Musical Stereotypes
Standards
National Music Standards
Listening to, analyzing, and describing music.
Understanding relationships between music, the other arts, and disciplines outside the arts
Wisconsin DPI Social Studies Standards
E.8.6 Describe and explain the influence of status, ethnic origin, race, gender, and age on the interactions of individuals
E.8.7 Identify and explain examples of bias, prejudice, and stereotyping, and how they contribute to conflict in a society
Objectives
Materials
Something to Play Music (CD player, MPC, Computer)
Computer
Projector
Song 1
Song 2
Picture 1
http://www.worldproutassembly.org/grandma.jpg
Picture 2
http://www.dancelife.com.au/media/images/blog/paulwhite.jpg
Picture 3
Importance
Students come into every class with their own sets of stereotypes. As teachers we should, and normally are aiming to get rid of these. The act of assuming is a trend, an action, which we should aim to get rid of. Many of the stereotypes that students have they may even know or think about. Others put many different students that vary incredibly under the same stereotype. One of these areas is music. Several different forms of music and their listeners are often stereotyped in a negative light.
Lesson Body
Start the lesson by having students listing the types of music they listen to. You could either have the students do this as a class or do it individually. After students have written what they listen to, play the students (one song). Ask them to write, or draw, who they believe would listen to that song. Then play (two song) and ask them to do the same thing.
After the students have done this, have them get into small groups and discuss what they have come up with. After a short time, bring the class together and have a large group discussion with each group bringing in what they discussed. Once each group has shared something, the teacher should show pictures of different people. For each person, the teacher should have the students write what they believe that person would listen to. After a few pictures, 2, 3 or 4, have students go into small groups again.
Students should then be brought back into a large, whole class discussion. During this discussion the teacher should ask students why they thought one person or another would listen to a kind of music. Are there kinds of music that are easy to stereotype/ are there ones that are hard? Where did the students assumptions come from? Would different people have the same assumptions as the students or does that change with the area someone lives, how old they are, where they are from, etc. Then go into a discussion on what stereotyping is, what are some other things are stereotyped, how do they start?
Then as a class, they should come up with ways to avoid stereotypes and assumptions. How to approach a conversation when others are using them? How do deal with people who use stereotypes to make fun of others, or if someone is offended by the assumptions made by others. Students should also discuss why stereotyping and assumptions are bad for our culture as a class, a school, a community, and the world in general. In general how can stereotyping and assumptions cause conflict.
Closure
As a way to see all of the student's opinion on this issue, the teacher should have the student's journal on the lesson, what did they feel during the discussion, what points could they not bring up. What are some ways to prevent or get away from stereotyping? In general allow them to write about the topic.
Assessment
Adoptions/Extensions
This lesson could be delivered on its own, as part of a unit on stereotyping, on the affects of the media, or as part of any classroom community building. Music is one of the easier stereotypes to point out and to see that many people listen to the same ideas. This then lends itself to cases of stereotyping and assumption that are more prevalent and dangerous for students to believe. It is easily adjustable in terms of music selection and pictures the teacher chooses to see. In addition it could be used to look at different eras and different cultures and the differences between the two.
Next Step
I would use this lesson to enter into a larger social studies unit on community and the different stereotypes that are in it. Certain forms of music have come to be very stereotyped. However, it is also a much overlooked subject in bringing it up because many students listen to these same forms of music that they stereotype. Music preference tends to change over time making the students ideas of stereotypes easy to break. This then segments itself well into a historical look at different stereotypes, where they came from, how the media influenced it, and how we can attempt to change these major stereotypes.
Standards
National Music Standards
Listening to, analyzing, and describing music.
Understanding relationships between music, the other arts, and disciplines outside the arts
Wisconsin DPI Social Studies Standards
E.8.6 Describe and explain the influence of status, ethnic origin, race, gender, and age on the interactions of individuals
E.8.7 Identify and explain examples of bias, prejudice, and stereotyping, and how they contribute to conflict in a society
Objectives
Materials
Something to Play Music (CD player, MPC, Computer)
Computer
Projector
Song 1
Song 2
Picture 1
http://www.worldproutassembly.org/grandma.jpg
Picture 2
http://www.dancelife.com.au/media/images/blog/paulwhite.jpg
Picture 3
Importance
Students come into every class with their own sets of stereotypes. As teachers we should, and normally are aiming to get rid of these. The act of assuming is a trend, an action, which we should aim to get rid of. Many of the stereotypes that students have they may even know or think about. Others put many different students that vary incredibly under the same stereotype. One of these areas is music. Several different forms of music and their listeners are often stereotyped in a negative light.
Lesson Body
Start the lesson by having students listing the types of music they listen to. You could either have the students do this as a class or do it individually. After students have written what they listen to, play the students (one song). Ask them to write, or draw, who they believe would listen to that song. Then play (two song) and ask them to do the same thing.
After the students have done this, have them get into small groups and discuss what they have come up with. After a short time, bring the class together and have a large group discussion with each group bringing in what they discussed. Once each group has shared something, the teacher should show pictures of different people. For each person, the teacher should have the students write what they believe that person would listen to. After a few pictures, 2, 3 or 4, have students go into small groups again.
Students should then be brought back into a large, whole class discussion. During this discussion the teacher should ask students why they thought one person or another would listen to a kind of music. Are there kinds of music that are easy to stereotype/ are there ones that are hard? Where did the students assumptions come from? Would different people have the same assumptions as the students or does that change with the area someone lives, how old they are, where they are from, etc. Then go into a discussion on what stereotyping is, what are some other things are stereotyped, how do they start?
Then as a class, they should come up with ways to avoid stereotypes and assumptions. How to approach a conversation when others are using them? How do deal with people who use stereotypes to make fun of others, or if someone is offended by the assumptions made by others. Students should also discuss why stereotyping and assumptions are bad for our culture as a class, a school, a community, and the world in general. In general how can stereotyping and assumptions cause conflict.
Closure
As a way to see all of the student's opinion on this issue, the teacher should have the student's journal on the lesson, what did they feel during the discussion, what points could they not bring up. What are some ways to prevent or get away from stereotyping? In general allow them to write about the topic.
Assessment
Adoptions/Extensions
This lesson could be delivered on its own, as part of a unit on stereotyping, on the affects of the media, or as part of any classroom community building. Music is one of the easier stereotypes to point out and to see that many people listen to the same ideas. This then lends itself to cases of stereotyping and assumption that are more prevalent and dangerous for students to believe. It is easily adjustable in terms of music selection and pictures the teacher chooses to see. In addition it could be used to look at different eras and different cultures and the differences between the two.
Next Step
I would use this lesson to enter into a larger social studies unit on community and the different stereotypes that are in it. Certain forms of music have come to be very stereotyped. However, it is also a much overlooked subject in bringing it up because many students listen to these same forms of music that they stereotype. Music preference tends to change over time making the students ideas of stereotypes easy to break. This then segments itself well into a historical look at different stereotypes, where they came from, how the media influenced it, and how we can attempt to change these major stereotypes.
