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Intersectionality for Social Justice in Music Education

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 Intersektionalität

Vincent C. Bates

Intersectionality for Social Justice in Music Education

On mornings when I visit elementary classrooms to cide, and environmental destruction. Even though there
observe student teachers, I participate in the Pledge of is evidence to support the argument made recently by
Allegiance, standing with the class, hand over heart, re- popular French economist Thomas Pikkety (2022) that
citing well-worn words: “I pledge allegiance to the flag nations around the world are making gradual progress
of the United States of America, and to the republic for toward more egalitarian social structures, aspects of the
which it stands, one nation, under God, with liberty and prevailing order continue to reflect the interests of those
justice for all.” This collective oath originated in 1892 who seek wealth and power above all else.
with Francis Bellamy, a Christian socialist and editor In the wake of the second world war, the fight for Civil
of a popular magazine, the Youth’s Companion (Ellis, Rights in the United States was imbued with the Chri-
2005). Introduced, in part, to commemorate the 400th stian socialism of Martin Luther King, Jr. who wrote:
anniversary of Christopher Columbus’ world-shattering
“discovery,” the original Pledge was shorter – “I pledge We must honestly admit that capitalism has often left a gulf
allegiance to my Flag and to the Republic for which it between superfluous wealth and abject poverty, has created
stands, one nation indivisible, with liberty and justice conditions permitting necessities to be taken from the ma-
for all” – recited with hand out-stretched, palm down ny to give luxuries to the few, and has encouraged small
at first, and then with the palm turning upward in a hearted men to become cold and conscienceless... The profit
gesture of affection on “my flag” (Ellis, 2005). During motive, when it is the sole basis of an economic system,
World War II, this “Belamy salute” was replaced, addi- encourages a cutthroat competition and selfish ambition
tional words were introduced, and it became common that inspire men to be more I-centered than thou-centered.
across the country to recite the Pledge at the beginning Equally, Communism reduces men to a cog in the wheel of
of the school day (Ellis, 2005). When I stand together the state. (King Jr., 2010, p. 197)
with the children in this patriotic ritual, I am struck, as
a lifelong musician and educator, by how we all fall into Following this line of reasoning, “liberty and justice for
a distinct rhythm, tempo, and cadence, the same one I all” requires a generative balance between two often
learned as a child – consistent to the point that any di- conflicting poles. One person’s liberty should not come
vergence is immediately noticeable. at the expense of others’ or be swallowed up within lar-
Konrad Adenauer, first chancellor of the Federal Re- ger movements. Thus, people have worked together to
public of Germany, invoked the final five words of the develop and uphold policies and institutions to protect
Pledge as he reflected on a post-World War II trip to the freedom and promote equality. As is apparent in the
United States. current political climate in the U.S., these efforts can
be threatened when feelings of moral superiority at the
Remember what the world was like ... and what it is like extremes of the socio-political spectrum preclude possi-
now. Reflect upon the way [the] whole balance of power bilities for solidarity. Martin Luther King, Jr. brought to-
has collapsed. In its place two antipodes, the United States gether a broad coalition of people to fight injustice. Now,
and Soviet Russia, confront one another. And we are divi- fed by a steady stream of propaganda from all sides,
ded, disarmed, still occupied and situated in the heart of some of the same groups that previously came together
the danger zone, in the center of a high-tension field. In the stand in direct opposition. Without coordinated efforts,
past we Germans have committed many blunders in foreign those with money and power will continue to have their
policy. We would be making the worst of all mistakes if we way by dividing potential opposition.
now did not seek alliance with the power which is now the School music programs are inextricably entwined wi-
leading power on earth and which desires “liberty and ju- thin and shaped by socio-political contexts. The cultural
stice for all,” including us. (Adenauer, 1955, p. 86) values of the affluent are typically emphasized in the mu-
sic classroom, from kindergarten through university, rein-
As Adenauer indicated, the final words of the Pledge forcing social hierarchies in the curriculum and amongst
were aspirational at best; liberty and justice are common students, mirroring and reproducing the same structures
desires toward which people have perpetually struggled, that exist outside of formal education (Bates, 2021).
collectively and individually. At worst, these five words In this article, I draw from the literature on intersec- 11
veil a history of exploitation and colonization – one na- tionality to consider how music education professionals,
tion, some would argue, under “white supremacist capi- representing a diversity of interests and backgrounds,
talist patriarchy” (hooks, 2000), built upon slavey, geno- might come together in solidarity to amplify current

