Purpose development among high school students in an arts context

The role of an arts context in supporting adolescents’ purpose development has received little research attention, despite the prevalence and importance of arts engagement during adolescence. Using semi-structured, in-depth interviews with 51 adolescents involved in participatory arts-based activities (painting, dancing, singing, etc.), the present study explored how these adolescent artists see their art impacting the world beyond themselves. Thematic analysis identified five key themes regarding how the adolescents aim to utilize their art for societal betterment: creating emotional connection, providing social commentary and awareness, cultural representation and diversity, challenging norms and perspectives, and inspiring activity and engagement in the arts. These findings have important implications for our understanding of arts-oriented purposes and for practitioners who seek to design environments that enable adolescent artists to produce work that shapes the broader world.