of being the only non-white person in the room. I think of this line from Adrienne Rich’s poem, referenced by bell hooks in Teaching to Transgress, The Burning of Paper Instead of Children:
this is the oppressors language
yet I need it to talk to you
You’re playing a game and they forgot to tell you the rules. This is where mentoring can be so useful, I have a person in my life (a woman, half-Asian and half-white) who I consider a mentor of sorts. It’s invaluable.
Imagination! The study considers the potency of imagination to be parallel with the imagination of race itself. We imagined this world, so we can imagine a better one. I love this.
Asif Sadiq on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Reading the comments on this video did make my blood boil, but the video itself is very… sensible? There is a recurring theme that we have seen many times this unit: visibility. Sadiq says…
How can I become something I can’t see?
He also describes a time a woman said he had ‘done very well all things considered’ which he found confronting – he had a very positive upbringing. It shows how ‘imagined futures’ can be limited by unconscious bias, the assumption that because someone is Asian that they must have struggled. I think this assumption coming from a white person is particularly jarring, nobody likes to feel pitied.
One thing I would like to take away from this video and further implement is learning through stories and shared experiences. This can be part of building a more positive imagined future.
The charity turning UK universities woke!!! omg!!!
I slightly resent having to watch this.
According to This White Man, Richard Orr, Advance HE apparently represents ‘a vision of the future that vast swathes of the British public would reject completely’. Like yeah, Britain’s racist. That’s the issue.
Unfunny, unserious, unintelligent. Ends with the usual Telegraph bit: Britain used to be great, but now it’s not. It must be all of these well-educated young people who have ruined it. Couldn’t have been us what done it.
The School That Tried to End Racism
They made the kids do a privilege walk! Looking at the comments again, it’s interesting how much resentment the commenters are transferring on to the kids. I didn’t see any resentment, just acknowledgement and sadness. No one blamed the little white boy for being white! Henry at the end makes an interesting comment: ‘The questions… didn’t favour some people.’ And I love that, Henry says, let’s imagine a future where it’s possible to ask different questions.
References
Bradbury, Alice. ‘A Critical Race Theory Framework for Education Policy Analysis: The Case of Bilingual Learners and Assessment Policy in England’. Race Ethnicity and Education 23, no. 2 (3 March 2020): 241–60. https://doi.org/10.1080/13613324.2019.1599338.
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion. Learning How to Get It Right | Asif Sadiq | TEDxCroydon, 2023. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HR4wz1b54hw.
Garrett, Rhianna. ‘Racism Shapes Careers: Career Trajectories and Imagined Futures of Racialised Minority PhDs in UK Higher Education’. Globalisation, Societies and Education 0, no. 0 (2024): 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1080/14767724.2024.2307886.
Heartbreaking Moment When Kids Learn About White Privilege | The School That Tried to End Racism, 2020. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1I3wJ7pJUjg.
hooks, bell. Teaching to Transgress: Education as the Practice of Freedom. New York London: Routledge Taylor & Francis Group, 1994.
Imagination GIF – Find & Share on GIPHY. Accessed 21 June 2024. https://giphy.com/gifs/imagination-BQUITFiYVtNte.
Poetry Society of America. ‘The Burning of Paper Instead of Children’. Accessed 21 June 2024. https://poetrysociety.org/poems/the-burning-of-paper-instead-of-children.
Revealed: The Charity Turning UK Universities Woke, 2022. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FRM6vOPTjuU.
Formative Submission: Inclusive Practice Intervention
Earlier this year, I had a confronting experience with a student who wanted to create a project pitched as: “Michael Jackson: He’s innocent!”
I ran through a litany of potential responses but ultimately I froze. After class, I messaged Sophia Luu, a friend and founder of Secrets Worth Sharing, for advice. Sophia is a designer-researcher and survivor of child sexual abuse (CSA). Secrets Worth Sharing aims to create a space for information on CSA, similar to educational spaces for consent and safe sex. (Sophia Luu, ‘About Us’, 2024.) In our conversation, Sophia introduced me to a concept: trauma informed research.
Trauma Informed Research
In data research, this method works to reduce the psychological impact of research on participants before, during, and after the research process. (Corporation for a Skilled Workforce, ‘An Introduction to Trauma-Informed Research’, 2024.) In design-centred research, it considers the impact of topics on audience and responsibly conveying information. There are 6 principles of trauma-informed design: safety, trust, choice, collaboration, empowerment, and cultural consideration. (‘Using Trauma Informed Principles in Content Design’, 2023.)
