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Journals / Journal for the Interdisciplinary Art and Education / 2026 / Volume: 7 Issue: 2

The legitimacy problem of arranging in academic music education in Türkiye: An analysis based on Bourdieu’s theory of culture and capital

Ünsal Ünsal Yılmaz(YILDIZ TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY)
Levent Kaya(YILDIZ TEKNİK ÜNİVERSİTESİ)0000-0001-9669-7655
Pages
—
Publication Date
2026-06-30
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⚡ TL;DR(Too Long; Didn't Read)

Participants also emphasized the necessity of establishing independent academic programs, revising curricula, incorporating technology- and production-oriented courses, and strengthening cooperation between academia and the music industry in order to institutionalize arranging within academic contexts.

📌 3 Key Takeaways

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Objective & Hypothesis:This study aims to examine the insufficient recognition of arranging as an independent field of specialization within academic music education in T ürkiye through the social and educational dimensions of Bourdieu’s concepts of cultural capital, field, and symbolic violence.
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Key Findings & Data:The interview form consisted of four open-ended questions aimed at identifying the current position of arranging in academic music education in T ürkiye , its legitimacy problem, its relationship with curricula, sectoral needs, and possible solution proposals.The findings obtained from the document analysis demonstrated that, in the case of Berklee College of Music in the United States, arranging education is integrated into an academic structure through courses on contemporary writing, harmony, orchestration, production, and technology, whereas in Türkiye arranging occupies a limited, indirect, and often secondary position within music curricula.
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Conclusion & Impact:Participants also emphasized the necessity of establishing independent academic programs, revising curricula, incorporating technology- and production-oriented courses, and strengthening cooperation between academia and the music industry in order to institutionalize arranging within academic contexts.
🔬Design:Research Article
📍Scope:Comprehensive Sample
⚙️Variables:Academic legitimacy · Academic music education · Arranging

Abstract

This study aims to examine the insufficient recognition of arranging as an independent field of specialization within academic music education in T ürkiye through the social and educational dimensions of Bourdieu’s concepts of cultural capital, field, and symbolic violence. In t h is qualitative study ocument analysis and semi-structured interviews were used as data collection methods. Within the scope of the document analysis, courses related to arranging, contemporary writing, orchestration, production, and music technology in the Contemporary Writing and Production program at Berklee College of Music in the United States were examined, and the position of arranging within the curricula of academic music education programs in Turkey was comparatively evaluated. In addition, semi-structured interviews were conducted with five expert academics/academic arrangers. The interview form consisted of four open-ended questions aimed at identifying the current position of arranging in academic music education in T ürkiye , its legitimacy problem, its relationship with curricula, sectoral needs, and possible solution proposals.The findings obtained from the document analysis demonstrated that, in the case of Berklee College of Music in the United States, arranging education is integrated into an academic structure through courses on contemporary writing, harmony, orchestration, production, and technology, whereas in Türkiye arranging occupies a limited, indirect, and often secondary position within music curricula. Findings derived from expert interviews revealed themes such as the lack of academic and institutional legitimacy of arranging, curricular inadequacies, the neglect of its creative nature, conceptual and terminological ambiguities, and the insufficient recognition of the field’s contemporary and multidisciplinary character. Participants also emphasized the necessity of establishing independent academic programs, revising curricula, incorporating technology- and production-oriented courses, and strengthening cooperation between academia and the music industry in order to institutionalize arranging within academic contexts.

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Cite This Article

Yılmaz, Ü. Ü., Kaya, L. (2026). The legitimacy problem of arranging in academic music education in Türkiye: An analysis based on Bourdieu’s theory of culture and capital. Journal for the Interdisciplinary Art and Education, Volume: 7 Issue: 2. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.20995848

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