From Unspeakability to Inequality Talk: Why Conversations about Inequalities May Not Pave the Way for Change

TY - JOUR

T1 - From Unspeakability to Inequality Talk

T2 - Why Conversations about Inequalities May Not Pave the Way for Change

AU - Scharff, Christina

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2021 The Author(s). All Rights Reserved. Copyright: Copyright 2021 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.

PY - 2021

Y1 - 2021

N2 - This article draws on 18 qualitative in-depth interviews with female, early-career classical musicians to investigate if, and if so how, recent discourse around the lack of diversity in the classical music profession has affected how young musicians talk about inequalities in the field of classical music. The article demonstrates that the research participants were aware of ongoing inequalities and discussed them openly. This marks an important shift from previously conducted research, which highlighted the ‘unspeakability' of inequalities in the classical music profession and the cultural and creative industries. By drawing on discursive psychology, this article explores the rhetorical and ideological work that such ‘inequality talk' performs, arguing that conversations about inequalities may not necessarily pave the way for political change. Divided into three analytical sections, the article demonstrates that inequality talk can become an end in itself, rather than a means to an end (such as political change); that a fatalist sentiment can characterise discussions of inequalities, presenting structural change as unachievable; and that acknowledgement and recognition of privilege, crucial to overcoming inequalities, is not a consistent feature of inequality talk, which in turn risks reinforcing the normativity of whiteness and middle-classness in the field of classical music. Overall, the article cautions against overly optimistic accounts of the shift towards a more open discussion of inequalities in the classical music profession and beyond.

AB - This article draws on 18 qualitative in-depth interviews with female, early-career classical musicians to investigate if, and if so how, recent discourse around the lack of diversity in the classical music profession has affected how young musicians talk about inequalities in the field of classical music. The article demonstrates that the research participants were aware of ongoing inequalities and discussed them openly. This marks an important shift from previously conducted research, which highlighted the ‘unspeakability' of inequalities in the classical music profession and the cultural and creative industries. By drawing on discursive psychology, this article explores the rhetorical and ideological work that such ‘inequality talk' performs, arguing that conversations about inequalities may not necessarily pave the way for political change. Divided into three analytical sections, the article demonstrates that inequality talk can become an end in itself, rather than a means to an end (such as political change); that a fatalist sentiment can characterise discussions of inequalities, presenting structural change as unachievable; and that acknowledgement and recognition of privilege, crucial to overcoming inequalities, is not a consistent feature of inequality talk, which in turn risks reinforcing the normativity of whiteness and middle-classness in the field of classical music. Overall, the article cautions against overly optimistic accounts of the shift towards a more open discussion of inequalities in the classical music profession and beyond.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85112837727&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.16995/olh.4674

DO - 10.16995/olh.4674

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85112837727

SN - 2056-6700

VL - 7

SP - 1

EP - 21

JO - Open Library of Humanities

JF - Open Library of Humanities

IS - 2

ER -