Music education as a field of social responsibility: The example of Izmir Little Hands Music Project

Abstract

This study focuses on the Izmir Little Hands Music Project (İzmir Küçük Eller Müzik Projesi) as a social responsibility model that offers equal opportunities for children outside the city center and integrates it with local cultural dynamics. With music education offered within the scope of the project, children's sociocultural development processes are addressed together in the context of social responsibility. For this purpose, the ethnographic method and a qualitative research design were adopted. This research was conducted between June 2021 and August 2022 in the Yakaköy and Vişneli villages of Izmir. The data sources consisted of children between the ages of 7-16 who participated in the project, trainers, coordinators, volunteers, project documents, and media content. Data were collected through participant observation and semi-structured interviews, and analyzed using content and thematic analysis methods. The findings revealed that this project, which started during the Covid-19 pandemic, positively affected children's social interactions and group dynamics through music education. The findings show that the project improved children's social skills, self-confidence, and empathy skills through non-formal education. Choir, rhythm, and instrument (bağlama, kabak kemane, guitar, and violin) training reinforced the children's sense of community and musical harmony. The project demonstrated a sustainable structure by incorporating local cultural elements (folk songs and Zeybek performances) into the training and receiving of community support through instrument donations. The findings also revealed that concerts and organized events increased social awareness by providing children with stage experience. The Izmir Little Hands Music Project was found to be a successful implementation that combines music education with social responsibility, contributes to the sociocultural development of children in many ways, and can serve as a model for similar initiatives. In line with the findings of this study, the importance of enriching music education programs with local elements and supporting and expanding such social responsibility projects with educational policies has emerged.

Keywords

• Ethnographic study
• Music education
• Social responsibility
• Social transformation

Music education as a field of social responsibility: The example of Izmir Little Hands Music Project

Abstract

This research involves an ethnographic examination of music education within the context of social responsibility, focusing on the Izmir Little Hand Music Project. The project considers music education as a societal responsibility and centers on the sociocultural development of children living outside the urban center. The study reveals that this project, which began during the Covid-19 pandemic, positively influenced children's social interactions and group dynamics through music education. The project supports children's musical exploration by using music as a pedagogical tool and encourages them to make sense of music within a social context. It has also been identified that the project integrates with local culture and includes traditional elements. As a result, the Izmir Little Hand Music Project emerges as a significant tool within the scope of social responsibility that contributes to the sociocultural development of children. The findings obtained from the project show that music education offers positive contributions to the overall development of children and that music education should be considered in educational policies. The experiences of this project demonstrate that music education can support social and cultural transformations by contributing to similar music education-based social responsibility projects.

Keywords

• Ethnographic study
• Music education
• Social responsibility
• Social transformation

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