Transforming Society

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.

Introduction

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

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.

The Power of Utopian Thinking

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.

How Can Networks Cultivate the Conditions for Young Creatives to Thrive?

As observers to the intersectional fields of culture, education, and social change, Creative Generation witnessed the chosen organizational structure of “networks” come into vogue – particularly as smaller, community-based organizations have begun to participate in larger-scale, collaborative initiatives. In almost all examples, the individuals and organizations involved do their collaborative work through a “network,” using any number of connections and patterns. This qualitative inquiry sought to understand how applying Network Theory to organizational structures can cultivate the conditions to support young creatives. Through literature and conducting interviews with leaders of diverse networks in the arts and cultural education fields, this project provides an overview of Network Theory and examines examples of various models. This report proposes the following set of provocations for the field to interrogate the use of Network Theory in their projects’ implementation: strong connections between the network and its participants, shared power among network leadership and participants, clear expectations about funding, and specific role for young creatives in decision-making.

Network Theory: How Can Its Application Cultivate the Conditions to Support Young Creatives?

As observers to the intersectional fields of culture, education, and social change, Creative Generation witnessed the chosen organizational structure of “networks” come into vogue – particularly as smaller, community-based organizations have begun to participate in larger-scale, collaborative initiatives. In almost all examples, the individuals and organizations involved do their collaborative work through a “network,” using any number of connections and patterns. This qualitative inquiry sought to understand how applying Network Theory to organizational structures can cultivate the conditions to support young creatives. Through literature and conducting interviews with leaders of diverse networks in the arts and cultural education fields, this project provides an overview of Network Theory and examines examples of various models. This report proposes the following set of provocations for the field to interrogate the use of Network Theory in their projects’ implementation: strong connections between the network and its participants, shared power among network leadership and participants, clear expectations about funding, and specific role for young creatives in decision-making.

How Can Networks Cultivate the Conditions for Young Creatives to Thrive?

As observers to the intersectional fields of culture, education, and social change, Creative Generation witnessed the chosen organizational structure of “networks” come into vogue – particularly as smaller, community-based organizations have begun to participate in larger-scale, collaborative initiatives. In almost all examples, the individuals and organizations involved do their collaborative work through a “network,” using any number of connections and patterns. This qualitative inquiry sought to understand how applying Network Theory to organizational structures can cultivate the conditions to support young creatives. Through literature and conducting interviews with leaders of diverse networks in the arts and cultural education fields, this project provides an overview of Network Theory and examines examples of various models. This report proposes the following set of provocations for the field to interrogate the use of Network Theory in their projects’ implementation: strong connections between the network and its participants, shared power among network leadership and participants, clear expectations about funding, and specific role for young creatives in decision-making.

Education and Social Change: The Basis of Evolution and Development of a Contemporary Society

Changes in society are shifts from the accepted way of life, either they are caused by changes in geography, culturale quipment, population structure, or philosophies, or by diffusion or innovations well within community.It is education that has been a chief instrument in bringing about phenomenal changes in all the aspects of society. A country without education produces incompetent policy makers rather than ideal leaders. The administration proves to be pathetic, with increased rate of crimes, corruption, social disorder, violation of- laws, rules, human rights, and so on. In addition, it is impossible for a society to attain a sustainable socio-economic development with zero contribution to human resource development. The paper significantly demonstrates a conceptual and qualitative research in the context of social change and education.