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  • © 2018

Masculinity, Class and Music Education

Boys Performing Middle-Class Masculinities through Music

Palgrave Macmillan

Authors:

  • Challenges prevalent understandings in feminist and queer musicology of singing as a ‘feminised’ or ‘unmasculine’ practice
  • Explores gender, class and education issues from the uncommon perspective of boys and their singing voices
  • Theorise how certain forms of masculinity are privileged and reproduced through music and music education

Part of the book series: Palgrave Studies in Gender and Education (GED)

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Table of contents (9 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xi
  2. Gendering the Boy Voice

    • Clare Hall
    Pages 11-28
  3. Venerating Angels

    • Clare Hall
    Pages 29-44
  4. Capitalising on Musical Mothering

    • Clare Hall
    Pages 67-92
  5. Becoming Choirboys

    • Clare Hall
    Pages 93-119
  6. Vocalising Gender and Class

    • Clare Hall
    Pages 121-143
  7. Practising Virtuosity

    • Clare Hall
    Pages 145-172
  8. Conclusion

    • Clare Hall
    Pages 173-179
  9. Back Matter

    Pages 181-219

About this book

This book offers a provocative sociological examination of masculinity, class and music education within the context of a unique and fascinating culture: the classical musical world of choirboys. The myriad cultural meanings embodied in the ‘boy voice’ are unravelled through compelling musical narratives of young choirboys, their mothers, and their teachers. The book investigates how boys negotiate dominant gender-class discourses and the various pedagogies involved in producing middle-class masculinities during primary school and early years contexts. Drawing on the theoretical resources of Bourdieu to develop the concept of ‘musical habitus’, the continued symbolic distinction of the choirboy is analysed in order to better understand how culture is simultaneously reproduced and evolving through music. This interdisciplinary work at the juncture of pedagogy and culture will appeal to social science researchers, educators and arts practitioners interested in the sociocultural dynamicsof music.

Authors and Affiliations

  • Monash University, Frankston, Australia

    Clare Hall

About the author

Clare Hall is Lecturer in Performing Arts at Monash University, Australia. Her research is located in the sociology of education and the creative arts, with a focus on music and intersectionality.

Bibliographic Information

Buy it now

Buying options

eBook USD 109.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book USD 139.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Other ways to access