ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the author explores the specific manner in which human needs can be understood in terms of human rights in music therapy. Community music therapy practices address injustice and various human rights violations in disadvantaged communities. In this light, a key value underpinning community music therapy practice is the realization of human rights. Since 2013, music therapy has been recommended in several national policy documents in Norway, partly with reference to research evidence demonstrating its therapeutic effects and partly with reference to music therapy’s capacity to promote user-involvement and participation. Typically, for instance, many people think of artists as specialized and highly gifted individuals (and individualists), rather than as community members. Citizenship can be defined as the status bestowed on people as members of a broader community. This notion invites critique of romanticized views of participatory community, which often ignore diversity, social conflict, and political actions.
