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Richard Parncutt University of Graz, Austria The role of music in cultural integration

MUSIC AND COGNITION: On the contribution of John Sloboda IRCAM, Paris, 23 January 2009. Richard Parncutt University of Graz, Austria The role of music in cultural integration. Historical context Why is urban cultural diversity increasing?. Positive: Technology: transport, communications

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Richard Parncutt University of Graz, Austria The role of music in cultural integration

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  1. MUSIC AND COGNITION: On the contribution of John Sloboda IRCAM, Paris, 23 January 2009 Richard Parncutt University of Graz, AustriaThe role of music in cultural integration

  2. Historical contextWhy is urban cultural diversity increasing? • Positive:Technology: transport, communications • increasing international mobility • globalisation of trade and commerce • Negative:Psychology: greed, corruption, violence • power • human rights abuses, limited freedom of speech  political refugees • money • tax havens, low development funding, rich-poor gap (Sachs, 2005)  economic refugees • conflict • international and civil wars, coups  refugees of violence • energy • increasing consumption  more frequent storms and famines climatic refugees

  3. Global security and migration Global security is threatened by • climate change • competition for resources • poverty • militarisation (Abbott, Rogers & Sloboda, 2007) All four factors also trigger migration

  4. Integration • General definition • all interactions among all groups • majority: migrant or indigenous • minorities: migrant and indigenous • Advantages of integration • quality of life • economic/cultural productivity • Kinds of integration • social, cultural, political • individuals, groups, cities

  5. Integration of individuals • Language skills • bilingualism, multilingualism • Employment and income • wage, hours, security • Everyday independence • social, political, cultural • shopping, transport, administration… • Intergroup contact • friends, acquaintances • meetings, phone calls, events • Feeling at home • a combination of many positive factors • lack of negative factors like discrimination

  6. Integration of a cultural group • Acceptance by other groups • intercultural knowledge • lack of prejudice • Frequency of intergroup contact • e.g. intercultural marriage rate • Structural integration • representation and visibility in professions, public service, politics, NGOs • stability, sustainability of those structures

  7. General sociology of integration • Groups may be defined by • country of origin, language, culture… • class, political allegiance, gender… • 6 operational definitions of integration  violence  crime  conformity  poverty  discrimination  tolerance (Fuchs, 1999)

  8. Integration of a multicultural city • Independence of groups • financial, political, social, cultural • Equality of opportunity • small differences in mean income • Intergroup contact • individual contacts • commercial contacts, e.g. restaurants • intercultural public events • Intergroup knowledge • interest in other groups • lack of prejudice (visible, invisible)

  9. Research on integrationfocus on individual integration • Language skills • Greenberg et al. (2001) • Education, occupation, income • Hou & Balakrishnan (1991) • Employment • Gowricharn (2002) • Social capital • Jacobs & Tillie (2004) • Opinions, prejudices of majority • Bobo & Zubrinsky (1996) Relatively little research on role of culture

  10. Integration and identity • Migrants adapt/reconstruct their identities • acculturation • revision of cultural orientation • modification of traditions Auernheimer (1996) • Thesis: Once main pragmatic problems are solved, identity becomes primary concern (cf. Maslow’s 1943 hierarchy of psychological needs) Example: familiarity of migrant children with “old” culture enhances self-esteem, ability to integrate (Hansson, 1990)

  11. Self-identity and self-esteem • Self-identity: “who I am” (long-term) • Self-esteem: evaluative aspect Both weakened by migration? • Can’t do everyday things • Can’t demonstrate expertise • Feeling of loss of control • psychological distress • not feeling at home

  12. Blurring the boundaries • Blurred dichotomies • locals - immigrants • integration - assimilation - hybridization • settlers - guest workers • migrants - their (grand-) children • Multiple identities • original culture • new majority or mixed culture • gender, profession, hobbies… e.g. Turkish Austrian Muslim woman • Transnational communities • united by communication and travel (Castles, 2006; Wodak, 2008)

  13. Identity and music • “Music plays an important role in the negotiation, construction and maintenance of identities” (MacDonald et al., 2009) • Nations define themselves musically, e.g. to achieve freedom or unity (Folkestad, 2002), cf.: • Germany • Aboriginal Australia • Hybrid musical identities can be problematic • Greek Cypriot children exposed to ambiguous, contradictory ideologies in music (Pieridou-Skoutella, 2007)

  14. Identity  music • Music reflects identity “music…functions as a symbol of national or regional identity: émigré communities sometimes clung tenaciously to their traditional music in order to preserve their identity in a foreign country. … In today’s world, deciding what music to listen to is a significant part of deciding and announcing to people not just who you ‘want to be’…but who you are.” (Cook, 1998, p.4-5) • Music constructs identity “first, that identity is mobile, a process not a thing, a becoming not a being; second,…our experience of music – of music making and music listening – is best understood as an experience of this self-in-process” (Frith, 1996, p. 109)

  15. Music and integrationa study of Turkish Germans (Siegert, 2008) Maqam can promote integration on 3 levels: • Personal • feeling at home, connecting past to present, developing personality • Social • promoting authentic personal relationships within/between groups • overcoming prejudice, opening up • Spiritual, universal • connecting with the divine or the universe

  16. Music and integrationA study of 19 Stockholm choirs (Pawlig, 2003) • Mostly linked to schools and churches • 2 choirs sang Gospel, 1 Sth Amer., 1 Turkish music • no choir for the many Asian and African immigrants • Conductors want to promote Swedish culture • few regarded integration as a choir goal • culture of singers barely influenced repertoire  missed opportunities?

