Sociopolitical culture and school music education in Hong Kong.

TitleSociopolitical culture and school music education in Hong Kong.
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2009
AuthorsHo, Wai-Chung, and Wing-Wah Law
JournalBritish Journal of Music Education
Volume26
Start Page71
Issue1
Pagination71 - 84
Date Published03/2009
ISSN02650517
KeywordsChina, Content analysis (communication), Education – Curricula, Educational change, Hong Kong (China), Music – China, Music – Instruction and study, Music – Social aspects, Political culture
Abstract

In the last two decades, educational and curricular reforms in Hong Kong have been designed to prepare students for the challenges of the return of Hong Kong's sovereignty from the UK to the People's Republic of China (PRC) in 1997. This paper focuses on students' and teachers' attitudes towards a multicultural music education, which includes Chinese music, in response to this socio-political change. A mixed method design, involving a content analysis of relevant official educational and music documents, a questionnaire survey to 3,243 school students, and semi-structured interviews with 20 music teachers have been employed to further understanding of the development of politics and culture in Hong Kong society, which was investigated between winter 2006 and spring 2007. This paper argues that access to various musical cultures is a necessary but not sufficient condition for the development of music education in Hong Kong. Questions of how to integrate both Chinese music and other musical cultures in music education will remain a challenge for the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]