On the 23rd of October, Silke Marynissen defended her PhD research entitled, “When words fail, music speaks: Understanding the processes and the outcomes of participatory music programs in prison”.
While people in prison are deprived of their liberty, they are not excluded from other fundamental rights, including their right to make music. This provides the foundation for organizing participatory music programs in prison. In these programs, individuals actively make music, typically under the guidance of a music practitioner. Over the past years, academic interest in such initiatives has been growing, with research primarily focusing on the outcomes for incarcerated individuals. However, there is little understanding of how, why, for whom and under which circumstances participatory music programs in prison work. The overall aim of this dissertation is to better understand the outcomes of participatory music programs, as well as the underlying contextual factors and mechanisms of change that influence whether, and to what extent, these outcomes are achieved.
By applying a qualitative multi-method research design, grounded in a critical realist science perspective, this study emphasizes the critical role of context in understanding participatory music programs in prison. Using a socio-ecological model, context is conceptualized across five interconnected layers: intrapersonal (i.e., participants’ motivation, musical background, and reasons for (non-)participation), interpersonal (i.e., music practitioners’ background and intentions), institutional (i.e., institutional buy-in, participant consistency, prison environment, prison infrastructure, security measures, and sustainability of the music program), community (i.e., national and international differences, and societal views) and public policy level (i.e., financial support and political views).
These contextual factors either enable or constrain the activation of the underlying mechanisms of change. Five key mechanisms of change are identified: the approach of the music practitioners, creating a contrasting environment, being a collaborative process, providing a goal, and connecting to the outside world. In turn, these mechanisms contribute to four outcomes for incarcerated individuals: managing and expressing emotions, facilitating self-development, providing respite, and facilitating connections.
The findings of this dissertation demonstrate the complex interconnection between contextual factors and mechanisms of change that influence these outcomes. Four key insights emerge.
Music programs offer a meaningful contrast to the punitive and often dehumanizing prison environment. This contrast arises from the collaborative nature of the participatory music activity, the approach employed by the music practitioner, and the relative sense of autonomy experienced by participants.
Some music practitioners adopt an approach resembling Paulo Freire’s critical pedagogy. The research suggests that when program goals are oriented towards transformation, they should ideally involve connections to individuals outside of the prison walls. However, institutional factors like institutional buy-in and program sustainability influence the possibility to establish a Freirean approach.
Institutional diversity leads to considerable variation in whether and how participatory music programs are organized in prison.
While this dissertation demonstrates that participatory music programs support self-development among incarcerated participants, their value should not be reduced to this. The meaningful experiences participatory music programs provide in the here and now are equally important and deserve recognition.
In conclusion, this dissertation highlights the importance of looking beyond the outcomes of participatory music programs in prison. These programs need to be tailored to the social and institutional context in which they are implemented. The findings of this dissertation provide generative claims on how, why, for whom and under which circumstances participatory music programs work. Future research should build on these insights, using a critical realist science perspective to further refine and contextualize how participatory music programs can best operate in diverse prison settings.
More information? Contact Silke Marynissen.