A Culture Of Critique: Personal And Professional Identity In Pre-Service Music Teacher Education (original) (raw)

Abstract: There is little qualitative research regarding the preparation of music educators to teach in culturally diverse or different settings. Existing literature suggests that there are issues surrounding personal vs. professional identity within the field that may have an effect on the music educator’s view regarding issues of race, gender, socioeconomic status, and sexuality within the classroom and curriculum. This article is an exploration of the above statements utilizing data from a semester-long study with senior music education majors (participant observation and interviews). Analysis centers on what Spradley (1980) describes as fundamental aspects of ethnographic study: cultural artifacts, cultural behavior, and cultural knowledge. Areas of particular interest include: identity tools that these pre-service teachers bring to the profession, how they conceive of personal/professional identity, and where the limits might exist for their capacity for teaching in culturally ...