Why Can't We Be Friends? Using Music To Teach Social Justice

Listening to music is an emotional and educational experience that has the potential to shape an individual’s values, actions, and worldview. Widely used in elementary education, music can also be a fresh, innovative teaching tool in higher education. Although it can be applied to virtually any subject area, critical reflection and discussion of music can especially complement courses related to the concept of social justice. This paper provides a review of the literature on using music to teach justice-related concepts, an illustration of ways in which the authors have utilized music in their own courses, and conclusions for educators