Running Head: ART AND IDENTITY FORMATION

Art and Identity Formation:

Discovering Inner Self in a Social World through Art

High School Interdisciplinary Art Curriculum Rationale

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Introduction:

        Art and Identity Formation: Discovering Inner Self in a Social World through Art, a high

school art curriculum, explores the psychology of identity formation in relation to our visual

culture and communities, connecting these ideas to our self-expression and self-discovery.

Adolescence is a pivotal time in emotional and social development, and visual culture not only

impacts this development, but art allows students to explore these stages of their development

and better understand themselves. In Meece and Daniels (2008), they describe developmental

theorist Erik Erikson’s theory on identity development by noting: 

During adolescence, young people enter the stage of identity versus role confusion. Forming an
identity involves committing oneself to a set of beliefs, values, and adult roles. Having formed a
basic sense of self, Erickson believed that young people begin to struggle with such questions
as Who am I? What makes me unique? What is important to me? What do I want to do with my
life? (p. 336). 

This interdisciplinary curriculum connects these theories and research on adolescent

development and connects it to artistic expression. Students often struggle with those questions

and have no outlet in which to explore them, but this art curriculum will give them a place to

explore those ideas through art. 

        In this curriculum, students will assess their personal contexts and culture, as well as

analyze their visual culture influences in order to better understand their own

identity. Furthermore, students will explore how their identity and contexts attach them to

various communities. Building on their inner identity, students will explore this idea of group

identity.

         In the social world we are currently living in, it becomes increasingly difficult for

adolescents to answer those questions in developing their identities. Society impacts how we see

ourselves and how we consume art, and visual culture is a representation of society that forms
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our identity. With the consistent influx of information and imagery on students, visual literacy

and critical thinking are increasingly important. In parsing through this information, students will

steadily assess those questions, “Who am I? What makes me unique? What is important to me?

What do I want to do with my life?” (Meece and Daniels, 2008, p. 336) and discover themselves

through art. This curriculum as a whole is designed to question and think critically about the

information in visual culture, while allowing students to work through this critical stage of self-

discovering through research and self-expression. 

        There are three units in this curriculum, and each unit will build upon the next in the spiral

model. The three units are: Improving Visual Literacy to Deconstruct Identity Formation, Visual

Culture and Identity Formation,and Art in Cultural and Community Identities. Students will use

the skills and concepts from each unit and apply them to the following unit. There will be various

artistic skills and processes covered in each unit, and by Unit Three, students will be working in

groups on a community mural project exploring cultural and community identities.

The Curriculum Framework represents this concept of art and identity formation by

including imagery of various forms of visual culture, including popular visual culture, media,

and cultural imagery. This is contrasted with images of relevant contemporary artists that

challenge the construct of art, or rather the identity of art. Some of these works also represent the

idea of identity and visual culture. Lastly, the main image in the Conceptual Framework

represents an adolescent surrounded by visual media, which is meant to represent one of the

main concepts of this curriculum: visual literacy that allows students to deconstruct their identity.

Curriculum Aims and Goals: 

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        In Art and Identity Formation: Discovering Inner Self in a Social World through Art,

students will be expected to achieve the set aims and goals. These aims and goals allow students

to see the purpose of the lessons they are completing and allow the acquisition of knowledge

while participating in the curriculum. By the end of this curriculum, students will be able to

successfully analyze and critically assess visual culture and other influential aspects of society,

develop a sense of self-awareness and ownership over their self-identity, and identify their own

cultures, subcultures, and communities and how they identity with them. The aims for this course

are as follows:

        Aim 1: To promote awareness of visual information and increase visual literacy. 

        Aim 2: To create art as a conduit of understanding identity development.

        Aim 3: To promote awareness of identity as part of a larger group. 

The corresponding goals are listed below: 

        Goal 1: Understand the forms and contents of visual culture. 

        Goal 2: Develop ownership of visual culture and personal influences. 

        Goal 3: Generate art that expresses reflective practice and an ownership of inner and group

identity. 

These aims and goals correspond with the Illinois Learning Standards for Visual Arts. The first

aim, to promote awareness of visual information and increase visual literacy and the first

goal, understand the forms and contents of visual culture, work toward helping students critically

think about the information and imagery that is informing their identity in adolescence. This

corresponds to standard VA:Re7.2.II, stating that students should “analyze how one’s

understanding of the world is affected by experiencing visual imagery” (ISBE, 2016). Through

this idea, students will begin to critically think about the social world and the visual imagery that
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is influencing their identity. The second aim, to create art as a conduit of understanding identity

development and the second goal, develop ownership of visual culture and personal

influences, work toward connecting student understanding of their influences and their many

facets of their identity, and expressing these things through art. Exploring these ideas and

answering those questions about their inner identity will allow students to take ownership of their

self-discovery. This connects to standard VA:Cn10.1.III which states that students will

“synthesize knowledge of social, cultural, historical, and personal life with art-making

approaches to create meaningful works of art or design” (ISBE, 2016). Students will be making

art through reflective practice that is developed through researching these various aspects of self.