This was a useful recommendation for my student and something to consider in my own practice. I then began thinking about trauma informed teaching.
‘‘Trauma-informed educators recognize students’ actions are a direct result of their life experiences. When their students act out or disengage, they don’t ask them, ‘What is wrong with you?’ but rather, ‘What happened to you?’”
Guidance for a trauma informed approach, Huang et al., 2014
I considered experiences of my own that have undeniably impacted my teaching and learning. For example: I found Kimberlee Crenshaw’s text on intersectionality (Crenshaw, ‘Mapping the Margins’, 1991.) difficult to read, seeing direct parallels to my lived experience. It was required reading this unit and undeniably important, so how could this text have been delivered in a trauma informed manner?
For my intervention this unit, I would like to respond to this research into trauma informed pedagogy and introduce it to my colleagues.
Benefits of Trauma Informed Teaching in my Context
- Inclusivity: trauma-informed teaching is an inherently intersectional method, BAME, disabled, and LGBTQ+ students are statistically more likely to have experienced trauma. (Marchi et al., ‘Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder among LGBTQ People’, 2023. Andrews et al., ‘Polyvictimization, Income, and Ethnic Differences in Trauma-Related Mental Health during Adolescence’, 2015.)
- Responding to student artwork: many people use art to process traumatic events, our students included. (Gerevich, ‘[Facilitating role of traumatic experiences in art]’, 2017. Translated to English from Hungarian.) This can be confronting for tutors, who may feel uncomfortable or unsure how to respond. Being informed can help tutors confidently guide students through these projects safely.
- Modelling behaviour: Lecturers should model the behaviour we would like our students to have! Being sensitive and empathetic to the experiences of others is a good example to set.
Plan
Create a guide to trauma-informed teaching including core principles and a glossary of terms. This will be directed towards lecturers. Following the principles of trauma-informed design, the tone will be light with emphasis on positive actionable steps we can take to create better teaching environments.
Format
I’m currently undecided on the format of this intervention, but in my teaching context (illustration), zines, comics, and animation are common formats for this kind of content. Below is an example from Sophia Luu, who created a comic book exploring CSA. You can read it here.
Feedback
I would like to speak to my co-workers about their understanding and experience of trauma-informed teaching, prior to engaging with my intervention. After I have completed the intervention I will ask for written feedback including from experts in the area.
Bibliography
Andrews, Arthur R., Lisa Jobe-Shields, Cristina M. López, Isha W. Metzger, Michael A. R. de Arellano, Ben Saunders, and Dean G. Kilpatrick. ‘Polyvictimization, Income, and Ethnic Differences in Trauma-Related Mental Health during Adolescence’. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology 50, no. 8 (1 August 2015): 1223–34. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-015-1077-3.
Content Design London. ‘Using Trauma Informed Principles in Content Design’, 2 June 2023. https://contentdesign.london/blog/using-trauma-informed-principles-with-content-design.
Corporation for a Skilled Workforce. ‘An Introduction to Trauma-Informed Research’. Corporation for a Skilled Workforce (blog), 19 March 2024. https://skilledwork.org/an-introduction-to-trauma-informed-research/.
Crenshaw, Kimberle. ‘Mapping the Margins: Intersectionality, Identity Politics, and Violence against Women of Color’. Stanford Law Review 43, no. 6 (1991): 1241–99. https://doi.org/10.2307/1229039.
Davidson, Shannon. ‘Trauma-Informed Practices for Postsecondary Education: A Guide’. Education Northwest, 2019.
Gerevich, József. ‘[Facilitating role of traumatic experiences in art]’. Orvosi Hetilap 158, no. 17 (April 2017): 668–77. https://doi.org/10.1556/650.2017.30748.
Huang, L. N., Flatow, R., Biggs, T., Afayee, S., Smith, K., Clark, T., & Blake, M. (2014). SAMHSA’s concept of trauma and guidance for a trauma-informed approach (SMA No. 14-4884). U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
Marchi, Mattia, Antonio Travascio, Daniele Uberti, Edoardo De Micheli, Pietro Grenzi, Elisa Arcolin, Luca Pingani, Silvia Ferrari, and Gian M. Galeazzi. ‘Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder among LGBTQ People: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis’. Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences 32 (11 July 2023): e44. https://doi.org/10.1017/S2045796023000586.
Sophia Luu. ‘About Us’. SecretsWorthSharing, 2024. https://www.secretsworthsharing.com/about.
