Portland State University PDXScholar Dissertations and Theses Dissertations and Theses 1-1-2010 Music and Conflict Resolution: Exploring the Utilization of Music in Community Engagement Mindy Kay Johnston Portland State University Follow this and additional works at: https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/open_access_etds Let us know how access to this document benefits ou.y Recommended Citation Johnston, Mindy Kay, "Music and Conflict Resolution: Exploring the Utilization of Music in Community Engagement" (2010). Dissertations and Theses. Paper 437. https://doi.org/10.15760/etd.437 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations and Theses by an authorized administrator of PDXScholar. Please contact us if we can make this document more accessible: [email protected]. Music and Conflict Resolution: Exploring the Utilization of Music in Community Engagement by Mindy Kay Johnston A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Conflict Resolution Thesis Committee: Robert Gould, Chair Rachel Hardesty Amanda Smith Byron Portland State University ©2010 Music and Conflict Resolution i ABSTRACT This study is based on interviews conducted with twenty-two musician-activists in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States in 2009 to explore perspectives about the role of music in community engagement with the aim of considering how music might be used in the field of conflict resolution. The study followed the qualitative approach of constructivist grounded theory as designed by Charmaz (2000, 2002). Two themes, “Music for Self,” and “Music for Society” emerged from interviews and comprise the internal and external meanings of music to the research informants. The results of the study indicate that the relationships people have with music make it a potentially powerful tool in conflict situations within the realms of both conflict resolution and conflict transformation. More extensive research exploring these benefits is recommended. Music and Conflict Resolution ii This work is dedicated to Tina Marie Weyland in her endless support of me through this process, and in the rest of life; for expanding my world in countless ways and helping me understand things are not always as they seem; for showing me it is worth every effort to learn a little more and approach life and the people we meet with as much sympathy and compassion as possible. Music and Conflict Resolution iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS There are many people to whom I am deeply indebted for their love and support as I went through this journey. I extend my deepest gratitude to Jesse Snyder for believing in me from the beginning and providing hours of conversation, technical assistance and friendship; Tina Weyland for her seemingly endless patience with my questions – especially in my frantic moments, her smarts, and her willingness to be my editor; Joseph Eaton for the many needed distractions, for asking questions, providing insight, and being undisturbed by my grumpier moments; Emily Stone for constantly surprising me with herbs, art, books, and the deep well of wisdom and love that she endlessly offered up. Additional thanks to Trisha Rayne, Michelle Doiron, Albert Chimedza and Emily Fern Dayton for the frequent check-ins and encouragement, as well as Stephanie Helm for her editing and support in the final stages. I could not have done this without the love and encouragement from my amazing family: Henry Johnston, Vickie Gritzmacher, Camille Barraclough, and Adrienne Scott. I am also extremely grateful to my committee from the Conflict Resolution Department at Portland State University: Robert Gould for getting behind this and allowing it to happen; Amanda Smith Byron for planting the seed in the first place, for believing I could do it, and for her continual willingness to process with me; and Rachel Hardesty, whose constant guidance, wisdom, and encouragement pushed me through and got me to the end. Because of her, I am a better scholar. Finally, I must thank each of the informants who participated in this study. It was a great pleasure meeting with each of them and listening to their remarkable ideas and experiences. Music and Conflict Resolution iv TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ……………………………………………………….………………… i DEDICATION …………..………………………………………………………...… ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS………………………………………………………....… iii LIST OF TABLES …………………………………………….…………...……….. vii CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION ................................................................................ 1 AIM OF THE RESEARCH ................................................................................................ 1 RESEARCHER‟S PERSPECTIVE ....................................................................................... 3 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE RESEARCH ................................................................................. 5 SUMMARY .................................................................................................................... 7 CHAPTER II: REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE .................................................. 8 CONFLICT RESOLUTION: BACKGROUND AND PSYCHOLOGY ......................................... 9 CONFLICT TRANSFORMATION .................................................................................... 13 MUSIC AND SOCIETY .................................................................................................. 15 Music, Physiology, Language and Mind ............................................................... 16 Music, Expression and Emotions ........................................................................... 20 Music Therapy ....................................................................................................... 23 Music, Identity, and Community ............................................................................ 25 Music, Resistance, and Censorship ....................................................................... 31 MUSIC AS A CONFLICT RESOLUTION STRATEGY ........................................................ 41 IN CONCLUSION ......................................................................................................... 44 CHAPTER III: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY .................................................. 47 QUALITATIVE RESEARCH DESIGN .............................................................................. 47 STRATEGY OF INQUIRY: GROUNDED THEORY HISTORY AND PROCEDURES ............... 49 SELECTION OF INFORMANTS AND DATA COLLECTION................................................ 52 THE INTERVIEW PROTOCOL ....................................................................................... 53 INFORMANTS .............................................................................................................. 55 Music and Conflict Resolution v DATA ANALYSIS AND WRITING THE RESULTS ........................................................... 72 SUMMARY .................................................................................................................. 74 CHAPTER IV: RESULTS ......................................................................................... 75 EXPERIENCES AND IDEAS RELATED TO MUSIC AND SOCIAL ENGAGEMENT ................. 75 INITIAL CODING ......................................................................................................... 75 SELECTIVE CODING .................................................................................................... 77 THEORETICAL CODING ............................................................................................... 79 THEMES ...................................................................................................................... 81 Theme 1: Music for Self ......................................................................................... 81 The meaning of music in the informants’ lives ................................................. 82 Early memories of music: stories of parental influence ................................... 85 Music, identity and personal activism .............................................................. 88 The perceived responsibility of musicians to participate in socially engaged activities ....................................................................................................... 91 Theme 2: Music for Society ................................................................................... 97 Music as a tool for expression .......................................................................... 97 Music’s relationship to emotions .................................................................... 101 Music, connection, and community building .................................................. 104 Music as social engagement: values, activities and activism ......................... 109 SUMMARY ................................................................................................................ 112 CHAPTER V: DISCUSSION .................................................................................. 113 INTERPRETATION/IMPLICATION OF THE RESULTS ..................................................... 113 Theme 1: Music for Self ....................................................................................... 113 The meaning of music in the informants’ lives ............................................... 114 Early memories of music: stories of parental influence ................................. 117 Music, identity, and