Together apart: a comparison of a thematic and diffractive analysis of a participatory music project

Abstract

Despite a growing interest in posthuman research methodologies within educational research, there has been limited research to date which applies this theory to music education. We consider that there is much that posthumanism and music education may offer each other, particularly within the context of the global COVID-19 pandemic which challenges us to innovate rapidly within our educational and research practices. We explore the potential of this methodology through conducting a ‘diffractive analysis,’ an approach to enquiry associated with posthuman theory. Drawing on data collected during a participatory music project involving children with SEND [Special Educational Needs and Disabilities], professional musicians, trainee generalist primary teachers and ourselves as facilitators and researchers, we draw out the potential of a diffractive analysis by putting it into dialogue with a thematic analysis of the same data. In documenting this we describe our own process of co-becoming as researchers, entangled with our research and our data. We describe the research processes that we followed, and through a comparison of materials produced during our initial analysis, we consider the similarities, differences and conversations that emerge.