Ijexá and Music Education: The Study of African-based Music as a Pathway to Valorize Minority Groups’ Collective Identities

Abstract

In the last decades, the music field has been going through significant changes due to discussions related to colonialism, ownership and representativeness. By questioning traditional music-related values and incorporating debates from diverse social and human sciences, researchers with different backgrounds have become attentive to the function of music education in promoting social justice. Focusing on the Ijexá rhythm, the following article has as its main aim to investigate, analyze and discuss implications of the application of approaches to music education that were developed based on minority groups’ traditional knowledge. Strongly influenced by the critical paradigm’s perspective, this paper presents four specific aims: 1) to present the main sociological, ethnomusicological and religious features of Ijexá; 2) to examine the intentions and effects of traditional Eurocentric approaches to music education; 3) to reflect on the connections between music, music education and collective identities; and 4) to analyze the possible social and educational impacts of the application of decolonization-oriented approaches to music education. Sustained by the aforementioned goals, this research employs the qualitative documental analysis as its methodological approach to examine different sources of written and audiovisual materials, to gather the data, to acquire the information and to develop the knowledge that supports and guides the presented discussions. Its critically oriented reflections intend to contribute to the ongoing scientific debate by investigating the application of an educational approach’s strand that is supported by African-based music and African-based traditions.

Learning Outcomes and Social Emotional Competences: A Cross-Feeding Relationship to Promote Meaningful Learning Experiences

“…sociology, anthropology, philosophy, psychology, etc.) and has received different names such as collective identity, groups identity, social identity and cultural identity (Pereira et al, 2021). Despite possible differences between the definitions, applications and implications of the different terms in their respective study fields, in the realm of the current article, the expression "collective identity" will be generically employed to address the cultural, ethnical, collective and group forms of the individual's identification.…”

“…Therefore, the Qualitative Document Analysis can be comprehended as a sequence of actions for searching, examining and systematizing information included in different forms of materials (Bowen, 2009;Pereira et al, 2021;Pereira, Konopleva, Alghneimin, et al, 2022;Wach & Ward, 2013).…”

“…Despite the general focus on European Union documents to provide the background for understanding the Learning Outcomes concept, it is possible to notice that this initiative has been also influencing and driving the reformulation of "progressive student-oriented" educational systems (Halász, 2017) in different parts of the world, such as North America, Asia, Africa and South America European Commission, 2012;Hess, 2015;Nyamkhuu et al, 2021;Pereira, Konopleva, Dung, et al, 2022). As stated by Halász (2017, p. 2) "since the turn of the century, the process described as 'shift to learning outcomes' (Cedefop, 2009a) has been one of the most spectacular and influential phenomena in the development of education systems in Europe and also globally".…”

A Postcolonial Curriculum Investigation in the Course “Instrument – Acoustic Guitar” of the Federal University of Bahia

“…The establishment of the curriculum in a higher education course can have impacts that go beyond the lives of individuals directly connected with the course (i.e. students, coordinators, professors) and influence broader levels of society (Pereira et al, 2022;Pereira, Konopleva, Nyamkhuu, et al, 2021). Thus, the EMUS -by being based in a city in which around 85% of the population is formed by African-descendant people -holds an important role in the Salvadoran society, being able to contribute to the construction and consolidation of a more balanced society (Schmidt, 2005;Stanton, 2018).…”

“…de S. Santos, 2006;Young, 2001). In order to make sense of these possible scenarios, the term postcolonial can incorporate different meanings from the period that starts after the proclamation of a certain country's political independence (holding the meaning of "post" "colonial period") until the set of theories and perspectives to study, investigate and examine the current world's situation as a consequence of the colonial and imperial past (Akkari, 2012;Asher, 2009;Bertens, 2008;Castells, 2014;Coulthard, 2019;Leite, 2010;Loomba, 2005;Nkrumah, 1965;Pereira, Konopleva, Nyamkhuu, et al, 2021;M. Santos, 2016;Sawant, 2011).…”