  17. Our approach What is the role of music in integration? A preliminary, pilot study • Non-general conclusions • non-representative sample • confined to Graz • Comparative approach • research by “outsiders” • qualitative analysis of interviews • ethnomusicologically problematic

  18. Example • Imagine a Turkish woman in Graz… • contact mainly with husband and two children • limited contact with majority or other groups • little knowledge of German language significant pragmatic difficulties hinder integration • Listens to recordings of Turkish music • feels sad, nostalgic  therapeutic or counterproductive? Does music promote integration?

  19. Our method • Semi-structured interviews • musicology students  Graz residents • summary transcription by students • Qualitative and quantitative analyses

  20. Participants • Interviewers • 24 participants in advanced musicology seminar • in 7 groups • Respondents • 52 “new Austrians” from Albania, China, Egypt (Copts), Iraq (Kurds), Italy, Nigeria, Serbia sex: 28 female 24 male age: 17 to 53 mean 29 years in EU: 0.2 to 23 mean 8 • about 15 “old Austrians” (from Austrian families)

  21. Excluded from analysis 8 respondents - due to significant • communication difficulties • missing data

  22. Group differencesexamples – hard to generalise • Nigerians: • music seen as universal, promotes peaceful coexistence • Copts: • music important for religion & identity, but rather private • Kurds & Copts: • high degree of cultural self-organisation • Chinese, Albanians, Italians: • low degree of cultural self-organisation • Italians: • music important for identity although no integration problem • Serbs: • music important for identity; job, language for integration • “Indigenous” Austrians: • relative disinterest in “own” (Austrian classical/folk) music

  23. Interviews: Issues • (Any) music in everyday life • whatever situation they think of • Own performance of (any) music • for amateur or profi musicians • Cultural identities • simple or multiple • Social contacts • with whom, how often… • Favourite CDs • any style at all • Culture of own main cultural group • music, customs, traditions • Views on role of music in integration • what could be done politically with music

  24. Quantitative analyses • Profiles of individual respondents • degree of integration • importance of music • years of regular musicking • Method for 1, 2: • respondents did not rate directly • we read transcripts and rated • mean of several independent estimates

  25. Degree of integration Main criteria for raters: • How much contact between respondent and other groups (majority, other minorities)? • To what extent does respondent feel at home in Graz? 1: very low 2: low 3: neutral 4: high 5: very high

  26. Degree of integrationdata from rater AD

  27. Importance of own musici.e. of music of own main cultural group Main criteria for raters: • How often does respondent play or listen to own music? • How important is own music for respondent? 1: very low 2: low 3: neutral 4: high 5: very high

  28. Importance of own musicdata from rater AD

  29. Importance of own music EXAMPLE: VERY HIGH “We have very many different instruments and directions in our traditional music… we are all very proud of our music… it is very beautiful.” Respondent 7, Chinese, female, age 27, 4.5 yr in EU, 20 yr music, degree of integration 3 EXAMPLE: VERY LOW “For me, music is mainly for entertainment and relaxation. Chinese music has no meaning for me and I don’t listen to it.” 6, Chinese, m, 19, 9, 0, 5

  30. Practical musicianship no: 0 years / don’t play some: <=10 years / as a hobby professional: >10 years / as a profession

  31. Correlation analysis Degree of integration • increases with duration of residence • independent of importance of music • independent of musical expertise  no interesting quantitative findings

  32. Qualitative analysis Basis: transcripts of interviews Hermeneutic formulation of theses: • formulate or revise (top-down) • find quotes for & against (bottom-up) • repeat

  33. Contact Does more frequent contact for any reason lead to better integration? Thesis Music can help cultural groups to get to know each other “You hear the music and immediately get an impression of what Albanians are like. That is quite different from reading about Albanians in the newspaper.” 12, Albanian, f, 27, 5, >2, 3

  34. Music and language Thesis Music is easier to understand across cultures than language. “I think music is very important because music is a world language. Everyone can understand it.” Respondent 28, Copt, male, 40 yrs, 17 yrs in EU “I can’t speak Italian but I like to listen to Italian music. I can’t speak Turkish but I can listen to Turkish music.” 26, Copt, m, 44, 17 “On the radio I prefer to listen to music than language (news, documentaries) because I don’t understand the language very well.” 8 Chinese, f, 20, 2, 16, 1

