On the Path to Institutionalisation

Musical Instrument Learning in English Primary Schools

Resumen

This paper forms part of ongoing doctoral research in anthropology of learning focusing on individual musical instrument learning among children aged 5-11 in English primary schools. As such, rather than reporting empirical findings at this stage, this paper contributes to the theoretical framework underpinning the subsequent ethnographic investigation. It examines the concept of institutionalisation and explores whether evidence of this process can be identified within the learning context under investigation. It is hypothesised that the growing role of Music Hubs as intermediary organisations in the provision of music education to primary schools may be associated with changes in the ways musical learning is experienced by children, reshaping music learning by moving it away from more traditional forms of learning and towards increasingly institutionalised modes. The theoretical framework draws on Berger and Luckmann’s (1967) theory of institutionalisation, Mok’s (2011) conceptualisation of non-formal learning in the context of music education, and Akinnaso’s (1992) characteristics of institutionalised learning. The discussion is informed by reflections arising from the author's professional experience as a piano tutor in English primary schools. The theoretical analysis presented here suggests that musical instrument learning may be understood as undergoing a process of institutionalisation, facilitated by the role of Music Hubs as service providers, which also appears to operate across multiple levels, involving both internal and external dimensions of institutionalisation. Future stages of the doctoral research will investigate, through ethnographic work and theoretical inquiry, whether and how processes of institutionalisation impact learning, children's motivation, knowledge transmission and musical practices.