M.A. of Arts and Social Studies

Head of the program: Prof. Miriam Golan

The program combines theories in social studies and experiences in combining the arts while developing skills and experiences and imparting tools for their application in society with individuals, groups, communities, and organizations, all through theoretical, research, experiential, and applied learning. Many program graduates advanced in their workplaces to key positions, and others found new employment avenues and made significant professional changes.

The Arts and Social Studies program will allow students to engage in:

• Theoretical learning that emphasizes critical and applied thinking.
• Acquisition of professional tools in guiding groups and resolving conflicts.
• Experiencing the arts as a tool for personal expression and social awareness.
• Experience in community activity as part of practical work for the purpose of social change.
• Experience in areas and populations such as education, women, the third age, and youth at risk to lead change processes in these areas.

The program is intended for bachelor’s degree holders who wish to learn advanced academic theories and obtain practical tools that will enable them to engage in group and community work and lead to social changes through the arts.

Many of the students in the program are counseling, support, education, and teaching professionals who wish to lead change in the framework in which they operate, in the community, and in society.

Course summaries

Art creates exploratory art

The course will examine the person’s perception of themself (the inner self) and the self-image they reflect on the society around them. Is there a gap between the inner and outer self? Is it possible and desirable to bridge this gap? Through a series of exercises in studio work, we will engage in self-observation that will develop the ability to express ourselves and be communicative. The creative space is a space of observation. A space to be introspective, attentive, and inquisitive. We will deal with questions of identity and foreignness, linking and bridging language and culture in the space of borders between things. A space that is not just a visual image but a meeting place with the other, the place that defines the self and thereby also defines the other. The artistic work reflects values, messages, ideas, and feelings through sublimation. It is a sharp but indirect self-expression that allows exposure while possibly maintaining privacy. During the course, we will be exposed to the works of different artists and create art in various materials and media.

Styling as a tool for self-expression

A theoretical and research basis shows that the manner of clothing is related to a person’s self-concept and affects cognitive functions and communication with the environment. Our way of dressing is part of the definition of our personal identity and has a deep affinity with body image.

Therapeutic styling is based on understanding the psychological importance of clothes as a second skin, a transitional object, and a means of building female identity in a time that glorifies an unattainable female body. It is a creative language used for non-verbal self-expression. The course is based on experiential learning of a tool that may drive change processes in individuals and groups and serve as an intercultural, interpersonal, and intrapersonal bridge. (2 credits)

Theater and community performance

The course is a practical workshop during which we will experience the creation, planning, and presentation processes of a theatrical-community performance whose goal is to change the social-consciousness space. The workshop will focus on the artistic-aesthetic, social, and practical-pragmatic aspects of creating an art show that takes place in the community-public space, which reflects a given and complex social reality and intends to influence it and even change it. During the workshop, we will deal with identifying and investigating a social issue, the conceptual development of artistic activity through the theatrical medium (writing, acting, movement, singing, etc.), and its presentation and performance within the course. The course will present the theoretical and practical principles of the community theater and the “Theater of the Oppressed” by Augusto Boal, which are a means of artistic-social-political and therapeutic action that takes place in various organizational settings: schools, community centers, care and welfare centers, social associations and others. Furthermore, this will be used among diverse populations: women, at-risk youth, special needs groups, conflict groups, and more. The workshop does not require prior experience – “All the world’s a stage, And all the men and women merely Players” (Shakespeare “As You Like It”). The artistic work reflects values, messages, ideas, and feelings through sublimation. It is a sharp but indirect self-expression that allows exposure while possibly maintaining privacy. During the course, we will be exposed to the works of different artists and create art in various materials and media. (2 credits)

Storytelling and creative writing

In the course, we will delve into the art of writing and combining stories as a tool for social change. Through diverse methods, we will experiment with creative writing – poetry and personal and collective narrative stories. We will explore the development of the art of storytelling in society; From the folk tales told around the fire to the art of the poetry slam, we will examine the protesting, therapeutic and subversive power of the art of association at key points in society. (2 credits)

* No prior experience is necessary.

Plastic art as a lever for change

Education for creation in the field of plastic arts is based on the assumption that everyone has a basic need for self-expression.

The human’s artistic experience, both as a creator and as a viewer, contributes to the unity and perfection of our spiritual powers and our ability to act humanely in society. That is why education for creation in the field of plastic art is extremely important and can be a lever for people working in various social fields.

