Hanna Backer Johnsen

Visions for Social Justice in Music Schools? Experiences of Adolescents and Families within the Floora project in Finland

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My doctoral study is based on a conviction that research of music schools should increasingly embrace children’s and young people's voices and experiences in order to balance its past and current strong emphasis on teachers and pedagogy. This study will contribute to the knowledge gap by adding the perspectives of young people and their parents/guardians as significant agents of music schools as well as contributors to the wider understandings of policy level processes in the Basic Education in the Arts in Finland and in music education in general. Data will be generated through a series of interviews and a variety of inclusive research methods with school-aged participants in the Floora project – a music education social innovation that aims at inclusion of children with diverse socio-economic background. In addition, interviews with the participant's parents/guardians will be conducted. The study will provide new insights on newcomers in in the music school system and offer critical knowledge for the potential for social justice in music education. 

Received research grants:

• The Swedish Cultural Foundation in Finland (Svenska kulturfonden) 2018-2019, 2020-2021 & 2021-2022
   

• The Victoria Foundation (Victoriastiftelsen)
  March-July 2020

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PUBLICATIONS

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Backer Johnsen, H. (2021). Motståndets konst - eller vad världen vill lära oss? [The art of resistance - or what the world wants to teach us?] Uniart's Music Education AMP Blog 17.3.2021: https://blogit.uniarts.fi/en/post/motstandets-konst-eller-vad-varlden-vill-lara-oss/

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Backer Johnsen, H; Di Lorenzo Tillborg, A & Jeppsson, C. (2020). Living with Differences – Learning Tolerance? Reflections on the European Music School Symposium 2019: Music schools – Masters of Collaboration? Creating Interfaces in Music Education Systems. The Finnish Journal of Music Education 01 & 02 2020 vol. 23, 156-159.

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Backer Johnsen, H. et al. (2020). Collaboratively Navigating Liminality in Music Education Doctoral Studies. In T. Laes & L. Hautsalo (Eds.) Remarks on a Visionary’s Journey. An Anthology Celebrating Heidi Westerlund. 
Sibelius Academy Publications 18.

 

Rønningen, A; Di Lorenzo Tillborg, A; Jeppsson, C., Holst, F. & Backer Johnsen, H. (2019). Kulturskolerelatert forskning i Norden – En oversikt. Rapport: Norsk kulturskoleråd/Statens kulturråd, Sverige. 
https://www.kulturskoleradet.no/_extension/media/6344/orig/2019%20Forskningsoversikt%2025.4.pdf

 

Backer Johnsen, H; Kamensky, H; Tuovinen, T. (2018). Elefantti olohuoneessa: Eurooppalainen musiikkioppilaitostutkimus tarkastelee oppilaitosten nykytilaa ja tulevaisuutta. The Finnish Journal of Music Education 02/2018, vol. 21, 123-124. 

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Backer Johnsen, H. (2019). Musik – vem anger tonen? (ArtsEqual -blog 25.3.2019)

https://blogit.uniarts.fi/kirjoitus/musik-vem-anger-tonen/

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PRESENTATIONS
 

Backer Johnsen, H. 2022. Responsibility and illusio in social innovations in music education – The case of Floora in Finland. NNRME PhD-day (online). University of Jyväskylä, Finland. 

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Backer Johnsen, H. 2021. The Floora project - experiences of the participating children, young people and families. Presentation in the symposium Efforts to improve accessibility of music education in Finnish music schools with Prof. Marja-Leena Juntunen and Sanna Kivijärvi. ESA-Arts 11th midterm conference – The Social Effects of Art, Helsinki, Finland. 

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Backer Johnsen, H. 2021. An overview of the Finnish and Nordic extracurricular school system. Online lecture as part of a course for master students in music education. University of Music and Performing Arts,  Vienna, Austria.

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Backer Johnsen, H. 2020. Sociala grupper utanför vår verksamhet – möjligheter och utmaningar. Lecture as part of the study program Music Education in Change
at Novia University of Applied Sciences. Music Centre, Helsinki, Finland.

 

Backer Johnsen, H. 2019. Research on art and music schools in Nordic countries. Who is doing research about what, about whom, and who really cares?  Round Table Session with Anders Rønningen, Adriana Di Lorenzo Tillborg and Cecilia Jeppsson. 2nd European Music School Symposium at the University of Music and Performing Arts, Vienna, Austria.

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Backer Johnsen, H. 2019. Poster and pitch: Experiences of children and their parents participating in the Floora project. 2nd European Music School Symposium at the University of Music and Performing Arts, Vienna, Austria.

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Backer Johnsen, H. 2019. Enhancing the fullfillment of children’s cultural rights in Finnish Basic Education in the Arts. Paper presentation with Hanna Kamensky. International Children’s Culture Forum, Tampere, Finland.

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Backer Johnsen, H. 2019. Nordisk kunskapsöversikt – kulturskolerelaterad forskning i Finland. The Norwegian Council for Music Schools of Music and Performing Arts. Kulturskoledagene Øst, Oslo, Norway.

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Backer Johnsen, H. 2018. Music schools and social responsibility – The Floora project. Paper presentation at the First European Student Forum for Music School Research. University of Music and Performing Arts, Vienna, Austria.