Assignment help – Discussion
Look back over the topics you chose to discuss in previous discussions, select one, and reexamine it now through the social sciences lens. In your initial post, address the following:
Topic: The Connection Between Art and Wellness
Describe or summarize your previous topic.
How has your understanding been affected by the social sciences lens?
How does the social sciences lens support the lens you previously used?
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Assignment help – Discussion
Revisiting the Connection Between Art and Wellness Through the Social Sciences Lens
In a previous discussion, I chose to explore the topic of the connection between art and wellness. I argued that art can have positive effects on people’s physical, mental, and emotional health, as well as enhance their quality of life and well-being. I supported my claim with evidence from various sources, such as studies, surveys, and testimonials.
Now, I would like to reexamine this topic through the social sciences lens, which focuses on the human behavior and interactions in social contexts. The social sciences lens can help me understand how art influences and is influenced by the social factors that shape people’s lives, such as culture, identity, values, norms, beliefs, attitudes, roles, relationships, institutions, and systems.
One way that the social sciences lens has affected my understanding of the connection between art and wellness is by highlighting the diversity and complexity of this connection across different groups and situations. For example, I learned that art can have different meanings and functions for different people, depending on their cultural background, personal preferences, life experiences, and goals. Some people may use art as a form of expression, communication, or therapy; others may use it as a source of enjoyment, learning, or inspiration; and others may use it as a way of coping, resisting, or transforming their social realities. Therefore, the impact of art on wellness may vary depending on how people perceive and engage with art in their specific contexts.
Another way that the social sciences lens has affected my understanding of the connection between art and wellness is by revealing the challenges and opportunities that art can create for social change. I learned that art can both reflect and affect the social issues and problems that affect people’s wellness, such as poverty, inequality, violence, discrimination, oppression, or environmental degradation. Art can raise awareness, educate, critique, or advocate for these issues and problems; it can also challenge or reinforce the existing social structures and power relations that cause or sustain them. Therefore, the role of art in wellness may depend on how people use art to address or transform their social conditions.
In conclusion, the social sciences lens has enriched my previous perspective on the connection between art and wellness by showing me how art is embedded in and influenced by the social world. The social sciences lens has also supported my previous lens by confirming that art can have positive effects on wellness at both individual and collective levels. However, the social sciences lens has also challenged me to consider the diversity, complexity, and implications of this connection in different contexts.
References
Bungay H., Clift S., Skingley A., & Hancox G. (2014). The value of group singing for community mental health and wellbeing: Findings from a qualitative study. Arts & Health: An International Journal for Research Policy & Practice 6(1), 10-26. https://doi.org/10.1080/17533015.2013.799084
Fancourt D., & Finn S. (2019). What is the evidence on the role of the arts in improving health and well-being? A scoping review (Health Evidence Network synthesis report 67). World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe. https://www.euro.who.int/en/publications/abstracts/what-is-the-evidence-on-the-role-of-the-arts-in-improving-health-and-well-being-a-scoping-review-2019
Kaimal G., Ray K., & Muniz J. (2016). Reduction of cortisol levels and participants’ responses following art making. Art Therapy: Journal of The American Art Therapy Association 33(2), 74-80. https://doi.org/10.1080/07421656.2016.1166832
Thompson C.J., Locander W.B., & Pollio H.R. (1989). Putting consumer experience back into consumer research: The philosophy and method of existential-phenomenology. Journal of Consumer Research 16(2), 133-146. https://doi.org/10.1086/209203
