Teaching Music in American Society

A Social and Cultural Understanding of Teaching Music

Steven N. Kelly

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2018
• ISBN:
  9781351023641
• Edition: 3
• Topic: Pedagogía
• Subtopic: Educación general

Teaching Music in American Society, Third Edition, provides a comprehensive overview of social and cultural themes directly related to music education, teacher training, and successful teacher characteristics. Music teachers need to be not only knowledgeable in conducting and performing but also socially and culturally aware of students, issues, and events that affect their classrooms. This book is designed for educators seeking K-12 music teacher certification to teach in American schools. At the conclusion of each chapter is a summary of the chapter and a list of key items and people discussed, plus a series of related questions for students to consider.

Current topics in the third edition include:

• an emphasis on social justice, sensitivity to transgender students, and bullying,

• the influences of social media,

• a focus on urban music education, and

• a new chapter on diverse learning.

Further, recent policy issues are addressed in this new edition:

• the evolution of the No Child Left Behind Act into the Every Student Succeeds Act,

• the increasing emphasis on charter schools, the privatization of public school,

• changes in how schools are assessed, and

• changes occurring within the teaching profession—and how all of these affect developments in music education.

A major structural change is the chapter on equality of education has been split into two chapters, providing a stronger focus on both educational equality and diverse inclusive learning.

Chapter 1
A Sociological Perspective

The school is a social world because human beings live in it.

—Willard Waller

How does sociology contribute to becoming a music teacher? Many music education students want to study methodology, applied music, or other courses they perceive as providing information that is more practical and applicable to rehearsals and classrooms. However, sociology is practical and directly applicable to music education. An awareness of basic sociological material enables teachers to understand different perspectives and experiences that teachers encountered every day involving parents, administrators, community members, race, political agendas, religion, and gender that interact and influence classroom experiences. While it is important to learn “tricks of the trade,” a sociological perspective helps music teachers recognize the array of experiences affecting interrelationships between students, school environments, communities, and home environments (Kelly, 2002 a). A basic awareness of sociological information enables teachers to better discriminate between facts and bias within the complex world of teaching. Thus, a sociological understanding becomes very practical and applicable to the success of all music teachers.

Chapter 1 presents basic sociological concepts, as well as their relevance to music education. Much of the material will be reintroduced in different contexts throughout other chapters. The initial material begins with ideas concerning foundations, roles, benefits, and relationships reflecting what teachers may believe. The material provides a rationale for understanding sociological issues within classrooms from which a philosophical perspective can be formed. A teacher’s philosophical beliefs affect instruction as to how and what information is presented and who will be the recipient.

A Rationale for Sociological Understanding

A sociological analysis provides educators with a deeper understanding and awareness of the purposes of education and interactions within educational settings. These benefits contribute to informed decision making and change in education institutions. Examining social foundations enables teachers to have a broader perspective about themselves, the world in which they teach, and how they “fit” into that world. Many social factors influence what, who, and how individuals teach and subsequently affect their philosophical beliefs. For example, many music education majors initially view themselves as performers, not educators (Froehlich, 2007; Froehlich & L’Roy, 1985; Froehlich & Smith, 2017; L’Roy, 1983; Madsen & Kelly; 2002; Roberts, 1991, 2000). How might this initial perspective influence a teaching philosophy? Can music educators effectively be both performers and teachers?

Furthermore, teachers increasingly need an awareness of how political and social issues interrelate with education. For instance, what effect do policies such as the Every Student Succeeds Act, Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, or state-mandated testing have on music participation and curricular development? How do social issues such as school violence, teenage pregnancy, or religious freedom influence school music curricula and the role music may have in addressing these issues? Other cultural information influencing teachers includes knowledge of a student’s age, socioeconomic status, students with disabilities, gender association, and the effects of immigration on education institutions. These issues not only influence the delivery of instruction, they also affect noninstructional aspects of teaching (Woodford, 2005). For example, policies such as student dress codes or fees for participating in music can have immediate effects on how students react or the extent they participate in music classes.

