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British parents encourage their children to play musical instruments as part of a family tradition and not to boost their social status as Americans do， research says.
Dr Aaron Reeves， of the University of Oxford， found that UK parents did not see musical achievement by their children as character building or useful in getting university places or jobs.
Instead， it was usually only those parents who played instruments who encouraged their children to follow suit， he says in an article in the journal Cultural Sociology.
Dr Reeves， who analysed interviews with 44 people in the UK， says： “Respondents do not strongly associate musical practice with developing valued character traits nor with social or educational attainment.
“Instead， parental encouragement to play music is shaped by family ties and the parental perception of natural talent in their children.”
This contrasted with research carried out by other academics in America， he said. “Middle-class parents in the United States appear to associate cultural practice with other forms of utility， such as developing specific character traits and facilitating educational success. Middle-class families are very often marked by a pattern of ‘concerted cultivation’1， where parents organise music-centred activities for their children， often in addition to school-based musical practice.
“These parents associate musical practice with increasing the possibility of educational success. The utility of music is not located in the practice itself， but in its capacity to increase the likelihood of educational success and also cultivate other valuable character traits. Parents who raise their children according to the logic of concerted cultivation are also more likely to provide them with a ‘sense of entitlement’.”
Researchers had attributed this “to parental anxiety over the declining fortunes of educated Americans. These parents have become increasingly worried about providing their children with skills and aptitudes2 enabling them to stand out from their competitors in the job market.”
By contrast， Dr Reeves， says， “for British respondents， no such connection was made between what is perceived as an overbearing3 parenting style and future educational or career possibilities.
“The parents interviewed here did not connect music with utility but rather they implicitly focused on the value of music as a family tradition and， to a lesser extent， as something valuable in its own right. British parents who encourage their children to play musical instruments often articulate that support as an effort to forge family cohesion.” One Scottish parent， a chemist by profession， said during the interviews： “We’ve got two that are learning musical instruments...if we think it’s maybe worthwhile for them to keep on we try and encourage them， but we wouldn’t force them because there just isn’t much point in doing that.”
A housewife said： “My son’s just turned five and I want him to do the guitar because his uncle does it...but it’s up to him.”
In some UK families， said Dr Reeves， music was even “perceived to be an obstacle to educational success， or at least ancillary4 to it.”
研究表明，英國父母鼓励孩子学习乐器乃是沿袭家庭传统，而不是像美国人那样，寄望子女通过这种途径提升社会地位。
牛津大学的亚伦·里夫斯博士研究发现，英国父母并不认为子女在音乐方面的成就可以帮助他们塑造性格、考上大学或获得工作。
他在《文化社会学》一刊中撰文指出，通常只有那些自己也会弹奏某种乐器的父母才会鼓励子女学习音乐。
里夫斯博士采访了44名英国人，并得出分析结论：“受访者并不认为音乐实践与养成可贵品格、实现学业成功或取得社会成就之间有必然的联系。
“相反，父母是否鼓励孩子学习乐器，取决于家族关系以及是否认为子女有这方面的天赋。”
他进一步表示：“这与美国学者的研究结论大相径庭。美国中产家庭的父母似乎将文化实践与某种功用联系在一起，比如培养特定性格品质、辅助学业成功。美国中产家庭普遍奉行‘协作教育’，通常在学校音乐实践之外，父母也会为自己的孩子组织各式各样的音乐主题活动。
“这些家长认为学习音乐有望帮助子女在学业上表现出色。虽然音乐练习本身可能并无多少实际价值可言，但却能增大孩子们在学业上取得成功的可能性，并帮助他们养成优秀的个性品质。不仅如此，遵循协作教育理念的家长还更倾向于赋予子女‘权利意识’”。
学者们认为这一现象的产生应该归结于“美国家长们的担忧。如今，即使受过良好教育的美国人也面临财富日益缩水的窘境。家长们因此愈加焦虑，希望能让子女掌握更多技艺和才能，以便从就业市场的众多竞争者中脱颖而出”。
恰恰相反，“英国受访者倒并不认为‘协作教育’这种父母主导操控的教育模式跟子女在未来学业或事业上取得成功有什么关系。”里夫斯称。
“受访的英国父母并不认为音乐有实用性;反之，他们更看重音乐在延续家庭传统方面的价值，或往小了说，音乐本身的价值。鼓励子女学习乐器的英国父母通常表示，支持孩子学音乐是为了促进家族的凝聚力。”
一名从事药剂师职业的苏格兰家长接受采访时谈道：“我们家两个孩子都在学习弹奏乐器。如果我们认为这对他们来说值得继续，会尝试鼓励孩子继续学习，但我们绝不会强迫他们，因为这样做没有意义。”
另一名主妇表示：“我的儿子刚满五岁。他的叔叔会弹吉他，所以我希望他也能学习吉他。但决定权在他手上。”
里夫斯博士总结道，有些英国家庭甚至“将音乐看作是拖累学业的分心事，即使不是如此，至少也认为音乐只是辅助学业的”。 □
（译者为“《英语世界》杯”翻译大赛获奖者;单位：四川西南航空职业学院）
Dr Aaron Reeves， of the University of Oxford， found that UK parents did not see musical achievement by their children as character building or useful in getting university places or jobs.
