Inclusion, Democracy and the Pedagogised other in Art and Design Higher Education

Abstract

Abstract This article draws on Bernstein's model of democratic education to explore the experiences of post-Access students who enter higher education within the subject area of art and design. It considers areas of difficulty in relation to enhancement, inclusion and participation among non-traditional students who perceive themselves as being in the minority on an art and design degree alongside ‘traditional students’ who have come through school/college rather than Access. It argues that post-Access students are constructed as the ‘pedagogised other’ through the signature pedagogies of art and design and the horizontal discourses of the studio. It can also be seen that their presence upsets the mythological solidarities based on age and creativity. The discussion focuses on an understanding of democracy with a stress on the importance of political action by marginalised ‘others’ in order to construct new educational orders that consider their needs. The narratives of post-Access students suggest that they do not always feel included on their course and they also do not have the confidence to call for change or participate in political action.