Art, authenticity and citizenship in care homes

The intellectual focus of this project will be on the notions of authenticity and citizenship in the context of care homes. Both authenticity (the extent to which the person can be true to his or herself) and citizenship (the extent to which the person participates in his or her community) come under threat in care homes. 

Using qualitative ethnographic methods, this study will probe how authenticity and citizenship might be maintained or enhanced by an art intervention. It will consider how authenticity and citizenship are demonstrated and factors that might contribute to their realisation.