The third aim, to promote awareness of identity as part of a larger group and the third

goal, generate art that expresses reflective practice and an ownership of inner and group

identity, works toward students applying their knowledge and exploration of the inner-self to

their larger identities as part of cultures and communities. This connects to the

standard VA:Cn11.1.I, which says that students should “describe how knowledge of culture,

traditions, and history may influence personal responses to art” (ISBE, 2016). This works toward

students analyzing their cultures, subcultures, and contexts, and assessing how their identification

with these groups influences their inner identity and viewpoints. This also connects to

standard VA:Cn11.1.II, which states that students should “compare uses of art in a variety of

societal, cultural, and historical contexts and make connections to uses of art in contemporary

and local contexts” (ISBE, 2016). This shifts student perspective to analyzing those communities

and their identities as a larger group. Once students have worked through Units One and Two,

they will have the visual literacy and confidence in their own identity to assess the identities of

these larger groups and communities. 

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Importance of Theme:

        Art and Identity Formation: Discovering Inner Self in a Social World through Art is an

important topic because it encourages students to explore these psychological issues they often

struggle with but have no outlet for. It also increases student visual literacy and understanding of

personal contexts which inform the way they make and view art. Allowing students to freely ask

these questions that are often posed in adolescence, “Who am I? What makes me unique? What is

important to me? What do I want to do with my life?” (Meece and Daniels, 2008, p. 336)

students will avoid having an “identity crisis” which Erikson describes often happens at this

stage in development. There are many aspects to understanding identity at this stage, but Erikson

refers to the sense of “inner identity” (p. 364) as the foundation for identity formation. This inner

identity, that continues to form into adult life, supports and forms your morals, values, and

beliefs as a person. The foundation created for inner identity impacts identity for the rest of your

life, and the ripple effect impacts your culture, community, and those in your inner schema. The

use of art as an outlet for this psychological process is essential as it gives a voice and language

to students when there may not be words to process the experiences. Also, much of the identity

formation that students are experiencing is connected to visual culture, so using art and media

connected to those visuals will allow for better processing of both themselves and the materials.

        Art is an essential way to approach this topic because students are heavily influenced by

imagery and visual culture at this stage in their lives. In a study of identity formation through art

by Steven Drouin (2015) he notes that: 

Modern adolescent identity formation no longer takes place in “uncomplex and uniform”
contexts (Mead 1928/1961, p. 11). Jensen (2003) reminds us technology and globalization has
granted modern young persons exposure to many cultural communities from which they derive
answers to identity related questions (p. 1).
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In this study, Drouin is exploring inner identity with his high school students through an art

assemblage activity. After having students explore their cultures and personal contexts, he notes,

“Helping raise students’ cognizance of how they and other factors influence their identity

formation process is an important albeit imperfect task” (p. 2). This emphasizes the importance

of visual literacy and critical thinking as a process to understanding inner identity. As noted

above, in this social world, students are exposed to global culture and communities, which

influence their identity as well. Allowing students to explore this complex narrative and those

inner questions through art over three units, they will begin to grasp the many layers that

accompany the formation of their identity and take ownership of it. 

Course Description:

        Students will begin the first day of this curriculum by discussing visual literacy in pop

culture, and further how their own pop culture influences may impact their identity. Some themes

and lessons that will be explored in the first unit will be technology and social media, cultivated

versus true identity, and multiple perspectives of cultural and historical imagery. We will be

assessing all of these themes through the lens of visual literacy and critical thinking. Each project

will begin with students journaling about what they believe the meaning of the imagery to be,

followed by PowerPoints and critical discussions about the impact of those images.

Students will then create a collage of their popular visual culture influences, a double

sided self-portrait that displays their cultivated identity versus their true identity, and a

contemporary movie poster or advertisement that reinterprets a historical poster. Through these
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projects, students will be taking a closer look at the imagery they are surrounded by every day

and critically assessing the meaning, which will enhance their visual literacy. Students will also

be able to identify their visual influences and have a better understanding their impact.

Furthermore, this visual literacy will prepare students for Unit Two and Three which require

students to have an understanding of these concepts before they begin to assess their own

identity formation and their cultural and community identities. 

        By the second unit, students will have a stronger grasp on the visual culture that contributes

to the formation of their identity and will be able to critically assess it. Students will then start

reflecting on their own lives, culture, and personal contexts to create projects that encompass

their inner identity. Students will be working remotely to create a logo that represents their

personal brand and a comic strip that tells a personal narrative. Each of these projects will begin

by discussing various aspects of visual culture and their meaning. Through these projects,

students will be able to explore how their personal visual culture has formed their inner identity,

and express this identity through art. By the end of the projects, students will have pushed these

concepts even further by choosing how they are represented. By understanding these influences

and their inner identity, students will also be able to recognize these influences in the future, and

be able to take ownership of the person they become. 

