Politics, Ethics, and Aesthetics
Goals
The Politics, Ethics, and Aesthetics curriculum explores the interconnectedness of politics, ethics, and aesthetics, and will provide fellows the tools to analyze and address nuanced societal, social and environmental issues that present in our communities on levels small and large. Through a lens of critical, contextual thinking, fellows will dig deep into the interplay of systems and relationships, developing a comprehensive understanding of what shapes our world and our role in making change.
We understand these terms to mean:
Politics: the way that power is distributed in society and how that changes over time through actions taken by those with, and without power. This means that political action is an effort to alter the distribution and use of power in society.
Ethics: the moral standards which are used to guide individual and societal choices about how power, in many forms, including political power, is used.
Aesthetics: the way in which culture and the people in it communicate. These mediums could include images, graphic design, sounds, songs, movies, television shows, social media, clothing, poetry, books, slang, and more.
Fellows will develop an understanding of how stories create the world around us. These stories are crafted through words, images, and a spectrum of other communication tools, all of which hold power and influence. As citizens, artists, and thinkers, we possess the ability to modify, engage with, and create stories, ultimately shaping and improving the world around us.
Politics, Ethics, and Aesthetics in action…
Zines + Risograph Printmaking with Cosmic Doghouse Press: In the fall of 2023, fellows are learning about the history of ‘zines, an underground artistic movement that began in the 1970s, through which small communities, or subcultures, shared ideas, tastes, and important messages with each other through affordable and efficient printmaking methods and local distribution.
Risograph printmaking is a form of printing using an electronic printer and copy paper: this means it is cheap and efficient to make many copies, so it is the perfect way to share weekly, and monthly newsletters, articles, and zines! Using this medium, fellows will create a zine to spread the word about an upcoming community project, and much more!
Protesting for Fair Pay for Home-care Workers: In the winter of 2023 fellows headed up to Albany to participate in public protests in favor of fair pay for home-care workers in New York State. Fellows have been involved with the issue of accessibility and rights and needs of disability people in their community through their project called ‘Access Kingston’ in which they ultimately created ramps and tools in and around town to make it more accessible.
As protestors, fellows wore clothing and carried signs which expressed the message they were advocating for, By doing this along with other protestors, they presented a clear and united message to the public, both at the capital and on social media through reporting. This is most certainly politics, ethics, and aesthetics in action!
Sample Classes
Place Research and Education
Climate Solutions
Questions?
Contact info@placecorps.org