Bio-political Perspectives on the Expression of People with Disabilities in Music Therapy: Case Examples

Authors

  • Hiroko Miyake Meijigakuin University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15845/voices.v14i3.800

Keywords:

disability studies, music therapy, power relations, bio-politics

Abstract

The burgeoning interdisciplinary field of disability studies has understood disability not as medical pathology, but rather as a social and cultural construction. It involves political attempts to move the dividing line between dis/ability, ab/normal, as well as gender, race, or ethnicity, from the perspective of “claiming disability” (Linton, 1998) as a positive political and cultural identity. However, in the music therapy field, disability studies has been generally ignored because music therapy has traditionally been ensconced in a medical model rather than a socio-cultural or political model. In this article, I will discuss the issue of power relationships inherent in music therapy by referring to recent literature in disability studies.

Author Biography

Hiroko Miyake, Meijigakuin University

Hiroko Miyake is a research fellow in the Research Institute for Languages and Cultures at Meijigakuin University. She works as a music therapist with people with multiple disabilities. She received her Ph.D. degree from Kobe University on the political issue of the music therapy process. Currently, she is studying the practice and theory of community music therapy in Japan. Her recent publications include “Creating an Musical Environment for Life: the Case Study of Music Therapy with a Boy with Adrenoleukodystrophy” (in Japanese, Iwasaki academic publisher, forthcoming).

Published

2014-10-26

How to Cite

Miyake, H. (2014). Bio-political Perspectives on the Expression of People with Disabilities in Music Therapy: Case Examples. Voices: A World Forum for Music Therapy, 14(3). https://doi.org/10.15845/voices.v14i3.800