Developing identities in family musical involvement: A qualitative study

Abstract

In both Chinese and Western cultures, the family plays an important role in shaping musical identity. However, family involvement in musical engagement is likely to be different in the two social and cultural contexts. We carried out a qualitative investigation into family musical involvement (FMI) in the Chinese context. A total of 16 members of six urban families in Chengdu, Sichuan, China took part in semi-structured interviews, which were analyzed using thematic analysis. All the participating families had experienced the one-child policy and their narratives included retrospective accounts. Our findings were consistent in suggesting that these Chinese families typically consist of a powerful mother, a weaker father, and an obedient child. Although the culture of Chinese family culture is traditionally considered to be male-dominated and patriarchal, mothers have a dominant status in FMI because they often provide key opinions and make decisions for the whole family. Children are at the core of FMI as a Chinese family’s FMI is often child-centered. The roles that individual family members play can reflect their status and how they perceive the status of music in the family, which is also helpful for understanding the mechanisms underlying FMI.