The suggestive role of art in shaping aesthetic and general human values in preschool children

Abstract

The modern world is changing rapidly, and art does not escape these changes. War, pandemic, economic and political crises ‒ all this affects how we perceive the world and how we create art. Today’s challenges dictate the conditions for changes, particularly in the content and functions of art. Including: the war in Ukraine became one of the most acute challenges for Ukrainian art. Many artists were forced to leave their homes, lose loved ones, and survive the occupation. Many cultural institutions were closed, artists could not exhibit their works, communicate with the public. This led to a crisis in the artistic environment. The war in Ukraine was a turning point for Ukrainian artists. All this is reflected in their works. There is a category of artists who «depict» war, first of all, through the prism of their internal personal attitude to this inhumane phenomenon. And the moral meanings and contents of the artistic images used in these works do not always correspond to the ideals of society and the universal values of humanity. Purpose: on the basis of a comparative analysis, to find out the suggestive role of modern art in the formation of aesthetic and human values of older preschool children (using the example of reading and examining the illustrations of two books by modern authors: «Warum?» (2022) by Nikolai Popov and «Der Krig» (2022) (Andre Letria (Illustrations), Jose Jorge Letria (Text)). The research methodology was made up of the works of Ukrainian researchers O. Brovko and R. Gromyak (theory and history of literary comparative studies, receptive aesthetics, intertextuality, hermeneutics); Z. Shavit (effectiveness of using children’s literature for teaching science to children, methods of choosing children's books suitable for teaching specific scientific topics); R. Jacobson (the concept of six functions of language). Art has always played an important role in the life of society. Today, in the face of complex challenges, it becomes even more important. Art helps us to understand the present, find answers to difficult questions, and keep faith in the future. Regardless of the spheres of life, a person should be oriented to the requirements of the modern world. Artists who, through their artistic image, have an influence on a wide range of consumers and the formation of their aesthetic and universal values, must take into account both the capabilities of a child reader and the educational ideals of society in specific historical conditions.

Key words: education; art; preschool pedagogy; aesthetic and universal values; suggestion.