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social movements in the interest of enhancing the well- onal axes of oppression but for now I will briefly review
being of people and planet. I begin by recapping forms each of these twelve, mostly from within the music ed-
of oppression in and through music education. Then, wi- ucation literature, and in relation to the four previously
thin the context of six characteristics of intersectionality identified forms of oppression. The table that concludes
(Bohrer, 2019), I consider some implications for music this section provides a summary (see Table 1).
education, arguing for more inclusive and comprehen- Ableism. Exclusion is a primary form of ableist oppres-
sive solidarities. sion, addressed in music education through appropriate
accommodations and inclusion settings (Darrow, 2016).
Oppression Even in inclusion settings, though, students with disabi-
lities are often defined by their disabilities, stereotyped
In Is Everyone Really Equal? An Introduction to Key Con- as sad or tragic, considered deficient relative to prevai-
cepts in Social Justice Education (2012), used widely in di- ling cultural norms, and subjected to violence in the
versity courses in U.S. universities, Özlem Sensoy and form of bullying, ostracism, or physical abuse (Darrow,
Robin DiAngelo give a clear definition for oppression: 2016). In addition, representations of people overcoming
disability through musical skill and perseverance can
To oppress is to hold down – to press – and deny a social become a type of “inspirational pornography,” which
group full access and potential in a given society. Oppres- “objectifies disabled persons, devalues their assumed
sion describes a set of policies, practices, traditions, norms, potential, and firmly situates their lives and experiences
definitions, and explanations (discourses), which function within an individualized conception of disability” (Bell
to systematically exploit one social group to the benefit of & Rathgeber, 2020, p. 582).
another social group.... Oppression involves institutional Anthropocentrism. Recent authors have written about
control, ideological domination, and the imposition of the the need for music educators to teach for ecoliteracy
dominant group’s culture on the minoritized group. (p. 39) (e.g., Shevock, 2018; Shevock and Bates, 2019; Smith,
2022). Conversations within the scholarly field of mu-
If one accepts the wellbeing of people and planet as a sic education concerning social diversity and justice can
primary aim of music education, it is essential to guard and should be extended to include more-than-human
against anything that inflicts harm on others – including environments (Bates, Shevock, and Prest, 2021). The
more-than-human others. As an extension of Sensoy and music of more-than-human others has sometimes been
DiAngelo’s definition, I suggest that in music education included, but most often as natural resources for human
there is evidence for four general forms of oppression. consumption, reinforcing traditional hierarchies that si-
The first is exclusion; in the US, where advocacy has be- tuate humans firmly at the apex. Violence and exploita-
en an overarching purpose of music education research tion – apparent in resource depletion, species extinction,
and theory, school music is almost always positioned as pollution, and climate change – are supported by music
beneficial. From this perspective, it can be oppressive curricula and pedagogies that reinforce global consump-
to exclude individuals or groups. Second, school music tion and material accumulation.
can be a site for subordination. Inclusion can itself be as- Ageism. Given its future orientation, the U.S. “is an
sociated with oppression, deterring others from living ageist society that loves the Young and hates the Old”
freely according to their own identities, interests, and and where norms for employment, leadership, and in-
culture. Third, the music classroom can be a place where novation are generally associated with youthfulness
students experience violence – physically, emotionally, or (Holmes, 2007). Music students are not given sufficient
socially. Fourth, music education can be a form of exploi- examples of older musicians and there is a general sense
tation when cultural products and practices are misap- that learning new musical skills is primarily the domain
propriated and when meritocratic ideologies reproduce of youth (Bergonzi, 2016). North American directors
social stratification. of traditional school music ensembles (wind band, or-
Within these four forms of oppression are intersec- chestra, choir), for example, remain chronically uncon-
ting axes. Özlem and DiAngelo (2012) list racism, clas- cerned about how musical practices learned in school
sism, sexism, heterosexism, religious oppression, ablei- will or will not continue throughout life. Additionally,
sm, and nationalism, all of which have been addressed children are not usually taught how to maintain health
to various degrees in music education. I have argued and vitality as they age, and the stereotypes about ol-
that anti-rural bias or urbanormativity constitutes ano- der people, learned during school years, can negatively
ther form of oppression in school music (Bates, 2016). impact a person’s self-concept and identity as they age
Oppression might also relate to one’s age, body type, (Holmes, 2007).
or ethnicity. Expanding our view beyond the anthro- Body shaming. Music education is a field where bodies
12 pocentric – beyond the needs and interests of human are regularly on display in musical ensembles and per-
individuals and societies – it is not difficult to see how formances. Inclusion in primary roles may be based on
the planet and more-than-human lives are negatively physical features such as general attractiveness, weight,
impacted by human actions. There are certainly additi- and height. In music contests, students perceived as

