Social repair through the arts

I would like to first begin by thanking everyone that made this class so successful! One of the things that drew my attention to this topic was how people tend to act on their impulses without empathizing the needs or views of others. It is interesting to observe how body language and our communication skills with people can either create tension or unity. My favorite portion of the class was how re-sculpting ones body helped alleviate a situation. This lead to my point how body language is so important with the client based population we serve. When I evaluate the placement for clients one of the things we observe is body language. Body language helps us determine whether they want to change their lives or if it because they have been mandated by parole or probation. As social justice workers we should also be aware of our body language because it displays our interest to assist them on their path to rehabilitation. Most of these individuals have been raised in homes where they were shown little to no affection. We need to be aware of our body language because we need to differentiate ourselves from the negative people in their lives. Most of these people have been unreceptive to receiving help because of the previous lifestyles they were accustomed to living. I also enjoyed stepping inside the character of others because it allows us to feel the frustration or stigma of others. Many times we tend to prejudge others without the interest of understanding their circumstances. Seeing how effective it was to step in the perspective of another person led me to this question: Might there be some type of social repair through the arts? .

In my opinion, the artistic approach seeks to eliminate the perception that society has about former prisoners and bring everyone's perspective into the larger picture. Might this be a realistic stepping stone for social change? Where do you think it is most needed, and what are the obstacles that will be encountered? In theater there are no bystanders, and there were so many solutions that each of us contributed. Going back to Ridhi's week: Do you think people would be willing to have more of an open mind, and more of a sense of moral responsibility to one another, through using this approach?

At Center for Employment they have been doing similar exercises as we did in class. It was interesting to hear that at first they were not willing to participate in these exercises but after they were drawn to these exercises and learned to positively see the perspectives of others. Do you believe that the government should have programs that include arts as part of a rehabilitative program?

Minding your own business

Thank you everyone for such a great conversation yesterday! We touched on so many different topics, all of which led to an incredibly stimulating conversation. One question that struck me was the question of moral responsibility. In class, Elizabeth mentioned the moral responsibility a neighbor might have to a DV victim. While I was drafting this blog, I kept coming back to the issue of responsibility we have toward each other. Yesterday morning I ended up in a discussion with my mentor, Jan, about moral responsibility and how individuals react to certain situations. We argued about how different circumstances cause different reactions, and while people are more than willing to help, certain situations will cause them to freeze and hesitate.

A few years ago, a woman was sexually assaulted in a train station while two different conductors looked on. While the conductors did call for help, they did nothing to physically stop the man. By the time the cops reached her, the woman had been raped twice and the man was long gone. The victim filed a lawsuit against the conductors and recently, a judge ruled that the conductors were in no way responsible to step in and help the woman, as long as they called for help. MTA stated that the conductors should not be expected to take the place of law enforcement. (http://www.nypost.com/seven/04012009/news/regionalnews/subway_rapist_victims_shock_162317.htm)

Another one of my CEO co-workers showed me a video of a woman who was beat up on the train by a random stranger in Spain, while other passengers looked on and did nothing. Incidents like these happen everywhere and it is always the onlooker’s moral responsibility that is questioned. My mentor’s statement that everyone claims they will help someone but very few are willing to act in the moment has truth to it. A lot of people might not get involved simply because it wasn’t their business. I myself might think twice about helping the woman on the train, for the fear of him turning on me would stop me. Should it be each person’s moral responsibility to look out for the safety of others? If so, is it possible to create a moral code of conduct? Is it possible to enforce such a code?