Navigating Identities: The Musical Lives of Four Second-Generation Immigrant Children in Miami

243 Pages·2017·15.47 MB·English

University of Miami
Scholarly Repository
Open Access Dissertations Electronic Teses and Dissertations
2017-05-10
Navigating Identities: Te Musical Lives of Four
Second-Generation Immigrant Children in Miami,
Florida
Sandra S. Adorno
University of Miami,
UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI

NAVIGATING IDENTITIES: THE MUSICAL LIVES OF FOUR SECOND-
GENERATION IMMIGRANT CHILDREN IN MIAMI, FLORIDA

By

Sandra Sanchez Adorno

A DISSERTATION

Submitted to the Faculty
of the University of Miami
in partial fulfillment of the requirements for
the degree of Doctor of Philosophy

Coral Gables, Florida

May 2017
©2017
Sandra Sanchez Adorno
All Rights Reserved
UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI

A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of
the requirements for the degree of
Doctor of Philosophy

NAVIGATING IDENTITIES: THE MUSICAL LIVES OF
FOUR SECOND-GENERATION IMMIGRANT CHILDREN IN MIAMI, FLORIDA

Sandra Sanchez Adorno

Approved:

________________ _________________
Carlos R. Abril, Ph.D. Don D. Coffman, Ph.D.
Professor of Music Education Professor of Music Education

________________ _________________
Stephen F. Zdzinski, Ph.D. Guillermo Prado, Ph.D.
Professor of Music Education Dean of the Graduate School

________________
Corin T. Overland, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Professional Practice,
Department of Vocal Performance

________________
Elizabeth Harry, Ph.D.
Professor of Teaching and Learning
ADORNO, SANDRA SANCHEZ (Ph.D., Music Education)
Navigating Identities: The Musical Lives of Four Second- (May 2017)
Generation Immigrant Children in Miami, Florida.
Abstract of a dissertation at the University of Miami.
Dissertation supervised by Carlos R. Abril, Ph.D.
No. of pages in text. (228)

The expanding social worlds of middle childhood prompt children to evaluate and
explore their sense of selves to better understand who they are and where they fit in
(Erikson, 1968; Josselson & Harway, 2012). Children born in the USA to at least one
foreign-born parent, also known as second-generation immigrants, often straddle multiple
cultures, making their social contexts highly diverse and their explorations of identity
complex (Sebastian, 2008). This collective case study focused on the home musical lives
of four second-generation children in Miami, Florida, USA to gain greater insight into
music’s meaning in their lives and the role it plays in the negotiation and construction of
their identities.
Data were collected through observations and semi-structured interviews in
participants’ homes and communities and analyzed through the constant comparative
method (Glaser, 1965). Examining children’s musical experiences in the different
contexts of their lives, as both music makers and music listeners, provided insight into the
meaning and value of their experiences as well as the ways they explored and expressed
their musical and cultural (i.e., youth, ethnic, gender) identities. Implications for music
teaching and future research are provided.
DEDICATION

To my parents, Robert Antonio and Mary Patricia Sanchez

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I must first thank the children and families involved in this study.
None of this would have been possible without them and I am truly grateful for the close
relationships we formed throughout this process.
During my time in Miami, I came across a number of influential mentors and
peers to whom I am forever indebted. To Carlos Abril, my mentor, advisor, and friend
who helped shape me into the educator, researcher, and person I am today. His
professional and personal guidance always helped me persist and achieve my dreams
through the good times and the bad. To Stephen Zdzinski, who always believed in me
from our very first conversation in the FMEA expo hall. In addition to his unwavering
support, he taught me think out of the box and dream big. To Don Coffman, who taught
me precision and efficiency (I’m still working on it!). To Drs. Overland and Harry for
their support and insight throughout this project and Drs. Asmus, DeCarbo, and Jordan
for helping lay the foundation of my awesome graduate experience. To my friends and
colleagues, Susie and Candice, because lord knows if I would have made it through
without the two of them! Also, to the rest of the fine music education and music therapy
graduate students I befriended along the way.
This work is not only made of the blood, sweat, and tears of myself, but also
many of my close family and friends. To my husband, Miguel, who persevered through
long-distance relationships, financial hardships, and a roller coaster of emotions to ensure
I started and finished this degree. To my parents, who always supported me, no matter
how crazy my dreams were. They never seemed surprised of my outrageous ambitions—
from drums corps to a doctorate. My father, who did not make it to see this day, worked
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hard to support my family and paved the way for me to live the life I chose. My mother,
my rock, has always stood by my side to provide a shoulder to lean on and offer an
overwhelming amount of love and encouragement. To my siblings, Bobby, Elayna,
Carrie, and Kiko, my in-laws, Maria and Chu, and my Billy for being the best family
anyone could ask for

