Queering the Curriculum: Why Music Therapy and Other Creative Arts Therapy Trainings Need Queer Theory

Title
Queering the Curriculum: Why Music Therapy and Other Creative Arts Therapy Trainings Need Queer Theory
Publication Date
2019-10-27
Author(s)
Baines, Sue
Pereira, Jude
Edwards, Jane
( author )
OrcID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2705-8478
Email: jedwar51@une.edu.au
UNE Id une-id:jedwar51
Hatch, Jennyfer
Type of document
Journal Article
Language
en
Entity Type
Publication
Publisher
Uni Health, The Grieg Academy Music Therapy Research Centre
Place of publication
Norway
DOI
10.15845/voices.v19i3.2676
UNE publication id
une:1959.11/30038
Abstract
Music therapy academic faculty responsible for teaching the next generation of healthcare practitioners have a responsibility to ensure that the learning environment is one in which the principles of equity and inclusion are upheld and practiced. Without queer perspectives included in the curriculum, promotion and continuation of heteronormative and cisnormative attitudes and beliefs increase. As media, culture, and society reflect increasing awareness of and open-mindedness toward queerness, so does the opportunity for reflection and questioning regarding binary identities and exploration of the need to shift to fluid, spectrum identity categories. This questioning begins with perceiving that contemporary social identities are formed from a limited conception of a normative binary that recognizes only heteronormative and cisnormative sexual orientation and gender identities, which can be extended to other inadequate and unhelpful binaries, for example dis/abled and racial binaries that entrench prejudice. Reviewing current teaching environments and methods allows for consideration of how social constructions limit the capacity of educators to fully include attention to, and critique of, all thoughtless binaries – whether gay/straight, female/male, old/young etc. In this paper we reflect on and reveal predominant heteronormative and cisnormative values in music therapy education, advancing ways to make classroom and practicum settings a safe and exploring space, with the potential to positively impact all students and their current and future clients.
Link
Citation
Voices: a world forum for music therapy, 19(3), p. 1-14
ISSN
1504-1611
Start page
1
End page
14
Rights
Attribution 4.0 International

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