Addressing Issues of Ethnicity and Identity i Palliative Care through Music Therapy Practice

Abstract

In preparing for their death, patients with terminal illnesses may express a need to explore and confirm their identity in terms of their familial, social, cultural and ethnic heritage. This paper examines the mechanisms which underlie the construction of individual and basic group identity, the latter of which is also referred to as ethnicity. The maintenance and evolution of identity over time and across different places is explored, and the use of music as a means to construct, express and sustain identity discussed. Finally, the role of music therapy, and specifically the use of music-facilitated life-review in addressing issues of ethnicity and identity in palliative care is explored through the case study of 'Gretel', an Australian woman of Russian descent who was diagnosed with a terminal illness. This article is based on a paper written in partial fulfilment of the Masters of Music Degree in Ethnomusicology at Goldsmiths College, University of London, 1999.