Imaginative thinking: addressing social justice issues through MovieMaker

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the experiences of aspiring school leaders who utilized artmaking (in this case, photography, poetry, music, collage, and short films) through Microsoft MovieMaker as a means for addressing injustices within surrounding school communities. The paper aims to explore how aspiring school leaders understood contemporary curriculum issues within increasingly culturally diverse school communities in the USA.

Design/methodology/approach

This two‐year qualitative study embedded in grounded theory examined the experiences of aspiring school leaders who utilized artmaking (in this case short films through Microsoft MovieMaker) to examine contemporary curriculum issues within surrounding school communities. This study is conducted within the naturalistic tradition.

Findings

The significance of artmaking encourages participants to visually articulate the lived realities of disenfranchised populations. Participants engage in artmaking experience self‐transformation and a calling to encouraging human agency.

Originality/value

In the wake of addressing issues of social justice, the highly charged emotions associated with addressing such issues is evident in the range of emotions that surface including, anger, fear, intimidation, deep sorrow, resentment, joy, and others. Very little scholarship exists for aspiring school leaders who confront issues of social justice in relation to the intensity of emotions and their work.

Citation

Boske, C.A. (2009), "Imaginative thinking: addressing social justice issues through MovieMaker", Multicultural Education & Technology Journal, Vol. 3 No. 3, pp. 213-226. https://doi.org/10.1108/17504970910984880