Music students’ intercultural sensitivity to different religious convictions

Abstract

The authors’ aim is to analyze the degree of openness to different religious convictions among students of Department of Music, Faculty of Arts in Niš, and also to test whether these students have an active attitude on overcoming religious prejudice. The research was initiated due to the fact that during their education, through various teaching activities (playing, singing, conducting, composition, listening to music and its analysis) students become familiar with religious, spiritual, and church music, as a constituent part of different religions. The assumption is that precisely through music as one of the most universal media of artistic communication students can establish and develop a positive attitude to religious differences. Research results show that students are aware of various religious convictions and affiliations, but they do not show enough sensitivity to respecting differences, and they do not take part in the struggle against prejudices that accompany those differences.