Interpreting Gender and Visual Culture in Art Classrooms

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to present gender issues in the context of a broad definition of art education that includes many types of visual culture and a social reconstruction of the school subject. Specifically, the paper focuses on three gender issues: (a) the representation of females in visual culture; (b) females as respondents to visual culture; and (c) the gendered characteristics of cultural production by students. The foundational importance of presenting cultural context and connections of visual culture to identity are also discussed in relation to learning. The paper concludes with five recommendations for practice.