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Exclusion Subordination Violence Exploitation

Ableism Insufficient accom- Beauty or fitness Stereotypes (tragic or Inspiration porn

modations, separate norms, being defined heroic), bullying, os-
settings, economic by disability tracism, abuse
barriers

Anthropo- Human-centered de- Resource manage- Overuse, pollution, Capitalism, globaliza-

centrism cision making, urban- ment and extraction, climate change, meat tion, militarism
ization manufacturing production

Ageism Ignoring aging issues, Stereotypes, focus- Neglect, abandon- Financial abuse
conceptualizing be- ing on the future and ment, low expecta-
ginners as young newness tions, jokes

Body shaming Matching body types Stereotypes about Teasing, health ad- Inspiration porn,
to specific roles weight, stature, and vice, self-harm, sexual typecasting, beauty/
attractiveness abuse health products

Classism Can’t afford to partici- Remediation, mobil- Cultural hierarchies, Participation benefits
pate, have different ity, cultural uplift, deficit perspectives others, relegated to
cultural values charity supporting roles

Ethnocentrism Cultural marginaliza- Denigration, cultural Physical violence, Cultural appropria-

tion uplift, contempt microaggressions, tion
indoctrination

Heterosexism Heteronormativity, Bullying, harassment,

male-female binaries sexual abuse

Nationalism Not citizens, not gi- Xenophobia War, militarism, po- Autocracy, oligarchy
ven full rights of citi- licing
zenship

Racism Isolation, segregation, White supremacy, cul- Macroaggressions, Cultural appropria-

double consciousness tural uplift, contempt, indoctrination, sabo- tion
devaluation tage, physical vio-
lence

Religious Centering Christianity Religious/cultural Ostracism Christian/capitalist

Oppression hierarchies colonization

Sexism Instrument choices, Low or gendered ex- Sexual abuse, his- Unpaid labor
male directors, male pectations tory focused on white
composers males

Urbanormativity “Starter jobs,” norms Remediation, uplift, Deficit thinking, ste- School consolidation,
that accentuate defi- geographical mobility reotypes, resource unfair comparisons
cits depletion

Table 1

less attractive are likely to receive lower ratings (Ryan appearance and can lead to self-loathing, shame, and
& Costa-Giomi, 2004). As students and teachers interact self-harm (LaGuardia-LoBianco, 2019). 13
formally and informally within music classes and re- Classism. School music programs exclude students
hearsals, there is also potential for comments and other who live in lower-income families by adding fees, rely-
actions that make individuals self-conscious about their ing on private music instruction, and centering Western

