The research project 'The social dynamics of musical upbringing and schooling in the Norwegian welfare state' (DYNAMUS) explores how music can be a means of inclusion, but also of exclusion, in a variety of dynamic contexts in which education and socialisation take place. Furthermore, the project investigates to what extent and in what ways music-related learning and teaching might be connected to social (im)mobility. The aim is to gain a deeper understanding of the cultural prerequisites underlying the Norwegian knowledge society and the welfare state, with a specific focus on the role of the social dynamics of music. One of the most important premises of the project is that the dynamics of society are largely based on a symbolic economy that works next to the material one, according to which what is considered legitimate culture is continually negotiated. Within the frames of this cultural economy, music stands out as one of the most value-laden cultural expressions. Consequently, music and music education constitute important arenas for the battles fought with regard to cultural taste, and this is mirrored in the fact that the field is characterised by extensive and ongoing processes of inclusion and exclusion; of recognition and disregard. Within the DYNAMUS project, such processes have been investigated through three interconnected sub-projects, which together explore a wide range of formal, non-formal and informal arenas for music teaching and learning.
Timewise, DYNAMUS spans the period from WWII until today, and the design of the project has enabled investigation of the musical upbringing and schooling that happens from early childhood to late adolescence (ages 0-19).