  35. Emotion Thesis Own music (music of one’s own culture) is more emotional For “There are so many songs in Albanian that could make me cry because the words are so sad.” 11, Albanian, f, 23, 23, 4, 5 “When I hear songs about freedom fighters I start to cry.” 25 Kurd, m, 45, 18, 0, 5 Against “Classical music is very emotional, I often get goose bumps … pop music is emotional if the text goes well” 2, Chinese, f, 21, 4, 10, 2

  36. Association Thesis Own music is strongly associated with other aspects of own culture For “The music reminds me of the Kurd’s situation, their suffering, the beauty of the country.” 36, Kurd, f, 25, 4, 0, 5 Against “But the music in Austria reminds me of my adolescence in Egypt, e.g. ABBA, Bonny M., Bee Gees, .. Tina Charles…, I have them all on CD” 26, Copt, m, 44, 17, >1, 3

  37. Homesickness Thesis Own music can either increase or decrease homesickness “I avoid listening to Albanian music when I have not been home for a while because it makes me homesick.” 10, Albanian, f, 27, 7, 0, 4

  38. At home versus away Thesis Own music is more important when away from home “The young people in Albania seem to avoid folk music. But when they are away from home they want you to send them CDs of folk music.” 10, Albanian, f, 27, 7, 0, 4 Austrians from local families were relatively uninterested in Austrian classical or folk music.

  39. Identity Thesis Local public display of own music strengthens own identity Referring to a concert of Albanian traditional music on Graz’s main square: “The people stopped to look and were interested. ‘Where do they come from? Oh, that’s what it’s like in Albania! … Aha, Albania is real and Albanians live right here among us in Graz.’ “ 12, Albania, f, 27, 5, >2, 3

  40. Cultural freedom and identity Thesis Integration is promoted when minorities feel free to express their identity through their music. “We play loud Albanian music. We go to an Albanian pub so we can be alone because we are so loud. When you are homesick and have not been home for a long time that is really nice.” 10 Albanian, f, 27, 7, 0, 4

  41. Acceptance and self-esteem Thesis Low self-rated integration is associated with a belief that others do not like own music. “The people here accept other music, but our music is very difficult (for prayer, meditative). Austria is a land of music, but I think they would find our music boring.” 32, Copt, f, 49, 15, 10, 2

  42. Cultural opportunities Thesis Musicians feel more integrated when they can play their own music with others. Q: What role does the music of your cultural group play in your everyday life? A: At home I used to play a lot of traditional Chinese music with my family. Here I cannot do that, so I sing the (classical) music that I learn at university and listen to pop music. 7, Chinese, f, 27, 4.5, 20, 3

  43. Dual identity • Integration is promoted by engagement with both own and local music

  44. Caveats Does music promote integration? • not always • not always own music • not always directly

  45. Is music special? Thesis Any aspect of culture can promote integration: music, food, costumes, architecture… “Maybe people can understand our food more easily than our music … Many people have come to look at our church because it is so beautiful” 33, Copt, f, 17, 17, >1, 2

  46. Will any music do? Thesis Integration is about feeling good wherever you are. Perhaps any kind of music (own or foreign) can help. Q: Does that bring you closer to Kosovo? A: I feel better when I listen to music. But that is true only for Albanian music but for any music that I like. 9, Albanian, f, 33, 9, 5, 4 Q: What kind of music helps you feel at home in Austria? A: Musicals. I sing along and lose myself in the music to forget my homesickness. 2, Chinese, f, 21, 4, 10, 2

  47. Role of own music Thesis If own music is preferred, it is because of emotional associations and identity, not an absolute aesthetic (No respondent suggested that their own music might be intrinsically superior)

  48. Practical proposalsoffered toward the end of the interview • Public events with different aspects of each culture 6, Chinese, m, 19, 9, 0, 5 (and others) • An entertaining multicultural concert for children 9, Albanian, f, 33, 9, 5, 4 • A multicultural weekend with folklore, football, music… 26, Copt, m, 44, 17, >1, 3 • Financial support for performance of own music 35, Kurd, m, 45, 18, 0, 5 • Media reports on culture – not just economics, politics 12 Albanian, w, 27, 5, >2, 3

  49. Strategies for promoting integrationaddress +ve and –ve factors simultanously • Increase salience/incidence of +ve factors • pragmatics: language, education, employment… • participation, visibility • collective activities, e.g. sport and music • psychology: identity, security, and feeling at home (e.g. music) • Reduce salience/incidence of –ve factors • ignorance, prejudice, discrimination, xenophobia, racism… (incl. through music)

  50. Strategies for promoting integrationharness two forms of motivation • self-interest • economic, cultural • e.g. marketing music • altruism • NGOs • e.g. promoting music

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