Work

The Paradox of Democracy in Popular Music Education: Intersectionalizing “Youth” Through Curriculum Analysis

Year: 2021

Type: book-chapter

Abstract: In this chapter, we unpack the complex politics of popular music education (PME) in schools through an examination of the ways in which youth and youth culture are represented in the Finnish National Core Curricula (2004 and 2014). Interrogating commonly held conceptualizations of diversity in music education, we identify a paradox in school-based PME which, on the one hand, aims toward democratic classroom practice yet, on the other, neglects diversity by approaching youth as a homogenous group. Challenging common analytical points of departure in PME research, we argue that scholars and educators need to recognize the multiple and intersecting identities of students if PME is to afford them equal opportunities for participation. Overall, we suggest that through the analytical lens of intersectionality, PME may be better positioned to take into account students’ own experiences of inequalities, providing new perspectives on diversity at the policy level. Thus, intersectionality could provide a useful analytical frame in the process of furthering further democratic practice in the classroom.

Source: Landscapes: the arts, aesthetics, and education

DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-65617-1_10

Authors: Minja Koskela, Anna Kuoppamäki, Sidsel Karlsen, Heidi Westerlund

Institutions: University of the Arts Helsinki, Sibelius Academy, Norwegian Academy of Music

Language: English

Topic: Diverse Music Education Insights

Subfield: Music

Field: Arts and Humanities

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Quality education, Reduced inequalities, Peace, justice, and strong institutions

Open Access status: hybrid

OpenAlex ID: W3136767706