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page
LIST OF FIGURES………………………………………………………………... xi

LIST OF TABLES…………………………………………………………………. xii

Chapter

1 INTRODUCTION......................................................................................... 1
Need For the Study.................................................................................. 3
Conceptualizing Identity.......................................................................... 4
Musical Identities.............................................................................. 7
Purpose and Research Questions............................................................. 9
Framing the Research Questions....................................................... 9
Research Question One............................................................... 10
Research Question Two............................................................... 10
Research Question Three............................................................. 11
Methodology............................................................................................ 11
Sampling............................................................................................ 12
Recruitment....................................................................................... 12
Data Generation................................................................................. 12
Data Analysis..................................................................................... 13
Theoretical Frameworks.............................................................. 14
Definitions............................................................................................... 15
Limitations and Delimitations................................................................. 16
Limitations......................................................................................... 16
Delimitations..................................................................................... 17

2 REVIEW OF LITERATURE........................................................................ 18
Immigration in the United States............................................................. 18
Assimilation and Acculturation......................................................... 19
Responses to Acculturation......................................................... 20
Immigrant Youth............................................................................... 21
Biculturalism............................................................................... 23
Generational Differences............................................................. 23
Immigration and Education..................................................................... 24
Assimilation and Cultural Pluralism in Education............................ 25
Multicultural Education............................................................... 26
Culturally Responsive Pedagogy................................................. 27
Cultural Pluralism in Music Education............................................. 28
Culturally Responsive Music Instruction.................................... 29
Identity..................................................................................................... 31
Contextual Influences of Identity...................................................... 33
Immigration and Identity................................................................... 34
Music and Identity............................................................................. 35
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Musical Identities........................................................................ 35
Identities in Music................................................................. 36
Music in Identities................................................................. 37
Music and Children................................................................................. 38
Children and Musical Experience...................................................... 39
Music and Middle Childhood............................................................ 41
Music and Immigrant Children.......................................................... 43
Children’s Music and the Media....................................................... 48
Children’s Music and the Media in School................................. 49
Children’s Music and the Media at Home................................... 52
Conclusion............................................................................................... 54

3 METHOD...................................................................................................... 55
Research Overview.................................................................................. 55
Central Purpose and Research Questions................................................ 56
Case Study Research............................................................................... 57
Participants.............................................................................................. 58
Sampling............................................................................................ 59
Inclusion Criteria......................................................................... 60
Recruitment....................................................................................... 60
Consent.............................................................................................. 60
Gaining Entry.................................................................................... 61
Data Collection and Generation.............................................................. 63
Time Frame........................................................................................ 63
Observations...................................................................................... 64
Field Notes................................................................................... 64
Interviews.......................................................................................... 65
iPad Mini Devices....................................................................... 66
Photo 365 Application........................................................... 68
Book Creator Application...................................................... 68
My Music Book Project......................................................... 69
Role of the Researcher....................................................................... 70
Ethics................................................................................................. 71
Data Management and Organization................................................. 72
Data Analysis........................................................................................... 73
NVivo................................................................................................ 73
Constant Comparative Method of Analysis....................................... 73
Within and Cross-Case Case Analysis.............................................. 74
Theoretical Framework...................................................................... 75
Triangulation..................................................................................... 76

4 FOUR SINGLE CASES................................................................................ 78
Getting to Know Ava............................................................................... 78
Ava’s Ecological Environments........................................................ 79
Home........................................................................................... 80
School.......................................................................................... 82
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