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classical music (Bates, 2012, 2018; Bull, 2016; Hoffman, sic education has failed to de-center whiteness, instead
2013). Musical and cultural hierarchies position students focusing on superficial, additive approaches (Bradley,
from lower-income families as personally, socially, and 2017). Joyce McCall (2021) documented how Black stu-
morally deficient. This can amount to symbolic violence dents, from early school years through university, ex-
as students internalize their relative superiority or infe- perience isolation, microaggressions, sabotage, low-ex-
riority (Bates, 2021). Students who do not possess the re- pectations, cultural indoctrination, unequal discipline,
quisite social, cultural, or economic capital are exploited pity, contempt, double-consciousness, devaluation, and
when their perceived deficits serve as justification for physical violence. Amanda Soto (2015), reflecting on the
inequality and when they receive little long-term benefit absence of Mexican conjunto music in North American
from their labors in the music classroom (Bates, 2021). classrooms, argued that “educating a child without re-
Ethnocentrism. Guidance from the Journal of the Ame- ference to his or her culture and identity within the cur-
rican Medical Association designates ethnicity, like race, riculum can have potential negative effects on minority
as a social construct reflecting “important sensitivities students’ learning, thus widening the gap between the
and controversies” (Flanagin et al., 2021, p. 621). I am identities of minority children and those of the domi-
including ethnocentrism separately from racism given nant culture, which are portrayed in the curriculum and
that this article is directed at readers in Europe where presented within the classroom” (p. 631). Finally, Anita
ethnicity –focused on shared ancestry, history, traditions, Prest and co-authors (2021) warned about cultural ap-
and culture – might be more salient than race, which propriation, particularly when working with the music
traditionally has been associated with physical cha- of Indigenous groups.
racteristics (Jugert et al., 2021, p. 1). In music education, Religious Oppression. In North American, music educa-
though, ethnocentrism might manifest like racism does tion has historically been immersed in Protestant Chris-
in the U.S., where the cultural practices of minoritized tianity. Students with other belief systems will naturally
groups are excluded and where students are considered feel excluded and subordinated in these settings. The
deficient because of their cultural background. Western classical music that still serves as the core of
Heterosexism. Louis Bergonzi (2016) discusses how North American music education grew from Catholic
heteronormativity in schools and music classrooms has and Protestant institutions. Christianity, along with its
“the power to distress not only students who identify as associated musical values and practices, joined with ca-
lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT) but also pitalist interests to colonize virtually every corner of the
heterosexual students who are perceived as LGBT” (p. world, where people, cultures, and ecologies continue
223). He summarizes research showing that gay students to be exploited.
often seek out music classes and ensembles for safety Sexism. Feminist theory, which has developed into
and that identifies “musical communities as relatively “gender and sexuality studies” (Lamb and Dhokai, 2015,
accepting of gay individuals” (p. 225). Safe spaces, of p. 122), has been at the forefront of the social justice in
courses, provide respite from the bullying and harass- music education literature in North America. Roberta
ment that is still widespread in schools and beyond. Lamb and Niyati Dhokai (2015) point out how the histo-
Bergonzi notes that LGBT2Q interests are typically vie- ry of music education has been “written by white, Anglo-
wed as irrelevant to the work of professional educators, phone heterosexual men” (p. 124), and that new music
even though gender-sexual normativity is readily appa- educators/scholars are unaware of the feminist history
rent in musical traditions and pedagogies that reinforce in music education. They also highlight the underrepre-
male-female binaries. sentation of females among ensemble directors, authors,
Nationalism. Deb Bradley (2018) reflects critically upon and some instrumentalists; pedagogies and curriculum
the concept of citizenship as a way to clearly demarcate materials that continue to foster unequal power relations
who should or should not be included and enjoy full that privilege heterosexual men; gender stereotypes and
rights. Some pitfalls of nationalism discussed by Bradley expectations that socialize women to be submissive; and
(2018) include human rights abuses, exclusion of women sexual harassment and abuse. Feminist writers have also
and of people living in poverty, and “mistreating both ci- drawn attention to womens’ and girls’ rights, health, and
tizens and non-citizens who represent ‘the other’: Native education globally (Lamb and Dhokai, 2015).
Americans, First Nations, Métis, and Inuit, Black Ame- Urbanormativity. Cultural values associated with We-
ricans and Canadians, Muslims, those who identify as stern classical music, proximity to private instructors,
lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, material resources, school size, and competition place
or two-spirited” (p. 76). In music education, nationalism rural schools and students at a disadvantage in the com-
manifests in ways similar to other axes, appropriating parative and competitive field of ensemble performance
the resources of others, setting boundaries between and reinforce an array of stereotypes associated with ru-
14 groups, and reinforcing sociocultural hierarchies. rality (Bates, 2016). Rural students are exploited when
Racism. In the U.S., the focus in music education on their performance is used as a point of comparison for
elite, White, Eurocentric music excludes the cultural better-resourced ensembles from metropolitan centers,
roots of racially minoritized groups. Multicultural mu- when the musical skills they learn in school have little

