Effects of a culturally relevant music education intervention on choir members’ attitudes toward Mexican populations

Psychologists have documented contact experiences as avenues for changing attitudes toward outgroups (Stephan, Diaz-Loving, & Duran, 2000), and music educators have attempted to create authentic musical experiences of outgroup cultures (e.g., Abril, 2013; Campbell, 1992; Gay, 2002), but few studies have measured the assumed relationship between singing songs from an outgroup culture and change in attitudes toward that outgroup (Edwards, 1994; Peacock, 1992). Participants (N=38) took part in a researcher-designed protocol specifically tailored to the community choir setting and responsive to the singers' cultures of reference as informed by the literature. Participants completed pretest self-report measures, a series of six weekly rehearsals where they were introduced to songs traditional to Mexican populations, and completed the same self-report measures following a public performance for approximately 120 guests. The current study examined the relationships between pretest and posttest attitude measures toward Mexican populations reported by singers in a community choir with the aforementioned pedagogy. The participants provided responses to Social Dominance Orientation (Pratto, Sidanius, Stallworth, & Malle, 1994), Attitudes Towards Mexicans, and Allophilia scales (Pittinsky, Rosenthal, & Montoya, 2010). These scales aim to measure group-based discrimination, prejudice, and positive feelings toward outgroups respectively. Results of the pre-post attitude measures indicated statistically significant positive shifts in three of five categories in the Allophilia Scale (Affection, Comfort, and Enthusiasm). Participants who did not sing at the concert and therefore did not complete a posttest had significantly higher Social Dominance Orientation scores than those who completed the entire experience.