Interest-driven sociopolitical youth engagement: Art and gun violence prevention

Abstract

This exploratory case study examines the National Youth Art Movement Against Gun Violence intervention launched in Chicago in 2017 that used public art and new media creation to engage youth in activism for gun violence prevention. Five African American and Latino youth artists participated in the program; the study focuses on three of the participants’ experiences. The researcher’s goal was to determine whether the unique mix of media and education practices used to develop and deliver the intervention curriculum impacted participants’ art practice, understanding of gun violence, and/or self-concept. A theoretical thematic approach to coding was applied to the audio, video, and text-based data collected. The artwork developed by the youth was analyzed using visual methodologies of compositional interpretation and semiology. Findings reveal that, within this cohort of youth, activities that connected their intrinsic interests in art with work toward a cause strengthened their affinity toward sociopolitical engagement.