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application to life in the community, and when music White people; racism is experienced differently in ru-
education serves as a catalyst for moving to the city. ral, suburban, and urban places; ableism has different
implications for people living far from urban settings
Intersectionality or for people living in poverty; and ethnocentrism can
impact the lives of disparate groups otherwise clumped
Ashley Bohrer (2019) provides a comparative analysis within monolithic whiteness. Intersectionality can give
of intersectional and Marxist theories in North America a more complete picture of how oppression functions in
and outlines six general principals for intersectionality. the lives of individuals. This does not negate the power
First, “intersectionality emphasizes the inseparability of and value of individual stories focused on a single axis.
oppressions and critiques accounts that embrace single- For example, Joyce McCall (2018) shared her experiences
axis thinking” (p. 91). Sumi Cho, Kimberlé Crenshaw, at Arizona State University where, in her dissertation,
and Leslie McCall (2013) asserted that single-axis thin- she focused on race and racism, particularly in the juxta-
king can undermine social justice movements. Sexism, position of Historically Black Colleges and Universities
for example, is readily apparent in histories of Western (HBCUs) with Predominantly White Institutions (PWIs).
classical music where female composers are absent and She shared how – as a Black, female, first-generation stu-
ignored. A music teacher who includes the work of fe- dent – she often felt isolated at Arizona State University.
male composers as much as male composers might right- Specialized accounts such as this, in combination with
fully congratulate themselves for being inclusive but intersectional analyses, could reveal classism and sexism
stopping at that point risks upholding white supremacy (and other axes) within HBCUs and PWIs, thus opening
and cultural elitism. Thus, feminist theorists in music possibilities for an array of additional solidarities.
education generally seek to address more than sexism. Fourth, identity is an important construct in all axes
In the words of Lamb and Dhokai (2015), “feminisms are of oppression. It appears to be human nature to gravitate
such profound movements for social change precisely toward and interact regularly with people who share si-
because they have developed as movements for creating milar identities. And identities rooted in oppression na-
more equality in everyone’s lives” (p. 129). turally yield a variety of oppressed/oppressor binaries
Second is the insight within intersectionality that one such as female/male, Black/White, impoverished/afflu-
oppression is not a larger issue than other oppressions. ent, LGBT2Q/cis-gendered, rural/urban or suburban,
In other words, “oppressions cannot be ranked” (Bohrer, and more-than-human/human. Viewed intersectionally,
2019, p. 92). Kimberlé Crenshaw (1989), who coined the individuals can inhabit a variety of identities. Within ra-
term more than thirty years ago, was influenced by pre- cial groups, for instance, are a range of identities rooted
vious Black feminists’ who theorized interlocking forms in class, ability, religion, gender, ethnicity, sexuality, and
of oppression (Smith, 2015). They criticized the domi- geographical location. Strict binaries can impede social
nant and limited views put forward by affluent white justice overall as various identity groups coalesce against
feminists and male Marxists (Cassell, 2017). Francis M. a perceived common enemy. Within an intersectional ap-
Beal (1969) wrote: “The system of capitalism (and its af- proach, on the other hand, those who might appear to be
ter birth ... racism) under which we live, has attempted natural enemies can become allies.
by many devious means to destroy the humanity of all Fifth, intersectionality is more than theory; it is wo-
people, and particularly the humanity of Black people” ven into actual movements for social justice. Action in
(para. 1). Without an intersection lens, it would be a music education can take a variety of forms including
point of concern, in this light, that feminist theory in mu- scholarship, policy making, educator preparation, curri-
sic education has largely been the work of economically culum development, and pedagogy. These efforts are en-
privileged white women (e.g., Elizabeth Gould, 2015, hanced when broad coalitions find common cause and
and the four individuals she highlights in her chapter in work together. To foster these coalitions, it is important
the Handbook of Social Justice in Music Education: Julia Ko- to always be on the lookout for underrepresented voices.
za, Roberta Lamb, Liz Gould, Patricia O’Toole, and Es- Natural ecosystems are a good case-in-point. The more-
telle Jorgensen). As much as their pioneering work has than-human world has no voice in human/social justi-
brought much-needed attention to issues of social justice ce initiatives until people expand definitions for society
in music education, a single-axis approach has the po- and diversity to include these more-than-human voices
tential to elide other axes and alienate potential allies. and interests (Shevock, 2018; Bates, Shevock, and Prest,
Along the same lines, I have argued that single-axis an- 2021). Of course, people can also benefit from vibrant
tiracist discourse in music education has the tendency to ecosystems, and environmental sustainability – possibly
ignore class, thereby allowing classist manifestations of the defining issue of the 21st century – can bring dispa-
racism to go unnoticed (Bates, 2019). rate groups together in a common cause.
Third, “intersectionality requires thinking multiple Sixth, “intersectionality is both an account of power 15
registers of oppression simultaneously and in con- and a critique of power” (Bohrer, 2019, p. 95). Not long
junction with one another” (Bohrer, 2019, p. 92). Black before he was murdered, Martin Luther King, Jr. orga-
people experience socioeconomic class differently from nized the Poor People’s Campaign, the modern iteration

