Youth Peacebuilding: Music, Gender, and Change

Chapter 3: The Beat on the Ground: Introducing the Case Studies

47 3 The Beat on the Ground Introducing the Case Studies For purposes of comparison, I decided to study two groups in diverse cultural contexts with different experiences of violence and peacebuilding. Northern Ireland is considered a post-conflict society, while Australia is seen as a country at peace, though violence does exist there. The search for suitable groups suggested that using music is a relatively new mode for community-level programs aimed at engaging young people in peacebuilding. This provided yet another reason for studying projects that are breaking this creative ground, to provide insights into what they do, how they do it, and the challenges they may face. The different applications of music to youth peacebuilding examined here can help to illuminate how differences in programs may influence outcomes. Additionally , looking at two significantly different cultures of conflict makes it possible to examine how music may be adapted to local needs in building a culture of peace. Furthermore, it is interesting to consider two case studies in which one (Third Space in Australia) is youth-run while the other (Breaking Barriers in Northern Ireland) is delivered as a program to young people, rather than by and with them. Throughout this project, I have sought to learn from and share information on the experiences of youth peacebuilders, paying particular attention to how they deploy their own contextually relevant skills and knowledge in creatively pursuing peace. 48 Youth Peacebuilding From the beginning, I want to make clear that I have not attempted to provide a formal evaluation of the groups/programs chosen. Rather, the intent has been to gather information on whether music-based activities generally indicate potential for effective peacebuilding among young people. While this does appear to be the case, the success of these programs does not imply that all organizations attempting to use music for youth peacebuilding will do so in a positive or effective manner. Instead, the work that these organizations are doing suggests that such outcomes are possible. I have thus sought to critically engage with their work to learn more about why and how they have been successful and what challenges and limitations exist. A Methodological Overview In both of the youth peacebuilding groups selected for these case studies I engaged in participant observation. To do so, I worked with young women and young men who produce and perform music. I was particularly concerned to record observations about the nature of the group and group interactions, the style of leadership, the ideas about peace and peacebuilding that dominated in the groups, the impact of the music-making, any visible gendered behavior, contestations of gender norms, group and interpersonal conflict, failures and successes. These observations were then used to facilitate later analysis of interview data. At both research sites I also conducted semi-structured interviews . In the interviews I sought to investigate the impact of group activities on the young people involved. This included the effects on identity construction (including gender identity) and on perceptions about the ability to engage as peacebuilders . I was interested, therefore, in the meanings the young people assigned to their activities in the group (as these also reflected broader processes of social construction, including in relation to gender). Thus, the epistemological position, or what counts as knowledge and meaningful data here is people ’s motives and perspectives, the actor’s point of view, and The Beat on the Ground 49 intentions and meanings in context. Relevant sources of data therefore include personal statements, actions or behavior, and broader understandings of culture.1 Before conducting each interview, I undertook steps to obtain informed consent from the young people asked to participate as interviewees. In each case, I described my project to the potential interviewee and explained that participation would be on a voluntary basis and that s/he did not have to consent to take part in the interviewing. After obtaining permission to conduct the interview, I then asked the permission of the interviewee to record the interview digitally in order to preserve the conversation in better detail and avoid possible confusion. All of the interviews reported in this study were conducted with young people who verbally agreed to being interviewed and recorded. Some general topics for questions included whether the youth felt music had been particularly enabling for their involvement in peacebuilding activities, how they thought their participation might make a difference, whether they felt this experience will...