Exploring citizenship and belonging with two college music students of marginalised identities

In this study, I explore the experiences of two college music students of colour who founded and led an organisation for underrepresented music students by employing a theoretical framework of citizenship (Osler and Starkey 2005). According to Osler and Starkey (2005), citizenship refers to the practices and statuses of membership within an institution as well as to the affective dimensions of belonging. Findings include the benefits of peer support and identity-based coursework for music students of colour and the negative effects of peers' pernicious attitudes as well as other threats to safety influenced by the campus climate. Citizenship provided a framework for centreing underrepresented students' feelings of belonging and problematising the relationship between an institution of higher education and its stakeholders. Finally, I explore the implications of student organisations like Elevate, the group founded by the participants, for supporting music students of underrepresented identities.