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Critical Theory, Community Music Therapy and Conflict Transformation

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Critical Theory, Community Music Therapy and Conflict Transformation: A Critical Review of the Literature A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of Drexel University by Zein Hassanein in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Creative Arts in Therapy – Music Therapy Department of Creative Arts Therapy May 2018 iii © Copyright 2018 Zein Hassanein. All Rights Reserved ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to thank firstly, my parents, Jodi and Adly, for having a little idea. Thanks to my brother and sister, Karim and Amber, for all of your faith. You believe in me more than I believe in myself. Thanks to Kate for being the best thesis advisor I could have asked for. I always felt like my ideas were important because of you. Thanks to Janelle for all of your incredible feedback, and the inspiring work you have done. Thanks to Flossie and Scott for everything you have taught me. You were always there when I needed you. Thanks to all my other professors and supervisors, I want to grow up to be like all of you one day. Thanks to my classmates. I learned just as much from all of you as I did from the professors. Thank you to my Seeds of Peace family for being the “seed” for this capstone Thanks to my friends for being ok with me not hanging out with you while I worked on this and continuously asking me to explain my thesis, it was really good practice for trying to conceptualize it all. iii Table of Contents 1. Introduction……………………………………………………………………………………..1 1.1. Significance of the Critical Review………………...……………………………………...…6 2. Literature Review……………………………………………………………………………….7 2.1. Critical Theory and Its Impact on the Mental Health Profession……………...…..…………7 2.1.1 Origins of Critical Theory…………………………………………………………..…..…...7 2.1.2. Origins of Critical Psychology……………………………………………..…….…………8 2.1.3. Critical Psychology and Social Justice……………………………………...…….………12 2.1.4. Critical Psychology and the Creative Arts Therapies………………………..……...…….16 2.2 Conflict, Conflict Transformation and Music Therapy……………....…………….………..20 2.2.1. Conflict and Peace……………………………………………………………..…….……20 2.2.2. Psychosocial Impact of Conflict………………………………………………..…………24 2.2.3. Conflict Transformation………………………………………………………..………….27 2.2.4. Conflict Transformation and Music Therapy………………………………….………….28 2.3. Community Music Therapy…………………………………….……………...……………37 2.3.1. What is Community Music Therapy? …………………………………….……………....37 2.3.2. Community Music Therapy and Conflict Survivors……………………….….…………..43 2.2.3. Community Music Therapy and Conflict Transformation………………………………..44 3. Synthesis………………………………………………………………………………………47 3.1. Intersections…………………………………………………………………………………47 3.2. Recommendations…………………………………………………………………………...54 4. Reflection……………………………………………………………………………………...58 References………………………………………………………………………………………..63 iv ABSTRACT Critical Theory, Community Music Therapy and Conflict Transformation: A Critical Review of the Literature Zein Hassanein Katherine Myers-Coffman, Ph.D, MT-BC The following capstone literature review explores music therapy (and allied creative arts therapies) and their impact within the realm of conflict zones and conflict transformation. It defines the traditional approaches music therapy has taken with conflict survivors as well as makes a case for a movement towards community music therapy frameworks rather than consensus model individual therapy models. Delving into the history of critical theory and the impact of critical psychology and liberation psychology, the literature review advocates for incorporation of critical theory into more music therapy education programs. This is identified as a means to facilitate more culturally reflexive anti-oppressive practices by Western music therapists working with non-Western clients. 1 CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION Conflict is central to human experience, yet the avenues through which it manifests in our lives are constantly developing. As Augsburger (1992) wrote, it is a natural phenomenon, which is “essential to, ineradicable from, and inevitable in human life; and the source, cause, and process of conflict can be turned from life-destroying to life-building ends” (p. 5). Conflict itself exists on multiple levels, whether internal or between two people, whole ethnic groups, or countries. It can appear quiet or loud, physical or psychological, as an act of war, or an act of isolationism (Bergh, 2010; Dunn, 2008; Urbain, 2015). Since the 1990s, there has been increasing attention to the new ways conflict is experienced by people (Bergh & Slodoba, 2010). Whereas wars like the Cold and World Wars seem relatively simple in terms of their “bi-polarization,” conflicts such as the circumstances set in motion by the dissolution of