Students’ Perceptions of Parental Influence on their Participation in Music Activities in Hong Kong

Due to increased recognition on the importance of parental influence, the impact of parental cultural capital on students’ music activities has been studied in both Western and non-Western societies. Research has shown that students regard parental support as a central influential factor in their music learning. However, there is only a limited number of studies concerning the relationship among parental cultural capital, parental support and students’ participation in music, and more specifically, little attention is on students’ attitude towards music activities in the Chinese context.

Framed by Bourdieu’s theory of “cultural capital”, this research study focuses how students perceive the influence of parental support and parental cultural capital on their own attitude towards and participation in music activities in Hong Kong. Research focuses on two major areas for investigation:

1. To what extent does parental influence affect the types of music activities in which students participate?
2. How does parental influence affect the students’ attitude towards their instrumental learning?

To examine these issues, a survey questionnaire will be formulated and distributed to 10 Hong Kong secondary schools in early 2015, about 2,000 students attending Grades 7-9 will be involved. The findings may provide specific and nuanced insights into the impact of parental support on students’ music learning in the Hong Kong context. Moreover, this study may form a foundation on the mechanism through how cultural capital is transferred from parents to children and serve as a starting ground for a further investigation on the mechanism through exploring how cultural capital enhances music learning by participating in music activities. It may also contribute to reveal part of the linkage between family background and music education.