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of which addresses systemic racism, poverty, militarism, Bergonzi, Louis S. (2016). Gender and sexual diversity challenges (for
and ecological destruction (Institute for Policy Studies, socially just) music education. In Cathy Benedict, Patrick Schmidt,
Gary Spruce, & Paul Woodford (Eds.), The Oxford handbook of social
2018). Rather than fighting potential allies, this move-
justice in music education (pp. 221–237). New York, NY: Oxford Uni-
ment confronts oppression at its roots, which popular an- versity Press.
ti-racist writer Ibram X. Kendi locates with “a tiny group Bell, Adam Patrick, & Rathgeber, Jesse (2021). Can the disabled mu-
of super rich, Protestant, heterosexual, non-immigrant, sician sing? Songs, stories, and identitites of disabled persons in/
White, Anglo-Saxon males” (Kendi, 2017, p. 504). It takes through/with social media. In Janice L. Waldron, Stephanie Horsley,
& Kari K. Veblen (Eds.), The Oxford handbook of social media and music
broad coalitions and consistent, collaborative efforts to learning (pp. 619–644). New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
push back against the power of the world’s oligarchs and
Bohrer, Ashley J. (2019). Marxism and intersectionality: Race, gender, class
autocrats, which filters down into school music programs and sexuality under contemporary capitalism. Bielefeld, Germany: Tran-
as cultural imperialism, hierarchy, and competition. script Verlag.
Bradley, Deborah (2017). Standing in the shadows of Mozart: Music
Liberty and Justice for All education, world music, and curricular change. In Robin D. Moore
(Ed.), College music curricula for a new century (pp. 205–222). New York,
NY: Oxford University Press.
In this essay, I have sought to give a clear outline of op-
Bradley, Deborah (2018). Artistic citizenship: Escaping the violence of
pression and intersectionality in music education in the the normative(?) Action, Criticism, and Theory for Music Education, 17(2),
United States. I cannot speak to German and European pp. 71–91. https://doi.org/10.22176/act17.2.71
contexts given that my experience there is limited. No- Bull, Anna (2016). El Sistema as a bourgeois social project: Class,
netheless, I believe that music education everywhere can gender, and Victorian values. Action, Criticism, and Theory for Music
either contribute to a more just and equitable society or Education, 15(1): pp. 120–53. http://act.maydaygroup.org/articles/
Bull15_1.pdf [07.05.2022].
perpetuate an array of oppressions. My hope is that rea-
Cassell, Jessica (2017). Marxism vs. intersectionality. Fightback: The
ders will be able to apply relevant ideas and principles
Marxist Voice of Labor and Youth (July 12). https://marxist.ca/article/
to their own contexts. One of the most successful strate- marxism-vs-intersectionality [07.05.2022].
gies in the U.S. employed to maintain power has been Cho, Sumi, Crenshaw, Kimberlé Williams, & McCall, Leslie (2013).
to use the media to pit oppressed groups against each Toward a field of intersectionality studies: Theory, applications, and
other. This is readily apparent in our current political praxis. Signs, 38(4), pp. 785–810.
polarization, reflected in music education as liberal and Crenshaw, Kimberlé (1989). Demarginalizing the intersection of race
conservative music educators struggle against different and sex: A Black feminist critique of antidiscrimination doctrine, femi-
nist theory and antiracist politics. University of Chicago Legal Forum,
forms of oppression, each side suspicious of the other. 1989(1.8), pp. 139–167. https://chicagounbound.uchicago.edu/cgi/
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will we be able to form coalitions with adequate breadth [07.05.2022].
and strength to secure liberty and justice for all. Darrow, Ann (2016). Ableism and social justice: Rethinking disability
in music education. In Cathy Benedict, Patrick Schmidt, Gary Spruce,
& Paul Woodford (Eds.), The Oxford handbook of social justice in music
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Mario Dunkel & Sophia Friedmann & Rena Janßen & Shanti Suki Osman & Sophia Waldvogel

