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The construction of national musical identities by Greek Cypriot primary school children – implications for the Cyprus music education system

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 November 2007

Avra Pieridou-Skoutella
Avra Pieridou-Skoutella*
Affiliation:
Arte Music Academy, Leonidou 34-36, 1097, Nicosia, Cyprusavraps@spidernet.com.cy
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Abstract

Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork with Greek Cypriot elementary school children in urban and rural areas of the Republic of Cyprus, the author describes and analyses the ways in which national musical identity is constructed in and out of school in connection with Cypriot traditional music. Findings reveal the development of fluid and often insecure, ambiguous and contradictory national musical identities as a result of the ideological messages children receive from their musical enculturation contexts. In addition public music education not only fails to assist pupils to become familiar with the tradition's inherent meanings and processes of creation and performance, but enhances children's contradictory ideological understanding and construction of an ambiguous national musical identity.

Type
Research Article
Information
British Journal of Music Education , Volume 24 , Issue 3 , November 2007 , pp. 251 - 266
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2007

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