Teaching cosplay: A theoretical curriculum using critical pedagogy and visual culture art education

Dyer, Connor

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/110418 Copy

Description

Title

Teaching cosplay: A theoretical curriculum using critical pedagogy and visual culture art education

Author(s)

Dyer, Connor

Issue Date

2021-02-25

Director of Research (if dissertation) or Advisor (if thesis)

Hetrick, Laura

Department of Study

Art & Design

Discipline

Art Education

Degree Granting Institution

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Degree Name

M.A.

Degree Level

Thesis

Keyword(s)

• Cosplay
• art education
• critical pedagogy
• visual culture art education
• curriculum
• fandom

Abstract

During my time as an MFA student, my cosplay-based art was often met with misunderstanding or criticism. I found that many of my peers and professors did not understand cosplay to be a form of artistic practice nor did they see it as a meaningful form of identity expression. While cosplay can be defined as the act of dressing up as a popular culture character, this definition fails to convey the criticality, identity exploration, and craft that are involved in its creation. Therefore, this thesis used critical pedagogy and visual culture art education (VCAE) to create a college-level cosplay curriculum. The intention of this curriculum is to promote students to think critically about their interaction with popular culture and fandom, to explore the construction of identity, and to use cosplay as a form of artistic practice. I developed curriculum documents consisting of a class syllabus and four project documents using theories of cosplay identity, critical pedagogy, and VCAE. I then present these documents and justify their content and classroom practice using critical pedagogy and VCAE. The results indicate that cosplay, when taught in a critical manner, can foster student engagement in identity construction and critical thinking. As the curriculum is theoretical, further research is necessary to determine the curriculum’s effectiveness and practicality.

Graduation Semester

2021-05

Type of Resource

Thesis

Permalink

http://hdl.handle.net/2142/110418

Copyright and License Information

Copyright 2021 Connor Dyer

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