Call for Papers

Rethinking Interdisciplinary Collaboration: Towards New Ethical Paradigms in Music and Health Research

Date: 19 October 2013, Goldsmiths College, London.

Music, Mind and Brain Centre, Goldsmiths College, University of London Psychology Department, Goldsmiths College, London
Music Department, Goldsmiths College, London
British Forum for Ethnomusicology (BFE)
Society for Education and Music Psychology Research (SEMPRE)

This conference seeks to explore the nature of research into the relationship between music, health and wellbeing. It will investigate how research and practice might become more inclusive, and therefore more ethical, through collaborative endeavours by bringing together researchers, practitioners, and students from various disciplines including: music (neuro) psychology; music therapy; applied/ medical (ethno) musicology; music sociology and anthropology to encourage the re- thinking of research methodologies and epistemologies and practices.

There is as yet very little regular collaboration between many of the above named- disciplines due to methodological, philosophical and epistemological differences. This conference seeks to bring these disciplines together to stimulate future collaborative research, promoting interdisciplinary approaches that take into consideration the human biological responses to music alongside humanity’s ability to use music-making as a way of understanding society. It is hoped that future, more inclusive health interventions will be based on this research and its outcomes. It is envisaged that, through close collaboration across these disciplines, research practices and musical interventions will better reflect the cultural diversity of modern day, pluralistic societies.

Papers and poster presentations are sought that address the conference themes:

•   What are the historical, philosophical and educational differences between research methodologies and disciplines and how do they impact on research ethics?
•   What are the paradigmatic and methodological challenges that must be considered before true collaboration can occur (and what is the nature of ‘true’ collaboration)?
•   What are the ethical dangers of allowing any one model of knowledge production to dominate another?
•   Case studies show-casing instances where culturally appropriate research methodologies and/ or approaches were used to promote and investigate music, health and wellbeing
•   Pedagogic or practice-based examples of the need for culturally appropriate approaches
•   Cross-cultural, quantitative studies investigating the relationship between ‘culture’, music and the human organism.

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Presentations:

Presentations should be limited to 20 minutes, allowing 10 minutes for questions.

Abstracts:
Presenters should indicate:

(a) Title presentation; (b) Title (i.e. Mr, Ms, Miss, Dr, Prof); (c) Name; (d) Surname; (e) Institutional affiliation; (f) Contact email; (g) contact telephone number; (h) affiliation to SEMPRE or BFE if appropriate.

For both posters and papers abstracts of no more than 300 words should be submitted to Dr Muriel E. Swijghuisen Reigersberg by 4 pm Friday 29th March 2013.

Poster abstract details/ format:

Whilst it may not be standard practice for (ethno) musicologists to present posters, they are encouraged to do so. We hope to engage all delegates with this form of research dissemination, which is standard scientific practice. This is because a secondary aim of the conference is to initiate music scientists and (ethno) musicologists into each other’s academic practices and ‘disciplinary languages’.

Conference posters should be no larger than A0 format, portrait orientation, and outline clearly the: title; subject/ theme and where appropriate aims; methods; results and conclusions. Headings and font-size should be clearly legible.

SEMPRE financial support:

The Society for Education and Music Psychology Research (SEMPRE. www.sempre.org.uk) has kindly agreed to sponsor conference attendance by its student/ unwaged members if they are selected to present their work. Please therefore indicate if you are a SEMPRE student/ unwaged member if submitting an abstract.

Publication:

The conference organisers hope to publish papers presented at this conference.

Podcast:

The conference plenary session will be podcast.