Taking up new and renewed examinations of the pedagogical linkages between the arts and social movements is critical not only for deepening our understanding of the role of the arts in fighting injustice but also in working toward constructing more sustainable, equitable societies.
Erika Mein (2011) Multimodal Literacies, Pedagogy, and the Construction of Identity-Based Social Movements: The Case of Espina y Jugo in Mexico, Equity & Excellence in Education, 44:3, 296-310, DOI: 10.1080/10665684.2011.589766
Mein’s study examines the link between literacy, multi modality and identity in Northern Mexico, and how the metaphor of “Espina y Jugo” provided a catalyst which helped to challenge views on what it means to be Mexican. Through song, poetry and art, ideas of identity were explored and become the basis for social change. She concludes that literacy, multi-modality and identity construction are linked and embedded within social movements.
Her study also challenges prevailing notions of what it means to be literate, noting that it shifts according to context, time and place. Technology is opening up new forms of literacy and multi-modality, and these conversations become ever more important. Young people in particular are leveraging new literacies to counter popular ideas about identity.
Visible Dialogue 