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Thesis Info
- LABS ID
- 00269
- Thesis Title
- THE PHYSIOLOGY OF CREATIVE EXPRESSION: RESEARCH AND PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS
- Author
- Karel Sloane-Boekbinder
- E-mail
- Karel.sloane AT gmail.com
- 2nd Author
- 3rd Author
- Degree
- Masters of Liberal Arts
- Year
- 2009
- Number of Pages
- 72
- University
- Tulane University, New Orleans
- Thesis Supervisor
- Brian Horwitz, Ph.D.
- Supervisor e-mail
- horowitz AT tulane.edu
- Other Supervisor(s)
- Ronna Burger, Ph.D., John Howard, Ph.D.
- Language(s) of Thesis
- English
- Department / Discipline
- Inter-disciplinary: The arts, physiology and education
- Copyright Ownership
- Karel Sloane-Boekbinder
- Languages Familiar to Author
- English and French
- URL where full thesis can be found
- Keywords
- Bio-medical, physiology, research, the arts, education
- Abstract: 200-500 words
- In contemporary society, a perception exists that art is frivolous, and, being frivolous, it is expendable. The reality is that creating any work of art is far from frivolous. The outward complexity of the art making process is a reflection of the complex internal physiological processes engaged during the contemplation, development and completion of any work of art. Despite research to the contrary, this perception that art is frivolous persists. Nowhere is this more evident than in the arena of public education. Repeatedly, the arts’ contribution to education is maligned, minimized and marginalized. The coming of the new century has seen the arts completely eliminated from many state’s education budgets. Yet, extensive research in education indicates the role the arts play in education is a critical one: when academic and arts-based curricula are interconnected, comprehension becomes interconnected; links in understanding occur. Art making’s ability to translate abstract concepts into concrete, tangible representations is a reflection of its inherent complexity. This paper explores extensive research that has been conducted detailing the complexity of physiological processes associated with art making and research that has been conducted on educational approaches that align the arts with core academic subjects. Medical and educational research both suggest creative expression, due to the complexity of physiological processes and the learning opportunities these processes provide, is an integral and essential part of learning. An arts-integrated approach to education is the key to education reform, and, the arts are essential to becoming a fully actualized human being.