Aesthetics and values as core determinants of musical identity formation

Abstract

The development of learning systems is of particular interest to the music educator and the ethnomusicologist. Furthermore, a society's construction of a world of musical sound is learnt by cultural insiders who identify with it, thereby contributing to their broader sense of cultural identity. This article looks at ways in which such musical worlds are constructed cognitively through social negotiation. This construction involves aesthetic choices, which in turn are derived from value systems that develop within the cultural environment. As environments change with time, so too do value systems and aesthetics, thus indicating a dynamic system of thinking, choosing, discarding and creating. The primary goal of this research endeavour is to develop a theory that can guide arts education and research, a theory which emerged from data extracted from ethnographic field work since 1993, informal surveys, reflective analysis and a broad literature review.