ABSTRACT
In this chapter, I draw from a national mixed-methods study conducted by the author of undergraduate student musical backgrounds and experiences of higher music education in Ireland. In particular, I investigate the ways in which Bourdieu’s theoretical tools of habitus, cultural capital, and field can further our understanding of how different musical pathways shape student experiences. Following an application of Bourdieu’s concepts to musical enculturation and the social reproduction of musical value, I investigate the ways in which social class factors in the pursuit of higher music education.