Yugoslavia, the Irish Liberation movement of the late 20th century, or the sectarian violence in Sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East are much more complex (Bergh & Slodoba, 2010, Robertson, 2010, Woodward, 2012). Bergh and Slodoba (2010) call these “protracted social conflicts,” a term coined in the 1970s by conflict resolution pioneer Edward Azar referencing the Israel-Palestine conflict. Many people, such as soldiers and civilians (Lederach, 2005), attempt to leave their home countries or are unintentionally displaced due to conflicts. The 2017 global trends reported by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees decoded that at least 22.5 million people are currently refugees seeking asylum in countries other than their own (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, 2017). Refugees, who leave their countries of origin to escape political persecution or conflict, represent a variety of 2 ethnic, religious, and cultural backgrounds, making the targeted allocation of social services by host countries challenging (Comte, 2016; DeAntiss & Ziaian, 2010; Khawaja, White, Schweitzer & Greenslade, 2008; Segal & Mayadas, 2005). Western mental health professionals have worked to develop strategies to address the refugee crisis through focusing on symptoms of trauma, feelings of isolation/depression, and acculturation stress. It should be noted that for many refugees, these interactions may be their first experience with Western approaches to mental healthcare (Inter-Agency Standing Committee, 2007). Thus, studies have shown that a lack of cultural responsiveness by practitioners and a lack of trust/understanding of Western healing methods by refugee communities have negatively impacted success of the aforementioned outcomes (Comte, 2016; Fondacaro & Harder, 2014; May, Rapee, Coello, Momartin & Aroche, 2014). Within the interdisciplinary field of peace and conflict studies, conclusions are being drawn regarding the role the arts (and specifically music) in facilitating conflict transformation on multiple levels. Conflict Transformation is an interdisciplinary peacemaking approach devised by John Paul Lederach (2005). It views conflicts as not simply issues that can be resolved through legislative action, but through creative action and reparatory dialogue; many nonprofit community arts organizations are at the forefront of incorporating this phenomenon into their projects (Coombes, 2017, Gottesman, 2017; Lederach, 2005; Urbain, 2015). Theorists and arts-activists advocate for the use of music to transfer learning around peacemaking due to its accessibility across groups of people (Dunn, 2008; Urbain, 2015;). However, occasionally this accessibility can be mistaken for universality, which could lead to facilitators using music 3 in ways that are not culturally responsive and that do not achieve desired goals (Coen, 2015). Music therapy could serve as a bridge between creativity, accessibility, and conflict transformation. Music therapists working with refugees have employed techniques such as vocal holding to increase client self-awareness and validation of feelings, folk music to aid with acculturation and instill a sense of control, and guided imagery in music to help participants reconnect with their emotions (Orth, 2005; Urbain, 2015). Despite evidence that most refugees who experience conflict display normal distress rather than disorders such as Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) (WHO & UNHCR, 2012), trauma and treatment of PTSD symptoms are often the focus of mental health practitioners (Hasan et al., 2016). Comte (2016) criticized the music therapy literature on treatment of refugees, arguing that in most instances, the “refugee identity” of the client was elevated over their cultural identity. This assumption subversively homogenizes refugees, uniting them under experiences of trauma, rather than developing an understanding of them as parts of a collective from their respective societies. Comte (2016), along with many practitioners, believes that focusing purely on trauma symptoms does not provide holistic treatment for refugees and that a community- based approach needs to be incorporated. The Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) Guidelines on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Emergency Settings suggests that strengthening community and social support structures should be priorities to addressing clinical mental health concerns with this population (Hasan, Ventevogel, Jefee-Bahloul, Barkil-Oteo & Kirmayer, 2016; Inter-Agency Standing Committee, 2007). Community music therapy (CoMT) is a model that extends beyond the perspective of 4 Western healthcare paradigms by addressing conflict through building community first and then allowing trust between participants and practitioners to develop to the degree that mental health topics are more approachable
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