Cross-Cultural Perspectives on Researching Children’s Singing and Cultural Understanding

Challenges of conducting cross-cultural research on singing and cultural understanding were addressed through examining a quadcultural project. The aim was to move away from ethnocentrism to global understanding. Song choice should reflect the cultural values. Research methodology needs to be valid for participants of diverse cultures. Written and verbal responses collected across cultures demonstrated differences in students’ experiences leading to varied levels of expression. Data analysis is challenging. What is considered as a high level of understanding for one culture might not apply to another. What is regarded as negative understanding for one culture might actually be interpreted as positive for another.