The Power of Utopian Thinking

2021 ◽  
pp. 64-103
Author(s):  
Alexandra Kertz-Welzel
Keyword(s):  
Social Change ◽  
Music Education ◽  
Political Theory ◽  
Literary Genre ◽  
Critical Perspective ◽  
Political Thinking ◽  
The Third ◽  
The Arts ◽  
Utopian Thinking ◽  
Education And Social Change

This chapter develops a notion of utopia and utopian thinking which is useful for reconsidering music education and social change. The first section analyzes what utopia is. It shows the ambivalence of this concept, as both literary genre and method. It emphasizes its relatedness to various fields of research such as sociology and thus opens possible links for music education. The second section is concerned with utopia and political thinking, critically discussing the significance of utopia for political theory and philosophy. Their connection is much deeper than thought, but also needs a differentiated and critical perspective. The third section approaches utopia and the arts, elaborating their significance for artists of various times and genres.

scholarly journals Introduction

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-17
Author(s):  
Alexandra Kertz-Welzel
Keyword(s):  
Social Change ◽  
Music Education ◽  
Theoretical Framework ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Innovative Approach ◽  
Education Theory ◽  
Utopian Thinking ◽  
Education And Social Change ◽  
Interdisciplinary Study ◽  
Specific Contribution

The chapter introduces the topic of music education and social change and shows the need for an interdisciplinary study. It discusses research related to social change and music education critically and shows possible directions for new investigations. It develops the theoretical framework of utopia and utopian thinking as an innovative approach to music education and social change. It offers a much-needed scholarly foundation for music education and social change. Furthermore, this chapter presents the purpose of the present study, and the specific contribution this book will make to music education theory and practice. Finally, it offers a brief overview of the book chapters.

Rethinking Music Education and Social Change

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandra Kertz-Welzel
Keyword(s):  
Social Change ◽  
Music Education ◽  
Social Transformation ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Critical Approach ◽  
The Arts ◽  
New Vision ◽  
Education And Social Change ◽  
Socially Responsive ◽  
Utopian Theory

The arts and particularly music are well-known agents for social change. They can empower, transform, or question. They can be a mirror of society’s current state and a means of transformation. They are often the last refuge when all attempts at social change have failed. But are the arts able to live up to these expectations? Can music education cause social change? This book offers timely answers to these questions. It presents an imaginative, yet critical approach. It is optimistic and realistic. It rethinks music education’s relation to social change and offers a new vision in terms of music education as utopian theory and practice. This allows one to unearth the utopian energy of the music education profession and to openly imagine how the world could be otherwise—while at the same time critically scrutinizing respective conceptions. Utopia, being an important topic in sociology and political science, offers a new tradition of thinking and a scholarly foundation for music education’s relation to social change. However, music education is not only a means for social transformation. It also has artistic and aesthetic dimensions. Thus, connecting music education with utopia leads to two approaches in terms of politically or socially responsive music education and “esthetic” music education. Rethinking music education and social change within the framework of utopia offers much-needed opportunities for reconceptualizing music education in the 2020s.

Transforming Society

2021 ◽  
pp. 104-134
Author(s):  
Alexandra Kertz-Welzel
Keyword(s):  
Social Change ◽  
Music Education ◽  
Vital Importance ◽  
Know How ◽  
Education And Social Change

To transform society and to assess the role music education could play, it is crucial to know how society works. When discussing music education and social change, the mechanism of society and the dynamics of transformation are rarely discussed. Thus, this chapter presents three perspectives on how society can be transformed, namely the sociology of social change, the politics of change, and the utopian power of education. The notion of utopia is present in these three viewpoints, connecting the various perspectives on society’s transformative processes. The last section explicitly raises the issue of the utopian power of education which has often been forgotten in education, even though it is of vital importance.

Conclusion

2021 ◽  
pp. 162-168
Author(s):  
Alexandra Kertz-Welzel
Keyword(s):  
Education Research ◽  
Social Change ◽  
Music Education ◽  
New Music ◽  
Utopian Studies ◽  
Utopian Thinking

The final chapter summarizes the ideas presented in the previous chapters, highlights important issues, and opens up new perspectives for music education research. It discusses the utopian energy of music education and presents ideas about how to reconceptualize music education in view of social change. It reconnects the concepts developed in the previous chapters with significant notions in utopian studies to highlight the potential of this new music education approach, particularly in view of global crises. This final chapter tries to encourage utopian thinking to refine music education’s societal mission, but without forgetting or marginalizing its artistic and aesthetic dimensions.

The Arts and Social Change

2021 ◽  
pp. 18-63
Author(s):  
Alexandra Kertz-Welzel
Keyword(s):  
Social Change ◽  
Music Education ◽  
Social Impact ◽  
Important Research ◽  
Human Flourishing ◽  
The Arts ◽  
Political Purpose ◽  
The Social ◽  
El Sistema ◽  
Music Education Policy

This chapter analyzes the relation of the arts, and particularly music education, to social change. The first section discusses what social change is, presenting important research and ideas. It situates the notion of social change within the framework of utopia and connects it with human flourishing as its ultimate goal. The second section is concerned with the social impact of the arts, discussing important notions such as their relation to cultivation and to moral intentions, and their political purpose. The third section is explicitly focused on music education’s relation to social change, presenting general considerations and examples such as El Sistema or developments in international music education policy.

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