Secrets Worth Sharing: How to Talk About Child Sexual Abuse. 2021. Digital print zine, A5. https://www.sophialuu.co.uk/post/comic-book-on-child-sexual-abuse.
Faith: Complicated, Complicated, Complicated
In an attempt to untangle my thoughts, I will frame these reflections with some personal history.
I am a Catholic, but I don’t believe in capital ‘G’ God. This quote from Dara Ó Briain sums it up nicely (although I do the opposite on the census form):
“I’m staunchly atheist, I simply don’t believe in God, even if he believes in me. But I’m still Catholic, of course. Catholicism has a much broader reach than just the religion. I’m technically Catholic, it’s the box you have to tick on the census form: ‘Don’t believe in God, but I do still hate Rangers.’”
‘Only In Ireland’, 20 December 2008.
Catholic but not a Christian, how does that work? In ‘Religious Identity and Epistemic Injustice: An Intersectional Account’ (2023) Rekis posits religion as just as much a cultural identity as a set of beliefs. This is echoed in the lecture ‘Is religion good or bad? (This is a trick question.)’ (2014). Appiah explores a number of famous religious atheists, leading Rabbis, the Dalai Lama, and I would like to add one more to this list from my faith background: Father Dougal.
Like Dara Ó Briain and Father Dougal, my father is Irish and so the Catholic identity holds a different history and weight to the one my mother, who is Burmese, has. The Troubles marked a period of conflict, some argue on-going, between republican and loyalist factions. The political divide correlates with a religious divide, Catholics tending to be nationalists and Protestants unionist. Segregation occurred between the two communities, with ‘Peace Walls’ erected to further separate neighbourhoods. For (some) Irish Catholics, Protestantism represented colonialist power and erosion of cultural identity. (McKittrick and McVea, Making Sense of the Troubles.)
Conflict resides in the other branches of my heritage too. My mother’s family were converted to Christianity by missionaries as part of the British colonial project. Education was used to convert, schools were set up by various churches. I won’t give you a history of Myanmar but in short: not good. In more recent years, there has been on-going genocide of the Rohingya, a Muslim ethnic group. They are banned from politics and higher education, which reminds me of a comment made by Dr Gurnam Singh in our lecture: that education and politics are tangled.
According to UAL Equality Reports for 22/23, 29% of our students have a faith. I wonder what the data would say if we were to ask for ‘culture’ instead?
Another of the issues highlighted across our materials is stereotyping. In ‘Challenging Race, Religion, and Stereotypes in the Classroom’ from Trinity University (2016), the speaker, who is Sikh, talks about being visibly religious and how he challenges assumptions head on. Visibility is again examined in ‘Islam, Women and Sport: The Case of Visible Muslim Women’ (Jawad, H. 2022). In my teaching context, many of my students are what we might call ‘visibly faithful’, they wear hijabs, religious jewellery, or even speak openly and with pride in class about their faiths. Culture and faith are, like education and politics, tangled for them. I hope to always foster an environment where stereotypes are examined, challenged, and dismantled. This requires some learning on my part, as one’s cultural context can limit our understanding of what is and isn’t a false stereotype. To demonstrate, I would like to end with another clip about faith in Ireland, this time from Derry Girls:
References
Challenging Race, Religion, and Stereotypes in Classroom, 2016. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CAOKTo_DOk.
Derry Girls – Season 2 | The Difference Between Catholics And Protestants, 2019. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4O-nOI-6Qg.
Dougal Shares His Religious Doubts | Father Ted, 2022. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_WUeqlZ5eE.
Father Dougal Heaven and Hell, 2017. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgUZld4Kd_4.
Jawad, H. (2022) Islam, Women and Sport: The Case of Visible Muslim Women. [Online]. Available at: https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/religionglobalsociety/2022/09/islam-women-and-sport-the-case-of-visible-muslim-women/
McKittrick, David, and David McVea. Making Sense of the Troubles: A History of the Northern Ireland Conflict. Revised edition. London: Viking, an imprint of Penguin books, 2012.
‘Only In Ireland’, 20 December 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20081220215410/http://homepage.eircom.net/~odyssey/Politics/Quotes/Ireland_Society.html.
Reki, J. (2023) Religious Identity and Epistemic Injustice: An Intersectional Account. Hypatia 38, pp779–800. Available to download from Moodle via the Readings & Resources folder.
‘The Troubles | Summary, Causes, & Facts | Britannica’, 21 May 2024. https://www.britannica.com/event/The-Troubles-Northern-Ireland-history.