Instead， it was usually only those parents who played instruments who encouraged their children to follow suit， he says in an article in the journal Cultural Sociology.
Dr Reeves， who analysed interviews with 44 people in the UK， says： “Respondents do not strongly associate musical practice with developing valued character traits nor with social or educational attainment.
“Instead， parental encouragement to play music is shaped by family ties and the parental perception of natural talent in their children.”
This contrasted with research carried out by other academics in America， he said. “Middle-class parents in the United States appear to associate cultural practice with other forms of utility， such as developing specific character traits and facilitating educational success. Middle-class families are very often marked by a pattern of ‘concerted cultivation’1， where parents organise music-centred activities for their children， often in addition to school-based musical practice.
“These parents associate musical practice with increasing the possibility of educational success. The utility of music is not located in the practice itself， but in its capacity to increase the likelihood of educational success and also cultivate other valuable character traits. Parents who raise their children according to the logic of concerted cultivation are also more likely to provide them with a ‘sense of entitlement’.”
Researchers had attributed this “to parental anxiety over the declining fortunes of educated Americans. These parents have become increasingly worried about providing their children with skills and aptitudes2 enabling them to stand out from their competitors in the job market.”
By contrast， Dr Reeves， says， “for British respondents， no such connection was made between what is perceived as an overbearing3 parenting style and future educational or career possibilities.
“The parents interviewed here did not connect music with utility but rather they implicitly focused on the value of music as a family tradition and， to a lesser extent， as something valuable in its own right. British parents who encourage their children to play musical instruments often articulate that support as an effort to forge family cohesion.” One Scottish parent， a chemist by profession， said during the interviews： “We’ve got two that are learning musical instruments...if we think it’s maybe worthwhile for them to keep on we try and encourage them， but we wouldn’t force them because there just isn’t much point in doing that.”
A housewife said： “My son’s just turned five and I want him to do the guitar because his uncle does it...but it’s up to him.”
In some UK families， said Dr Reeves， music was even “perceived to be an obstacle to educational success， or at least ancillary4 to it.”
研究表明，英國父母鼓励孩子学习乐器乃是沿袭家庭传统，而不是像美国人那样，寄望子女通过这种途径提升社会地位。
牛津大学的亚伦·里夫斯博士研究发现，英国父母并不认为子女在音乐方面的成就可以帮助他们塑造性格、考上大学或获得工作。
他在《文化社会学》一刊中撰文指出，通常只有那些自己也会弹奏某种乐器的父母才会鼓励子女学习音乐。
里夫斯博士采访了44名英国人，并得出分析结论：“受访者并不认为音乐实践与养成可贵品格、实现学业成功或取得社会成就之间有必然的联系。
“相反，父母是否鼓励孩子学习乐器，取决于家族关系以及是否认为子女有这方面的天赋。”
他进一步表示：“这与美国学者的研究结论大相径庭。美国中产家庭的父母似乎将文化实践与某种功用联系在一起，比如培养特定性格品质、辅助学业成功。美国中产家庭普遍奉行‘协作教育’，通常在学校音乐实践之外，父母也会为自己的孩子组织各式各样的音乐主题活动。
“这些家长认为学习音乐有望帮助子女在学业上表现出色。虽然音乐练习本身可能并无多少实际价值可言，但却能增大孩子们在学业上取得成功的可能性，并帮助他们养成优秀的个性品质。不仅如此，遵循协作教育理念的家长还更倾向于赋予子女‘权利意识’”。
学者们认为这一现象的产生应该归结于“美国家长们的担忧。如今，即使受过良好教育的美国人也面临财富日益缩水的窘境。家长们因此愈加焦虑，希望能让子女掌握更多技艺和才能，以便从就业市场的众多竞争者中脱颖而出”。
恰恰相反，“英国受访者倒并不认为‘协作教育’这种父母主导操控的教育模式跟子女在未来学业或事业上取得成功有什么关系。”里夫斯称。
“受访的英国父母并不认为音乐有实用性;反之，他们更看重音乐在延续家庭传统方面的价值，或往小了说，音乐本身的价值。鼓励子女学习乐器的英国父母通常表示，支持孩子学音乐是为了促进家族的凝聚力。”
一名从事药剂师职业的苏格兰家长接受采访时谈道：“我们家两个孩子都在学习弹奏乐器。如果我们认为这对他们来说值得继续，会尝试鼓励孩子继续学习，但我们绝不会强迫他们，因为这样做没有意义。”
另一名主妇表示：“我的儿子刚满五岁。他的叔叔会弹吉他，所以我希望他也能学习吉他。但决定权在他手上。”
里夫斯博士总结道，有些英国家庭甚至“将音乐看作是拖累学业的分心事，即使不是如此，至少也认为音乐只是辅助学业的”。 □
（译者为“《英语世界》杯”翻译大赛获奖者;单位：四川西南航空职业学院）