The Process of Social Identity Development in Adolescent High School Choral Singers

Abstract

The purpose of this grounded theory study was to describe the process of adolescent choral singers’ social identity development within three midsized, midwestern high school mixed choirs. Forty-nine interviews were conducted with 36 different participants. Secondary data sources included memoing, observations, and interviews with the choir teachers. The data analysis revealed an eight-stage process beginning with the student’s choice to audition and remain involved to the final stage, a desire to give back to the community. The central phenomenon of social identity was identified as team. Contextual conditions, including time, intensity, and size of group, strengthened participant experiences substantively. Social cliques and egos emerged as intervening conditions that impeded social identity development. Several individuals influenced participant social identity including peers, parents, school and community members, as well as the choir teacher. A temporal matrix is presented as well as propositions illustrating the development of social identity.

The Role of School in Adolescents’ Identity Development. A Literature Review

“…Finally, several ethnographic studies differing in their adopted theoretical perspectives on identity development demonstrated how mutual recognition among peers could be stimulated by engaging adolescents in learning activities that invite mutual encouragement (Carlone et al 2015;Tan and Calabrese Barton 2007) or by making adolescents aware of what they have in common (Hardee and Reyelt 2009;Jones and Deutsch 2013;Parker 2014;Tan and Calabrese Barton 2007). For example, in an art program studied by Hardee and Reyelt (2009), adolescents were asked to create art pieces.…”

Adolescent perceptions of singing: exploring gendered differences in musical confidence, identity and ambition

“…Singers can feel more secure if they have their fixed spatial positions where they feel supported within their vocal grouping (Bonshor, 2014). A sense of teamwork can be achieved through positive reinforcement of the factors that contribute to overall outcome, such as shared responsibility (Parker, 2014). Additionally, by heightening awareness of the musical outcome and praising performance success, individual and group efficacy can be improved (Wigfield and Eccles, 2000).…”

A Grounded Theory of Adolescent High School Women’s Choir Singers’ Process of Social Identity Development

“…The purpose of this grounded theory study was to discover the process of social identity development in adolescent high school women's choir participants. With this study, I continued the line of grounded theory inquiry I began with auditioned adolescent mixed choir singers (see Parker, 2014). Similar to the previous inquiry, my research questions included how participants described the development of social identity within the context of the women's choir, what actions-interactions influenced social identity, what strategies participants used to develop social identity, what intervening conditions impeded social identity, and what consequences resulted from social identity development in women's choir.…”