This practical course deals with the complex and fascinating relationship between material and content and the boundaries and transitions between two-dimensional and three-dimensional.

The students will get to know many materials and techniques of the two-dimensional and the relief while experimenting with different substrates, different colors and their properties, diverse mediums, tools, and other ways of working.

Through layered work, we will explore the possibilities of transition between media and materials and their combination into a single work. Working in layers is a ground for introspection while deepening and discovering, sometimes leading to new insights that enable change.

The connection between the different materials in the working layers creates a new material that opens up additional ways to embody ideas in the visual media. (2 credits)

“The window is the person himself” – ‘Self’ creator researcher

The ‘self’ is a creation, investigation, and observation source. In the course, we will explore in-depth and breadth techniques, insights, methods, and also skills that were acquired in the first year. Observing myself and others on the assumption that a person is a ‘window into themselves.’ We will meet different and diverse creative materials and create and explore the material, the soul, the self, and the other. And discover that the act of art is an act of investigation in itself, and we will engage in introspection to create and observe the work to learn and develop.

We will develop old and new techniques, expand the canvas, and do exercises designed to develop the creativity inherent in each of us. While creating, we will combine different approaches of thought from the realms of culture and different fields of art (two-dimensional and three-dimensional, photography, movement, poetry, and more) in an interdisciplinary approach.

We will break conventions of thought and discover that every person is an artist.

Human Rights and social change

The course deals with human rights and social change in Israel and the world. During the studies, different perspectives will be possible to look at organizations and movements for social change, rights holders, violation of rights, activism, helping others, and mutual guarantee between populations and communities in human rights paradigms. The course will examine the various characterizations of human rights (international treaties, human rights education, international law) in the context of social change. The course will include discussions of central dilemmas related to the essence of human rights, such as universality versus locality, secular law versus religious law, different community cultures, works with diverse populations in contexts of social change, and will examine diverse ways of dealing with these issues in a diverse and multicultural group.

At-risk Youth in Israel

Adolescents in Israel and around the world are exposed to an environment that changes constantly and is affected by a variety of processes. Teenagers in Israel have additional challenges arising from the country’s characteristics, such as; an immigrant society, multiculturalism, security pressures, and recruitment into the IDF that occurs during this phase. It is no wonder that with the biological, psychological, and social changes mentioned, the period of puberty is a challenge for those who work with and for the youth.

The course deals with adolescence as a developmental stage and adolescence as a stage of risk and opportunity. In the first part of the course, emphasis is placed on the normative development processes of adolescents (physiologically, psychologically, and cognitively) and adolescents in their environments (the family, the peer group). In the second part of the course, topics such as the unique reality of teenagers in Israel, youth at risk, coping methods for teenagers, the continuum of services for teenagers, resilience, and growth among teenagers are studied.

Pressure and Burnout

The social environment in the modern era is full of pressure, competition, and stress. No wonder, then, that most of us experience pressures and burnout on one level or another. Dealing ineffectively with these pressures can damage our mental and physical well-being and be reflected in poor functioning in society: in the family and at work. Studies show that awareness of the symptoms, sources, and consequences of the phenomenon, and the application of various tools to deal with it, help reduce stress and its negative effects.

Multiculturalism

In this course, we will disassemble and reassemble the concept of “multiculturalism.” First, we will look critically at different conceptions of the concept, including clichés and common practices. Then we will dwell on the concepts of “us” and “them” and their connection to “multiculturalism.” Through sharing personal stories, we will try to understand the meaning of these concepts, how they are formed in society, and their consequences for creating a multicultural society. The course will combine theory, personal writing, sharing, and discussion. The process will be a challenging experience in “true multiculturalism.”

Gender and Art – issues and Dilemmas in the World of Women

The course will deal with and discuss the main problems in women’s lives and the issues arising from the complexity of the changes that have occurred in their situation in various societies in the modern period. The course will examine the reasons and circumstances that lead women to feel and suffer discrimination, oppression, and inferiority. We will explore and discuss the social and historical sources of oppression of women as a group and belonging to other oppressive groups. We will discuss issues of representation, body, sexuality, fertility, violence, economics, and politics in the private and public spheres. We will examine theories and works of art created by women who challenged the existing social-gender order and learn about the social and artistic movements that brought about changes in the lives of women, the family, and the community. The course will acquire critical thinking tools and provide academic and professional skills in this field of knowledge. ​