Academisation as activism? Some paradoxes

Abstract

In this article, I will discuss how activism in higher music education might appear as ambiguous or even paradoxical. This is due to activism being likely to be associated with a critical attitude towards established hierarchies, on the one hand. On the other hand, one might ask if it can also lead to new hegemonic configurations of power within academia. In order to elaborate this argument, I will employ both empirical and theoretical approaches, most of which are derived from the sociology of education and culture.