Post on 24-Dec-2015
Chapter 41
Historical Research in Music Therapy
History
Renier’s Definition (1961)=The story of the experiences of men and women living in civilized societies
Latin = ‘histore’ (narrative/story) Develop historical knowledge = through study
of evidence and artifacts of the past
History
Events of the past That which has been written about the past Ideas, images, or memories that exist about
the past in people’s minds A way of knowing (scholarship) about the
past
Historical Research in Music Therapy
The systematic study of the practices, materials, institutions, and people involved in the therapeutic application of music.
Biography
Research of the history of people
Boxberger, Crocker, Flagler Fultz, Sears, Underwood, etc.
History of Places
Geographics – cities, states, countries Institutions – schools, clinics
History of Events and Ideas
Treatment Trends and Philosophies Technological Advances Philosophies Conferences
Topic Selection
Interest/motivation Time Availability of Evidence Practicality
Delimitations
Chronology Geography Subject matter
Sources of Evidence
Primary Sources: firsthand witness Secondary Sources: not firsthand
One must know how the source is being used in order to determine whether it is primary or secondary
Various Sources
Pictorial records Written records Official documents Personal correspondence Interviews Artifacts
Analysis of Evidence
Determine accuracy and credibility Resolve contradictions External criticism – location and age of
evidence, existence of corroboratory evidence, suspicion of artificiality, etc.
Internal criticism – deals with accuracy of written information (genuineness does not imply accuracy); real vs. literal meaning, internal contradictions, writer bias, etc.
Oral History
Oral history is as old as history itself Can be small in scale – good first project Researcher can obtain precise information
from credible source Oral history helps to preserve aspects that
might otherwise be lost (not formally documented)
Types of Interviews
Informal conversations Structured, formal interview Results are analyzed, summarized, and
conclusions are drawn
Ethics
Sharing values of historians: trust and respect
Guaranteeing integrity of the record Leaving a trail for others to follow Giving credit where credit is due Recognizing multiple truths of history Attending to one’s biases Acknowledging financial and other support
Benefits of Historical Research
Inspire motivate Educate Inform Organize Unify
Historical research can “increase our collective sense of identity and purpose and ensure continued progress and evolution of our discipline”