A need for teachers to have a sociological understanding is supported in most state departments of education across the United States. Because sociology deals with human interactions, it is not surprising that many state teacher certification exams contain a strong sociological emphasis (Henry, 2005; Spring, 2006). Teacher certification exams often require knowledge of cultural diversity such as the effects of racial or gender expectations, the influence of stereotypes on learning, and the effects of socioeconomic status on school dropout rates, graduation rates, ethics, and academic achievement (Spring, 2006). Classroom issues such as creating a safe learning environment, motivating students, and assessing student performance influenced by social factors are included on teacher certification exams. Additional topics frequently include social factors that may influence a teacher’s attitude, appropriate dress, and proper student/teacher interactions (Lortie, 2002; Waller, 1965).

In demonstrating a broader national prospective, the need for understanding sociological aspects is reflected in the National Core Arts Standards (National Association for Music Education, 2014a). In promoting the arts as connectors, the standards state “Understanding artwork provides insights into individuals’ own and others’ cultures and societies, while also providing opportunities to access, express, and integrate meaning across a variety of content areas” (National Association for Music Education, 2014a, p. 10). Furthermore, the standards acknowledge the social aspects of music education by stating in Anchor Standards #11 that music education should be able to “Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural, and historical context to deepen understanding” (National Association for Music Education, 2014a).

Fundamentally, the sociology in music education investigates the interaction of music, people, and culture in an education setting. The interactions of music and social components can be seen throughout history. The foundations may be discovered in ancient Greek civilizations where social aspects of education gained through developing the mind, body, and soul were valued and considered essential (Grout & Palisca, 1988). Music instruction was included in the original seven liberal arts, in which knowledge was essential for an individual to be considered educated in order to contribute to society. Music was cherished for its ability to develop the human soul and prepare citizens for higher good within society. The writings of Plato (1995) believed music helped to civilize humans and was essential to their success in society. Plato placed great importance on music training to maintain critical cultural values and develop moral behavior. More recently, U.S. President Ronald Reagan stated, “The arts and humanities teach us who we are and what we can be. They lie at the very core of the culture of which we are a part” (Mark, 2008, p. 72)

Despite an apparent importance for a sociological awareness, music teachers may not realize the influence of this perspective on teaching. Few music teacher training programs offer insight into social issues that affect teachers such as: (a) students who reflect different cultural backgrounds from their own, (b) music students listen to and participate in that symbolizes different cultural values from the teacher’s, and (c) student, community, and educational attitudes, dress, and languages considered normal by students, yet very unfamiliar to the teacher. Much of what is taught and experienced in music classrooms reflect the community the school serves, such as holidays, celebrations and ceremonies, moral and civic values, and cultural understandings. These social interactions can affect educational expectations and experiences. By including a sociological perspective in teacher training curricula, music teachers can better implement instructional and musical approaches that interrelate school music with community music experiences, thus making the study of music more meaningful and relevant.

Benefits of a Sociological Perspective for Music Educators

• Explains the relationship of music to different cultural points of view.
• Makes better connections of music in the schools to music in society.
• Helps teachers to understand and relate to students from different backgrounds and perspectives.
• Assists teachers in developing instructional and rehearsal strategies to become more effective.
• Helps to connect school music programs to school and community expectations and norms.
• Helps teachers better understand their role in educational processes.

Sociology and Education

It is difficult to imagine a society without some system of education. Not surprisingly, sociologists are interested in school environments and individuals within education. They are especially concerned with the interactions of people within educational structures (Ballantine & Spade, 2012). Learning in schools is a social process that results from a focus and interaction of academic and social components (Rutledge, Cohen-Vogel, Osborne-Vogel, & Roberts, 2015). Teaching is a human interaction experienced in many venues including music classrooms, hallways, during lunch period, at school football games or dances, and on school buses. Understanding the diversity of interactions requires knowledge of cultural variance including an awareness of a student’s family background, musical interests, expectations, and previous music experiences.