Trinity University (2016) Challenging Race, Religion, and Stereotypes in the Classroom. [Online]. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CAOKTo_DOk
Disability + Intersectionality: Visibility
The phrase ‘drive round the bend’ means to cause someone to go mad with anger. I was once told by an English teacher that in times past this was meant literally. Asylums, sanitariums and homes for the disabled were hidden behind bends to mask the undesirable occupants. While this story might not be true, it speaks to a cultural attitude towards disability: polite society would prefer for it to not be seen or heard.
When you are disabled you are both visible and invisible, this is two-fold if you have intersecting identities.
Ade Adepitan on Blackness and Parasport
For Ade, the Paralympics gave him visibility. The interviewer praises the way sport ’empowers’ disabled people. They become superstars, even superhuman! (‘Meet the Superhumans’, 2012.) Ade also addresses how his Blackness makes him hyper-visible, he describes racism that is compounded with ableist abuse. I resonated with his explanation of the social model of disability, but how we can use that framework to understand racist oppression in society. He says, “Society is what holds us back. That’s that systemic discrimination and oppression.”
Christine Sun Kim on Deaf identity and Communication
For Christine, visibility – her art work – is how she communicates with communities outside of her own (the Deaf community). I was taken by how she uses visual language to partake in a form of community outreach. Sign language is visual, but to someone like myself who cannot understand it, it’s also invisible. The clarity in Christine’s artwork is something I related to, I have a strong desire to be understood and I relate that to my own disability.
Chay Brown on being Trans and Disabled
For Chay Brown, I was interested in how they related the concept of passing to disability. ‘Passing’ is a concept in trans communities whereby you appear to be cis-gender. (‘Transhub, ‘Passing’.) In neuro-diverse communities, we often talk about ‘masking’ (National Autistic Society, ‘Masking’.) which is a way of hiding your disability. Both of these terms have complex connotations. It can feel positive to blend in, as you avoid discrimination, but also unjust – why should you hide important parts of your identity?
I’m also intrigued by how Chay links neuro-divergence and trans-ness. Read any British media publication and you will see transphobic arguments using high rates of autism amongst trans people to discredit experiences of gender dysphoria or gender difference. The goal is to reduce access to gender affirming care, the insinuation is that autistic people cannot be responsible for their own well-being. It’s again showing how oppression intersects.
How does disability factor in my context?
I teach on the BA (Hons) Illustration course at Camberwell College of Arts. Between 10 – 15% of our students have disclosed a disability. There does not appear to be a disability attainment gap, as in 2023 78% of students achieved a 1st or 2:1. This was 80% for our students with disabilities.
We know that inclusive teaching benefits all students, and that by using the social model of disability we can empower students. I have repeatedly returned to the theme of visibility in the examples shared. I think that by increasing disabled representation in our course content we can help our students feel that ‘spark’ Ade referred to. We can show the value in their experiences and perspectives.
Below our some examples of disabled illustrators I would like to use in future course content.
Examples
David Biskup’s graphic novel ‘There’s Only One Place This Road Ever Ends Up’ (2020), was made with his partner who became disabled during their relationship. The work is collaborative, but from the perspective of Biskup who is his partner’s carer.
‘The Land of Uncertainty’ by disabled illustrator Hatiye Garip (2023) is a multi-media accessible comic. It is a tactile book with raised images you can access via touch. It is sold with an audio description too!
Megan Rhiannon’s self-published book ‘Existing Autistic’ (2020) explores the systems and tools Megan uses to navigate the world. It includes chapters on special interests, memories, and journalling.
References
Ade Adepitan Gives Amazing Explanation of Systemic Racism, 2020. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KAsxndpgagU.
Biskup, David. There’s Only One Place This Road Ever Ends Up. David Biskup, 2020.
Christine Sun Kim in “Friends & Strangers” – Season 11 | Art21, 2023. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2NpRaEDlLsI.
Hatiye Garip. The Land of Uncertainty. Edited by Paddy Johnston. Good Comics, 2023.
Intersectionality in Focus: Empowering Voices during UK Disability History Month 2023, 2023. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yID8_s5tjc.
‘Meet the Superhumans’. Meet the Superhumans. Channel 4, 18 July 2012. https://www.channel4.com/press/news/meet-superhumans.
National Autistic Society. ‘Masking’. Accessed 27 April 2024. https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/topics/behaviour/masking.
Rhiannon, Megan. Existing Autistic. Megan Rhiannon Illustration, 2020.
Transhub. ‘Passing’. TransHub. Accessed 27 April 2024. https://www.transhub.org.au/passing.