Intersektionalität in der musikpädagogischen Forschung

Ein Einblick in aktuelle Forschungsprojekte

Abstract Einleitung

This article provides insight into four ongoing dissertation Um einen Einblick in aktuelle musikpädagogische For-
projects and a research cluster at the intersection of music schung im Bereich Intersektionalität zu geben, werden
education and intersectionality. These projects demonstrate im Folgenden vier musikpädagogische Dissertations-
that intersectionality is significant to music education re- projekte und das Forschungscluster „Intersektionale
search and practice in a variety of ways: as a perspective, a Sensibilität“ vorgestellt, die an der Schnittstelle von
model of analysis, and an aspect of the philosophy of science. Musikpädagogik und Intersektionalität ansetzen. Die
Intersectional music pedagogical research looks at both gene- Projekte zeigen, dass Intersektionalität für die musikpä-
ral and music-related relations of dominance and power, as dagogische Forschung und Praxis auf unterschiedliche
well as their interactions at different levels. The five projects Weisen signifikant ist: als Blickwinkel, Analysemodell
presented here therefore examine power practices at the micro- oder auch als ein Aspekt von Wissenschaftstheorie.
social, macro-social, and institutional levels, exploring these Zentral für die intersektionale musikpädagogische For-
practices’ individual as well as societal functions. Seeking to schung in den hier vorgestellten Projekten ist, dass sie
adapt and further develop research methods, including the sowohl allgemeine als auch musikbezogene Dominanz-
implementation of a reflexive view on research positions and und Machtverhältnisse sowie deren Wechselwirkungen
perspectives, the projects are also similar in their goal of using auf verschiedenen Ebenen in den Blick nimmt. Dafür
intersectional perspectives to gain a more precise understan- werden Machtpraktiken auf mikrosozialer, makrosozi-
ding of the social reality in music pedagogical contexts. In aler und institutioneller Ebene untersucht und die in- 17
addition, they aim to outline pathways towards an intersectio- dividuellen sowie gesellschaftlichen Funktionen dieser
nally oriented, discrimination-sensitive teacher training and Praktiken erforscht. Gemeinsam ist den fünf Projekten
music pedagogical practice. die Anpassung und Weiterentwicklung von Forschungs-

Diskussion Musikpädagogik 94/22

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