(Mis)representation of Gender in Digital Classical Music Mediation

Abstract

Building on the research of Octobre and Patureau (2018), this article invites reflection on the treatment of gender issues in digital mediation formats developed by music mediation organizations and concert promoters. Studies in the sociology of artistic work (Coulangeon and Ravet 2003; Buscatto 2007; Bousquet et al. 2018) consistently show that music fields – be it classical, jazz, or pop – are affected by a dual gender segregation: horizontal (gender distribution based on the type of employment) and vertical (lower access to leadership positions). One might assume that producers of digital mediation formats, who advocate for values such as coexistence, social inclusion, and agency (Perez-Roux and Montandon 2014; Carrel 2017), and who are aware of the normative and prescriptive effects of educational resources (Octobre 2014), would question these boundaries. The ‘counting’ and analysis of ‘cases’ derived from the systematic examination of approximately one hundred accessible online digital formats produced by music production and dissemination organizations will demonstrate that this is not the case.