The role of the musical arts in HIV/AIDS intervention in Malawi
Nthala, Grant Macloly Moloko
English: This study is a response to the call for localised research from a number of medical ethnomusicology experts who have studied and documented research findings on the relationships between medicine, music and culture in Africa. Such findings have been documented in recent publications such as Health Knowledge and Belief Systems in Africa (2008), The Oxford Handbook of Medical Ethnomusicology (2008) and The Culture o/AIDS in Africa (20 II). The field research supporting this study is country specific and aims at contributing to the greater academic effort of medical ethnomusicology on the African continent by providing depth of local information regarding the role that music has played as an intervention for public health concerns and healing efforts in Malawi. The study begins by ethnographically observing and investigating the HIV/AIDS situation in Malawi, factors that have contributed to the escalation of the situation, and the ways in which Malawian society has responded musically to pandemics in general and to the HIV/AIDS pandemic in particular. The findings of this observation and investigation are documented with the support of academic evidence on the realities of HIV/AIDS in local Malawian contexts and within the greater Southern African context. The supporting literature further discusses how the musical arts have played a role in defining and addressing these realities from social, cultural, economic, and biomedical points of view globally. Finally, the documented examples are evaluated to determine their efficacy. Challenges consistent with arts interventions are highlighted as largely due to inadequate knowledge, cultural biases, lack of training, and the practitioners' lack of sensitivity. It is observed throughout this study that different communities interpret music in different ways in order to share ideas, joy, memories, suffering, pain, and spiritual ideals. In addition, Malawian societies both in urban and rural communities use music as a unifying element for the achievement of predetermined goals. A number of interventions have been designed, developed, and implemented to address the impact of HI V/AIDS on Malawi; however, there is no documented data on the involvement and promotion of the musical arts in the effective and sustained fight against the pandemic at national governmental and non-governmental policy levels. This lack of material calls for large-scale research on arts-based HIV/AIDS intervention in Malawi, part of which is the attempt made through this study.
Afrikaans: Hierdie studie is 'n direkte uitvloeisel van versoeke van kundiges op die gebied van mediese etnomusikologie wat reeds die verhouding tussen medisyne, musiek en kultuur in Afrika bestudeer en gepubliseer het, orn plaaslike navorsing oor die genoemde aspekte te doen. Voorbeelde van sulke publikasies is Health Knowledge and Belief Systems in Africa (2008), The Oxford Handbook of Medical Ethnomusicology (2008) en The Culture of AIDS in Africa (20 II). Die praktiese navorsing wat vir hierdie navorsing gedoen is, is landspesifiek (Malawi). Dit het ten doelom 'n bydrae tot die groter akademiese inisiatiefvan mediese etnomusikologie op die Afrika-kontinent te lewer deur die verskaffing van inligting deur die plaaslike inwoners betreffende die rol wat musiek in die intervensie van openbare gesondheidsrisiko's en pogings tot genesing gespeel het. Die studie neem 'n aanvang deur die etnografiese waarneming van, en ondersoek instel na die HIVIVIGS-situasie in Malawi, faktore wat'n bydrae tot die toename van die situasie lewer, asook die wyse waarop inwoners van Malawi musikaal op pandemies in die algemeen en spesifiek die HIVIVIGS-pandemie reageer. Die bevindinge en dokumentering van hierdie studie is geskoei op akademiese bewyse van die realiteit van HIVIVIGS in die plaaslike Malawiese konteks en binne die raamwerk van die groter Suid-Afrika. Die ondersteunende literatuur handeloor die rol wat die musikale kunste in die globale definiëring en aanspreking van realiteite soos sosiale -, kulturele -, ekonomiese -, en biomediese uitgangspunte gespeel het. Ten slotte word die gedokumenteerde voorbeelde geëvalueer ten einde die doeltreffendheid te bepaal. Daar word uitgelig dat uitdagings wat eie aan intervensies van die kunste is, hoofsaaklik die gevolg van onvoldoende kennis, kulturele vooroordele, gebrek aan opleiding en die praktiseerder se gebrek aan sensitiwiteit is. Deur die hele studie kom dit duidelik na vore dat gemeenskappe musiek op verskillende wyses interpreteer ten einde idees, geluk, herinneringe, swaarkry, pyn en spirituele ideale te deel. Boonop gebruik Malawiese gemeenskappe, beide in stedelike en landelike gebiede, musiek asn verenigende element vir die bereiking van vooropgestelde doelwitte. Verskeie intervensies is ontwerp, ontwikkel en geïmplimenteer om die impak van HIV/VIGS op Malawi aan te spreek; maar daar is geen gedokumenteerde data van die betrokkenheid en bevoordeling van die musikale kunste vir die effektiewe en volhoubare stryd teen die pandemie op nasionale parlementêre en nie-parlementêre beleidsvlakke nie. Hierdie gebrek aan dokumentasie noop 'n volskaalse navorsingsveldtog op die kunstegebaseerde HIV/VIGS intervensie in Malawie. waarvan hierdie studie gedeeltelik 'n poging aanwend om dit aan te spreek.
A critical review of South Africa's curriculum and assessment policy statement grades 10-12 music ﻿
Hellberg, Elsabie Petronella (University of the Free State, 2014-01)
In 2012 a new curriculum for Grade 10-12, Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS), was implemented in South African government schools. This new curriculum applies to all subjects, including Music. Before ...