Abstract
In the present article we describe a special project (Let's talk music) in which a multi-cultural group, including immigrants and Israeli-born students (Sabras), was formed. The group was designed according to recommended guidelines for successful contact between groups (Amir, Citation1969) and implemented music therapy techniques based on psychodynamic principles. Twelve immigrants and Sabras, themselves children of immigrants, met for 24 weekly sessions, conducted by a music therapist. Quantitative and qualitative research which accompanied the project showed that the group process enabled most students, immigrants as well as Sabras, to be more identified with their cultural roots as well as with the Israeli “host” culture. As a result of the group process, students could express more acceptance and openness towards the “other”. It was found that music was a key ingredient in these developments. Results are discussed in light of the common ingroup identity model.
Acknowledgement
We wish to thank Dr Yosef Gilboa for his valuable comments and additions.
Notes
1Small claims that there is no such thing as music, and talks about musicking, music as a verb, not a noun. “To music is to take part, in any capacity, in a musical performance, whether by performing, by listening … or by dancing” (Small, Citation1998, p. 9).
2For ethical reasons, names of students are fabricated.
3These are the initials of the different assignments from which the citations were taken: f.a = Final assignment; m.y.a = Mid-year assignment; g.d. = Group diary, m.r = Movie report; p. = page number of the script from which citation was taken from.
4One of the groups' assignments was to go to a multicultural concert together in a concert hall outside the university.