“The Proof Is in the Pudding”
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“The Proof is in The Pudding” An Examination of How Stated Values of Cultural Diversity are Implemented in Three Selected Dance Department Curricula A Dissertation Submitted to the Temple University Graduate Board In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy By NYAMA McCARTHY-BROWN May 2011 Committee Members: Dr. Kariamu Welsh, Major Advisor, Dance, Temple University Dr. Sarah Hilsendager, Professor Emerita, Dance, Temple University Dr. Roberta Sloan, Professor, Theater, Temple University Dr. William Cutler, Professor, History and Urban Education, Temple University I © By Nyama McCarthy-Brown All Rights Reserved II ABSTRACT “The Proof Is In The Pudding” An Examination of Three Selected Dance Department Curricula and How Stated Values of Cultural Diversity Are Implemented The composition of university dance curriculum has changed a great deal since the first university dance major curriculum was designed by Margaret H’Doubler and instituted at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, in 1926. Today there are over six hundred dance departments throughout the United States offering undergraduate and/or graduate degree programs. Dance departments receive multiple pressures from numerous sources, including college/university administration and students, to include and/or exclude certain content in their respective curriculum. This study reveals whether or not missions to incorporate cultural diversity and pluralism (see Glossary for specific definitions) into the curriculum of the selected dance departments today are fulfilled. In the study, the curricula of three selected dance departments in the United States, whose stated missions embrace cultural diversity, are examined. The primary research question is: Do the curricula of selected dance departments in the United States reflect the values of cultural diversity or pluralism as explicitly expressed in their mission statement? Through random online sample of thirty-nine mission statements from non-conservatory-based dance departments that grant degrees in the field of dance was collected. Although the use of the term diversity expanded greatly throughout the late 20th III century, a delimitation of this study was to focus on cultural diversity as it relates to race and ethnicity. Mission statements are part of most dance departments’ rationale and communication of values. Since dance departments are a part of larger institutions, it can be assumed that their missions are consistent with the focus of those organizations. As a primary outcome of organizational and of strategic planning, these statements are designed to differentiate one college or university from others. 1 They are an articulation of the specific vision and long-term goals of a college or university, or more specifically in the case of this study, a dance department. Because one cannot assume a college or university’s interest or commitment to cultural diversity, this study identified departments with a stated interest in cultural diversity from which to assess how such interest and commitment translates to curriculum; no direct conclusions about the home institution’s implicit approach to cultural diversity was made. The variance among institutions is a limitation of the study. Because schools were selected based on their mission statements, selected institutions have little in common regarding other demographics, such as: size and location of institution, public or private school, Liberal Arts or research orientation, degrees offered, size and resources of the department, as well as ethnic diversity among faculty and students. Despite these limitations, it was still possible to generate valuable research data from the selected institutions, which, in turn, has the potential to inform numerous other dance departments about the implementation of cultural diverse curricula. IV Future dance educators, dance artists, community artists, and arts administrators, as well as dance historians and scholars, are educated in the dance departments of colleges and universities throughout the United States. Thus, these departments have a large impact on the way dance is experienced throughout our society. Through an analysis of primary data, I examined the ways in which selected dance departments fulfill, or do not fulfill, their stated missions of cultural diversity. The methodology included a document analysis of the following primary source documents: mission statements, audition requirements, sequential department curriculum, required course readings, and demographics of faculty and students. Additionally, all teaching faculty and senior undergraduates from the selected dance departments were given a questionnaire to complete. The educational and performance background of faculty members, along with their areas of expertise, was the focus of the faculty questionnaire. In an effort to understand if student goals are aligned with the mission of the department, the student questionnaire included questions that asked seniors what type of positions they were interested in pursuing after graduation, and whether or not they felt they were prepared to enter the workforce given their course of study. The questions of how student goals are connected to working in culturally diverse communities of the 21st century, and if so, how the curriculum was designed to met the goals of students, were also explored. Finally, a field observation was included to provide context for each of theses institutions. V In an attempt to reveal how various sectors in the Unites States have responded to changes in demographics, the Review of Literature incorporates sources from several fields. Categories in the Review of Literature included are: diversity in the workplace, business, academia, and social policy as it relates to cultural diversity, Dance Education (see Glossary for definition), and multicultural education. Also included is a section on race theory and social identity, as these sources provide a context of racial constructs and their influence on the education process. Literature from these multiple fields provides perspectives about the application of curriculum and pedagogy related to changes in the demographics within our society. In this study I was able to reveal the correlation between mission statements and dance department curriculum design in selected schools. Dance Education as a field of study was the foundation of this study and provided context for this research. Seminal works within Dance Education provide information as to what curricular goals in Dance Education were in the past and how these have changed over time. Margaret H’Doubler’s Dance: A Creative Art Experience , published in 1957, Dance As a Theatre Art: Source Readings in Dance History from 1851 to the Present , written by Selma Jeanne Cohen in 1974, and the works of Alma Hawkins, Modern Dance in Higher Education , written in 1982 and Moving from Within: A New Method for Dance Making , written in 1991, all contribute to this body of knowledge. It is important to recognize that the field has changed with the changing needs of our society and it will continue to evolve. VI This examination of three selected dance departments in terms of culturally diverse curricular offerings provides dance educators in higher education with examples of how selected dance departments carry out their stated missions. In this study dance departments that have developed strategies and mechanisms to implement their stated missions of cultural diversity throughout their curriculum are highlighted. Additionally, I encourage departments that have not been able to transmit their commitment to cultural diversity to department curriculum to do so, offering them tangible strategies which they can implement. VII ACKNOWLEDEMENTS This dissertation was written with the support of numerous key people in my life, undoubtedly positioned to assist me through this process, among other things. I stand on the shoulder of giants, from my ancestors, to scholars in the field of Dance Education, to my advisors, to my family. First and foremost I want to thank my mother, Eileen McCarthy. Throughout this journey her kindness, consideration, and support overwhelmed me. She read every chapter, page, and paragraph numerous times; when technology failed and her edits disappeared into cyberspace, she just said, with a pleasant smile, “I’ll just read it again.” Her active presence was instrumental to the completion of this document at this time. I want to extend a special thank you to my dissertation committee members, Dr. Roberta Sloan, Dr. William Cutler; Dr. Sarah Hilsendager, who mentored me throughout my doctoral studies; and Dr. Kariamu Welsh, who guided me through this process with patience, while inspiring academic rigor. A special thank you to my friends and family who were steadfast in their encouragement and support. I am honored to “stand of the shoulders of giants,” and in reverence of their legacy I am honored with the call to reach back and assist others in their climb. This study would not have been possible without the willingness of the subject institutions to participate in this study. The leadership of the departments involved was willing to share the successes and weaknesses of their departments in the interest of dance research. It is because of their participation VIII in this study that this research has been completed. As dance in higher education evolves to become more inclusive, it will expand because of the progressive work of change agents who are open