        In the third unit, students will combine their knowledge from the previous units to discuss

and explore art in cultural and community identities. By having a better grasp of their own

identity, students can then understand how they fit into various groups, and how various groups

have identities of their own. To begin this unit, students will be researching ou. Then, students

will use this experience to create a mural in the school that will represent the school identity.

Students will be working together in class to research and plan this mural so that it accurately
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represents the cultural and community identity of the school. Throughout this process, students

will be learning about various groups, cultures, and subcultures and how they are often

represented. In this unit, students will be able to apply all that they learned in previous units

while working as a group to create these projects that represent both inner and group identity. 

        In Meece and Daniels (2008) the authors describe the formation of identity in adolescents

by noting, “Older children also understand that they may have thoughts and feelings that are

hidden from others. Psychologists refer to this developmental trend as the emergence of the inner

or psychological self” (p. 358). The authors go on to state, “Gradually, as an adolescent’s self-

concept becomes more firmly established, he or she begins to feel more secure and less self-

conscious” (p. 360). Not only are students able to research elements of themselves and their

visual culture that they are interested in through this curriculum, but it allows the students to

better understand this inner or psychological self. By doing this, students will not only have the

tools to critically assess imagery that surrounds them in the world, but take ownership over their

self-concept. As previously noted, this is a pivotal time in adolescent development, and giving

students an outlet to answer the questions that developmental theorist Erik Erikson believes

students are struggling with at this age, “Who am I? What makes me unique? What is important

to me? What do I want to do with my life?” (p. 336) students can use these lessons to inform

those answers. This curriculum will create an environment of self-discovery where students can

create art that has meaning and purpose beyond the classroom. 

Developmental Level

        At the high school level, students are at the adolescent stage of development, which

makes Art and Identity Formation: Discovering Inner Self in a Social World through
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Art, particularly important to be teaching at this time. Students at this time are discovering who

they are, making choices about their tastes, and beginning to form their permanent inner identity.

By directly confronting this stage of development, students can address these questions about

identity rather than have identity confusion or have an identity crisis. According to Piaget’s

theory on cognitive development, students at this age are in the “Formal Operational Stage” of

development. In Meece and Daniels (2008) they describe Piaget’s theory, and note, “The ability

to think abstractly and reflectively occurs during formal operational stage” (p. 149). Because of

this development, students at this age are able to think critically about their visual culture, and

can also be reflective about personal narratives and elements of their visual culture that

contribute to their identity formation. 

Resources:

        In Art and Identity Formation: Discovering Inner Self in a Social World through Art, there

is a multitude of resources that students will be using throughout the units. These resources will

help students have a more thorough understanding of content, help create discussions, allow

students to create relationships with peers, and over all enhance the learning experience. Students

will need access to a computer, printer, and internet in order to fully engage with the material, as

well as interact with peers. Students will also be required to have a process journal that will be

used for in-class activities, brainstorming, writing artist statements, and other project outlining.

This will be assessed as part of the students progression in the course. Traditional art materials

will be provided, as well as technology, so students can enhance a variety of skills in their artistic

practice. 
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Additional resources proposed for this course: 

PowerPoints
Project Outlines/Handouts
Tutorial Videos
Projector
Computer
Printer
Google Classroom
Speakers

Suggested Books: 
• Guerilla Girls. (1998). The Guerilla Girls’ Bedside Companion to the History of Western
Art. New York, NY: 
• Freedman, K. (2003). Teaching visual culture: Curriculum, aesthetics, and the social life
of art. New York, NY: Teachers 

Traditional Art Media: 

• Paints
• Colored Pencils
• Paint Brushes 
• Photoshop and Illustrator 
• Collage Materials 
• Scissors 
• Paper (Variety)
• Markers
• Pens
• Pencils

Conclusion: 

        The high school art curriculum, Art and Identity Formation: Discovering Inner Self in a

Social World through Art, encompasses the study of identity formation in adolescents, cultivates

visual literacy to best understand our visual influences, our inner identity formation and group

identity, and expresses this through art. This course guides students through this stage in their

development, and prepares them for the influence of visual culture as they continue through life.

Beyond this, students will have a foundation of knowledge regarding cultural groups, popular
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culture, technology, and more that will benefit them beyond this curriculum. Students are also

able to work collaboratively, and feel confident in their own visual literacy and self-concept. 
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References:

Illinois State Board of Education. (2016). Illinois learning standards. Illinois State Board of
Education.

Daniels, D. H., & Meece, J. L. (2008). Child & adolescent development for educators.

Drouin, S. D. (2015). Assemblage: Raising Awareness of Student Identity Formation through

Art. Multicultural Education, 22, 59-61.