Prabuddha Dasgupta and the Cultural Frame
This lesson plan is part of our “Art through a Social Studies Lens” lesson plan series. Click here to view all 8 lessons.
Lesson Objectives
At the end of this lesson, students should be able to:
Understand the cultural frame in a South Asian context.
Analyze how photography can be used to explore societal norms.
Demonstrate an understanding of the cultural frame by integrating their personal or observed experiences into a photographic composition.
HRL Standards
Identity: to understand Prabuddha Dasgupta and his photographic focus of Asian Indians.
Skill: to interpret photography created by and about Asian Indians.
Intellectual: to explain the significance of understanding Asian Indian culture in Prabuddha Dasgupta's photography.
Criticality: to recognize that the cultural frame in photography requires the audience to be responsible for educating themselves.
Essential Questions
In what ways does the interpretation of photography rely on the upbringing of the audience?
How should individuals interpret photographs through the cultural frame, especially when the photographs are derived from a culture with different values and struggles?
How can individuals use the cultural frame to understand their personal experiences with
society?
Introduction
In this lesson plan, students will explore non-American, and specifically South Asian, cultures through the cultural frame of photography. Through Prabuddha Dasgupta’s photography, students will expand on their understanding of the cultural frame as it exists outside of their everyday lives, and think critically about the power of art in developing visibility and political voice for minority groups. Afterwards, they will create a piece of their own exercising what they have learned.
Lesson plan created by Anusha Nadkarni