Moving Through Critical Paralysis

Encountering concepts of privilege and the politics of representation can be unsettling, sometimes having a 'paralysing' effect on students' practice. As one put it, it involves “transforming our perception of the world,” which takes “time and emotional energy.” How can we support this process of reflection and identity formation? This session will explore the ‘politics of representation’ as encountered by BA Photojournalism and Documentary Photography students. It centres on a piece of research conducted in collaboration with a group of students in their second year. The presentation is about the emotional and social effects that course content can have, and about the importance of a holistic view of learning as a process of identity formation, which must be supported in a way that involves listening to students' experiences. Participants will learn about one classroom-based approach to doing this: an intervention which balances the critical rigour of the curriculum with holistic, student-centred care.