“Musical solidarity: a sociological exploration of the lived experience of musicians of African heritage in Northern Ireland.”

Abstract

"This dissertation offers a sociological exploration of the lived experiences of 2nd generation migrants of African heritage in Northern Ireland, and their involvement in music culture. Through the framework of phenomenological inquiry, semi-structured interviews elicited data which were then subjected to a process of thematic analysis. Previous research, the amount of which is minimal, has underpinned the African experience as one of dissatisfaction, under-recognition and feeling like an outsider. This research reveals that progress towards inclusion, whilst slow and at times unsatisfactory for participants, was emerging in Northern Ireland for people of African heritage. Participants’ relationship to music culture revealed that collaboration with white Northern Irish musicians was a regular occurrence, and nurtured a sense of inclusion, which was capable of crossing a multitude of cultural barriers in Northern Ireland."