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John M. Flaxman Library SAIC School of the Art Institute of Chicago

Facing Race Pleasure

Banner reading "Controversy! Considering the Ethics of Making Art with Vulnerable Populations"

Vulnerable Populations
“Vulnerable populations are individuals that are vulnerable to coercion or undue influence, such as children, prisoners or individuals with impaired decision-making capacity, or economically or educationally disadvantaged persons. Vulnerable subjects are addressed in federal regulations (45 CFR 46 Subparts B, C, and D).” - University of Southern California, Human Research Protection Program

Panhandler
Someone who asks people for money in a public place is a panhandler. The term is fairly derogatory, but it's commonly used for those who mainly support themselves this way.

CONTEXTUALIZATION

The Black male subjects of The Panhandler Project were unhoused, which is a condition that is considered socially and economically vulnerable. Academic researchers are required to undergo rigorous reviews of the ethics of their research by institutional review boards, composed of their peers and community members, before engaging in their research with unhoused people. Unhoused people are at higher risk of victimization, and nearly half of unhoused people report experiencing violence. Additionally, these subjects belong to a racialized group, which has not had access to the same rights and protections of US Whites. Finally, though commonly used by many, the term “Panhandler” is characterized as derogatory and risks limiting interpretations of the full humanity of the project’s subjects beyond their economic conditions. Though the photographing and videotaping a seemingly consenting adult nude who was experiencing homelessness may not appear as unethical to an artist, these actions warrant analysis when considering the consent and agency individuals belong to a multiply marginalized and a vulnerable population. 

SUGGESTED REFLECTION QUESTIONS

  • Are black men ever perceived as vulnerable and deserving of protection? When have you seen examples of this in art practice or in community settings?
  • What ethical practices should artists consider when working with vulnerable populations?
  • Do human subjects deserve access to the profits and prestige gained by the use of their images and representations?
  • Should human subjects of art be invited to speak for themselves and offer their own interpretations of art production created in their image?
  • Is there a space between censorship and the protection of morally questionable representations of vulnerable populations?
  • Should artists be transparent about the methods they used to gain participation in their works (e.g. knowledge of the use of compensation, access to housing, food; and the provision of alcohol and pornography) in the same ways they share their materials and mediums?
  • How are academic freedom, ethics, freedom of expression, and legacies of exploitive artist practices in conversation in the “Panhandler Project”?

ARTICLES & CHAPTERS

What is Human Subjects Research?
“Federal regulations define human subjects research as “a systematic investigation, including research development, testing and evaluation, designed to develop or contribute to generalizable knowledge” about “a living individual about whom an investigator conducting research obtains data through intervention or interaction with individuals or identifiable private information” (45 CFR 46.102)" - CalArts Institutional Effectiveness “Human Subjects Research and IRB”

Photographing the Homeless: Art or Exploitation? 
John Simpson | Street Photography Magazine | May 2021

When Can Artists Bend Ethics for Art’s Sake? [opinion piece]
Natasha Bell | Artsy | Jul 2018

Abounaddara And The Global Visual Politics Of The ‘right To The Image’*
Joscelyn Jurich | Journal of Visual Culture, vol. 18 (3) | p. 378-411 
*ARTIC Login required to access this article

Barriers to Recruitment of Vulnerable Populations at a Participant and Researcher [Blog Post]
Part 2 in A Lens into Working with Vulnerable and Marginalized Populations Blog Series | Columbia University Teachers College | 2023 

The Use of Human Subjects in Art: Statement of Principles and Suggested Considerations
College Art Association of America | October 2011

Changing Minds: Challenging Stereotypes between Art and Homelessness*
Charlie Hackett | The International Journal of Social, Political and Community Agendas in the Arts, vol. 15 (3) | p. 27-43 | 2020
*ARTIC Login required to access this article

Feminist Adult Educators’ Guide to Aesthetic, Creative and Disruptive Strategies in Museums and Community
Darlene E. Clover, Suriani Dzulkifli, Hannah Gelderman and Kathy Sanford (Editors) | 2020
Specifically consider reviewing: 

“What I Wish I'd Known Then: My Three Top Tips for Engaging 'Vulnerable' Women in Arts-Based Research” by Nic Dickson, PDF p. 288 (book p. 261)
“Using Participatory Photography with Marginalized Populations” by Susan Brigham, PDF p. 296 (book p. 269)

BOOKS

Audio & Videos

Please note: Many of these A/V resources are more generalized topics, but related to the above themes and could be used for broader context

Anthony Luvera: On Collaborative Representation
The Photo Ethics Podcast |Season 3, Ep. 9 | 45 min. | August 2022
This podcast DOES NOT include transcripts