Sustaining culture through reciprocity: a case study of a college-community engagement
OA Version
Citation
Abstract
Both community engagement (CE) and culturally sustaining pedagogy (CSP) emphasize reciprocal relationships and community collaboration, yet there is limited research on how CE can support CSP, particularly in sustaining underrepresented cultural practices in academic settings. This dissertation examines the intersection of CE and CSP in higher music education, a field traditionally dominated by Eurocentric musical traditions. The aim of this study was to explore how reciprocity within a CE partnership contributed to CSP practices in a higher music education context. Specifically, I questioned how mutual exchanges between students, faculty, and community members might support the preservation and transmission of African American musical traditions. The research focused on a CE program involving a college music department and a community choir dedicated to African American heritage music. Data collection involved interviews, document analysis, and observations to identify instances of reciprocity and their relation to CSP. For data analysis, I performed open and axial coding and then organized data into themes and subthemes. Findings revealed that participants experienced meaningful exchanges, such as shared musical expertise, a sense of community and belonging, and enhanced critical consciousness. These reciprocal interactions supported core CSP tenets, including heritage culture preservation, historicized content, and the development of critical consciousness among participants. The analysis also uncovered significant challenges to achieving truly equitable reciprocity, including power imbalances in decision-making, asymmetrical learning relationships that favored student benefits, and cultural tensions arising from the partnership’s institutional context. Notably, many participants accepted or endorsed these imbalances, revealing how power dynamics can become normalized within community partnerships.
I concluded that reciprocal CE partnerships may be instrumental in implementing CSP in higher music education. By centering minority cultural practices, partnerships may not only enhance participants’ cultural competencies and social awareness but also challenge dominant cultural narratives in music education settings. Still, institutions may actively address structural inequities to foster community voices are genuinely centered. This research offers insights into both the potential and complexities of culturally sustaining partnerships that may inform future curriculum design and institutional engagement strategies aimed at diversifying the kinds of music cultivated in higher music education and enhancing equitable relationships between higher music education and its surrounding communities.
Description
2026