The function of music education in the growth of cultural openness in the USA

Abstract

This study asks the question: What is the relationship between cultural omnivorousness and music education in the USA? Cultural omnivorousness is a general disposition towards the consumption of culture in which the person possessing such an attitude is open to consuming a broad range of cultural products. Survey data used for this analysis comes from the Cultural Policy and the Arts National Data Archive's Survey of Public Participation in the Arts 2002. A total of 17,135 completed surveys were collected from a sample of US households. The sample was selected using a stratified, multistage, clustered design and drawn from Census Bureau population counts. Several conclusions are derived from the findings. First, although causality cannot be determined, people who have taken music education classes are more omnivorous than people who do not take music education classes. Second, music education can potentially mitigate symbolic boundaries between racial groups through an increase in omnivorousness for minorities. Third, music education increases omnivorousness in a discriminating fashion. Music education increases the liking of some genres while having no effect or decreasing the liking of other genres, especially country music. This third conclusion mirrors past findings suggesting that while society is favouring racial and ethnic inclusion, cultural openness does not extend to social groups with low levels of educational attainment.