Faculty of Education - Theses
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Item"They think it's girl's stuff": gender issues surrounding playing the violin at lower primary and lower secondary levels( 1995)Recent research in Arts education has focussed on the influence that gender has in terms of boys' and girls' participation. This study, drawing from Post-structuralist feminist theories, looks specifically at students' beliefs about playing the violin, and the subsequent restrictions to participation, particularly by boys, that may be influenced by gendered attitudes. Students from lower primary and lower secondary levels were interviewed. The results confirmed previous research that identifies two significant areas: school subject hierarchy, and the labelling of the Arts as 'feminine'. Music, and specifically violin, held a very low position in the hierarchy of subjects. While this did not influence a student's involvement in lower primary years, students in lower secondary years favoured subjects that they felt had specific career relevance. Furthermore, playing the violin was identified by students from Year Three to Year Eight as being associated with the 'feminine'. This association directly confronted the gender identity of boys who chose to play the violin. However, a number of contradictory findings arose, where students' involvement in playing the violin, irrespective of their gender, was positively celebrated. Firstly, this seemed to occur where students showed clear talent at playing, supporting the idea that a 'genius culture' exists. Students were proud to receive recognition from peers, teachers and family for both the hard work, and perhaps natural talent that achieved satisfying musical results. Secondly, a student's popularity was inversely related.to the amount and nature of teasing they suffered for participation in a subject that was labelled 'feminine'. Students who were popular, received much less teasing.