Sociologists are interested in learning experiences of all types because of education’s relation to life in general. An understanding of social and cultural influences has always been important to understanding teaching and learning processes (McCarthy, 2002). Education is frequently considered a formal process involving individuals attending structured schools. However, education is a constantly evolving entity reflecting perpetual changes in society. Subsequently, education is a lifelong process achieved formally and informally in many different manners and places. Our education begins the day we are born and ends the day we die. Experiences between birth and death make each of us as diverse as the situations and people we encounter throughout our lives. Because of our diversity, humans have the capacity to learn all the time in any setting and in multiple manners (Gollnick & Chinn, 2002; Valsiner, 1989). Our parents, or parental figures, are our first teachers, our home environment our first school. Siblings and peers are our first classmates. We learn by watching others and listening; interacting with the world around us.

Sociologists view formal education as the social institution that guides a society’s transmission of knowledge to its members. From a social perspective, education may center on skill development helping students to engage and function successfully in society. For example, as children learn roles in their social world, they also become aware of how different their world can be from other children’s worlds (see Photo Figure 1). Education helps children confront differences and effectively cope with diverse cultural expectations such as gender roles, age, religion, geographic differences, language, and other cultural views (Gollnick & Chinn, 2002; Swift, 1976).

Photo Figure 1 World music ensembles are excellent opportunities for teaching cultural norms.

Globally, education is a vital part of every society including industrial and nonindustrial communities, rural and urban settings, and literate and nonliterate cultures. Behaviors involved in teaching and learning are social phenomena influenced by various societal expectations. Consequently, education serves different purposes based on social and cultural standards and expectations. While education may serve different purposes, it essentially serves the same function in all societies: to transmit a wide range of cultural knowledge and skills in order to be successful.

Sociology and Music Education

Music education also involves human interactions influenced by a variety of ever-changing cultural variables. Each person’s musical education is made of multiple and diverse experiences occurring in and out of school (Campbell, 20 04; Jaffurs, 2004, 2006). Diverse experiences are part of teaching. Each teacher is continuously shaped by constant interactions with students and ever-changing cultural variables unique to each school. Consequently, understanding that teaching is a social phenomenon helps create contexts in which information can be delivered in unique ways matching each student (Froehlich & Smith, 2017).

Learning music reflects a social perspective involving the development and interactions of cognitive, psychomotor, and affective social skills. Concepts of music instruction vary greatly in our society as music is learned informally and formally. While many may think learning occurs through formal lessons, our first music lessons begin informally in home environments. As our first teachers, parents introduce us to music, and our homes are frequently our first performance stages. We learn our first musical values, including our sense of musical preference and ability, through our homes and families (Gordon, 1971; LeBlanc, 1982). These informal experiences frequently influence us to pursue (or not to pursue) music in a more traditional formal school setting.

Having a social perspective enables music educators to recognize they face the same challenges educators in other subjects confront, including:

student poverty	at-risk behaviors
immigration	budget/funding
accountability	school violence
racism	discrimination
inequality	passivity
achievement	assessment

As in education, the role of music education is perpetually changing reflecting evolving cultural standards and expectations, including the music within societies. Also, similar to general education, music education’s essential purpose is to transmit a variety of cultural skills and knowledge for individuals to be successful in society. Perhaps music education’s primary goal is to enable students to function musically in a very musically diverse world.

Sociological Basics

Teaching is a social process reflective of the most basic sociological principles. To appreciate a social perspective, it is important for teachers to begin with basic sociological principles and foundations. The study of sociology may be defined as the systematic study of human behavior, its origins, organization, institutions, and the general development of human society (Macionis, 1997). As part of the social sciences (like music education), sociology is an interdisciplinary field containing aspects of other studies including psychology, biology, anthropology, history, and philos...